Prices released for range-topping Volkswagen T-Roc R

Orders are now open for the Volkswagen T-Roc R, the latest high-performance SUV from the VW Group. It starts at £38,450 and arrives after the Cupra Ateca, Audi SQ2 and the diesel-powered Skoda Kodiaq vRS.

Under the bonnet, the T-Roc R features a 296bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, which is shared with a number of hot hatches and two of the SUVs mentioned above. Linked to 4MOTION all-wheel-drive and a DSG automatic gearbox, the T-Roc R manages 0-62mph in just 4.9 seconds and accelerates on to a top speed of 155mph.

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The T-Roc R’s styling is similarly pumped up. It sits lower than the standard car, and has more presence. There’s a new lower bumper section at the front, with larger air intakes and new LED lights, and elements like the grille surround and headlight bezels are now in black.

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Just like on the Golf R, the fast T-Roc gets silver wing mirrors and four large exhaust pipes protruding from the rear bumper. It comes with 19-inch alloy wheels and huge 17-inch brakes as standard, while the options list includes a Beats sound pack, keyless entry, high-beam assistance and a panoramic sunroof. Also on the options list is an Akrapovič exhaust system for £3,000, which’ll ramp up the exhaust noise. We found the Cupra Ateca too quiet for such a powerful car, so the T-Roc with a sports exhaust could fare better.

The car will combine the performance of a hot hatchback with all the practicality you’d expect of an SUV. The R should maintain the standard car’s 445-litre boot and impressive passenger space.

After a number of sightings of development cars last year, Volkswagen Brand CEO Herbert Diess confirmed in a statement that the R version of the T-Roc will mark the start of the expansion of the R brand as the company look to rival the Skoda Kodiaq vRS, Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 and Cupra Ateca.

When we spoke to Diess at the 2017 ‘GTI Treffen’ festival at Lake Worthersee in Austria, he told Carbuyer that the R brand model range had scope for high-performance SUVs, whereas the company’s GTI brand remains limited to performance-orientated hatchbacks.

Read our review of the standard Volkswagen T-Roc for more information, or read our guide to the fastest hot hatchbacks currently available.