Volkswagen T-Roc: technology when you work, rest and play (sponsored)

Be it navigating from A to B or ordering essentials from our favourite online supermarket, our 21st century lives are becoming increasingly reliant on technology.

Nowhere is this truer than in our car. Whether it’s streaming music, making calls or adjusting our seat to find the perfect driving position, technology has filled the car faster than almost any other area of society.

The all-new Volkswagen T-Roc is the perfect example of how technology now spans seamlessly across work, rest and play – with every model packed to the rafters with cutting-edge kit. The T-Roc offers intelligent solutions to common complications, challenging the status quo with quirky yet considered answers to everyday problems.

From the optional but intuitive 10.3-inch Active Info Display, to the higher-spec cars’ 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system and safety-enhancing Traffic Jam Assist (available to order from early 2018), the all-new T-Roc leads its class thanks to its expressive styling and equipment-filled interior.

Dr Herbert Diess, Volkswagen brand chairman of the board, says the T-Roc “sets a new benchmark in the booming SUV segment”, and with all versions boasting a plethora of safety systems, you can rely on the T-Roc to keep you and your occupants out of harm’s way through the busiest cities, motorways or rural roads.

Even the entry-level models come with high-end features such as City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring, Automatic Post-Collision Braking and Lane Assist. The car is also available with VW’s Security and Service package, which can notify the emergency services in the event of an accident. You hope you’ll never need it, though it’s comforting to know it’s there if the worst happens.

In 2017, though, it’s the T-Roc’s long list of connected features that is likely to interest many new car buyers. Ways of constantly wiring us to the world is a priority for more people now than ever before. As research and development boss Dr Frank Welsch said: “T-Roc is 100 per cent online. With security and service all of the time.”

Via the owner’s smartphone and Volkswagen Car-Net, the T-Roc opens up a world of online services and apps. Voice recognition (standard on SEL) allows complete control of maps, music and hands-free calls – without the user having to remove their eyes from the road. Voice recognition works effortlessly to help the driver discover nearby cafes, restaurants and other points of interest. It will call friends and family, or play your favourite music.

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Car-Net works in conjunction with the T-Roc’s crystal-clear Discover Navigation infotainment system – a glass-encased screen with near-endless functionality. Every feature, menu or setting can be controlled with a touch, swipe, pinch or zoom, just as you would on your smartphone.

It means the T-Roc is about convenience; it’s about making life easier; it’s about making time in the car not wasted time in our increasingly hectic schedules.

Real-time traffic info provides intelligent re-routing for the in-built sat-nav (again, standard on SE L cars), while constantly updated petrol prices can direct you to the cheapest fuel. Not that you’ll need it all that often, as the T-Roc’s range of ultra-efficient TSI and TDI engines all return impressive economy and low emissions. Energy-saving stop-start technology saves fuel, too, maximising your miles per gallon and lessening the dent on your wallet.

The T-Roc also lifts the customisable Active Info Display from its Passat, Tiguan and Golf siblings, presenting key information ahead of the driver in place of the conventional analogue dials. There’s optional wireless phone charging, too, and a high-end Beats stereo is also available for brilliant sound quality.

As well as the music, there’s a light show. Full-LED rear light clusters not only give the T-Roc a distinctive signature and added style, they shine brighter and enhance safety. The equally-impressive LED headlamps flood the road ahead with a clear, unbroken beam and are more energy-efficient than conventional halogen and Xenon bulbs. The style isn’t just for night time; unique daytime running lights double as the car’s turn signals – a signature feature of the T-Roc, which boosts your profile and visibility to other road users.

As a car designed for the city, the T-Roc slots simply into urban life – making tasks like manoeuvring and parking easier and more straightforward than ever before. With optional Park Assist, you’ll never have to worry about slotting into tight parking gaps ever again, while the rear-view reversing camera (also optional) gives you a clear view when backing into tight gaps. The T-Roc’s compact exterior dimensions make it easy to weave through the busy metropolis, too.

But everyone likes to escape the city sometimes, and the T-Roc is prepared for country life too. Whether on a beach or slipway, festival field or maybe snowy slopes, the optional 4MOTION technology means the T-Roc is confident and sure-footed on any road, over any terrain, and in any weather. Mated to its excellent dual-clutch DSG gearbox and powerful engines, the T-Roc is ready when you are. Come rain, snow or shine.

The T-Roc can be pre-ordered now, with a range of specs, colours and trim combinations. A bigger selection of options will arrive later, alongside a sporty R-Line spec from spring 2018. The T-Roc joins the Tiguan and Touareg as the third Volkswagen SUV, offering buyers a great choice in the segment.

Lead the pack and refuse to follow: register your interest at your local Volkswagen retailer now.