Volkswagen T-Roc

Design & Quality

One thing is obvious the moment you step inside the new T-Roc: the interior is a considerable improvement from its predecessor. The cabin now looks a lot evolved with high-quality materials and technology. A big change is the bigger and more captivating 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, with VW’s own updated MIB4 software with ChatGPT voice assistance. This is further integrated with an upgraded 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro that promises to offer completely new graphics and customizable displays. The soft-touch plastics are retained on the upper dashboard, but provided with leather accents on the steering wheel and door panels. Then there is a premium upholstery with an option of leather, making the cabin highly pleasant. What also boosts the cabin vibe is the adjustable ambient lighting with 30 colours. 

On the built quality, honestly, nothing to complain about, it is robust, uses durable materials designed to protect from the harsh desert climate, but you would notice that some lower trim panels still use less refined plastics. Yet, overall, the driver-focused dashboard layout is simple, clean and far more modern; this also includes the physical buttons for essential controls, which not only ease access but also feel a lot more confident than everything on the touchscreen.

Front Seat

The front seats are nicely designed, well-contoured, and provide superior balance and support for your driving, ensuring comfort is taken care of. The Style and R-Line trims have heated seats and a driver’s seat with memory function, something to feel good about. The manual adjustments give enough range, though a bigger driver may find it insufficient. You’ll notice the slightly elevated seating position provides much clearer road visibility, this is to say, the cabin feels a lot refined, pretty convenient and also a practical space for both daily urban commutes and longer journeys.

Electronic Parking Brake

An electronic parking brake with hill-start assist, located on the centre console, simplifies parking on inclines; these days a standard and must-have feature across all cars. 

Rear Seat

The rear bench is meant for comfort as well as practicality, which has great support, better cushioning, and premium fabric or synthetic leather upholstery, all of which make the cabin quite upmarket. The noticeable legroom and headroom for two adults or three children, with far superior seat contouring for higher comfort when set for long road trips. The standard rear AC vents and dual USB-C ports are great features for keeping passengers cool and connected, while new practical features like a centre armrest with cupholders and rear seatback pockets take care of the convenience. Overall, nothing to complain about, but the central floor hump still shortens the middle seat’s comfort for adults, and taller passengers may feel a little constrained, especially with the panoramic sunroof.

AC Vents

The Air Care Climatronic dual-zone climate control (standard on Style and R-Line) with rear vents is good at making the cabin cool quickly.  The digital touchscreen controls are sleek but not the best, less intuitive than physical dials, but some drivers may not prefer them.

Storage Options

The spacious glovebox, door-mounted bottle holders (up to 1-litre), a centre console with cupholders, and a rear armrest compartment take care of storage within the cabin.

Armrest

Front and rear centre armrests with cupholders boost the comfort, making long drives relaxing. The padded armrests contribute to the premium feel, though the rear armrest’s storage is modest.

Charging Options

With two USB-C ports in the front, two in the rear, a 12V socket, and an optional wireless charging pad. At the rear is a USB-C port for passengers; all of this is enough to keep the devices powered easily whenever they’re needed.

Boot Space

The T-Roc’s 445-litre boot is among the biggest in its segment, and if you want that occasional extra space for luggage during family trips or shifting of your house, then it can be expanded to a massive 1,290 litres with the rear seats folded. Overall, the boot is nothing to feel inadequate about, whether you use it for daily errands, gym bags, or family trips. The height-adjustable boot floor and 60/40 split-folding seats provide further versatility,

• Six airbags include driver, passenger, side, and curtain
• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Adaptive Cruise Control (optional)

• Lane Change Assist (Blind Spot Monitor)

• Front and Rear Parking Sensors
• Travel Assist 

• Park Assist

• 360-degree camera
• Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection

• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• ISOFIX child seat anchors
• e-Call emergency system
• Front seatbelt tensioners

The exterior is decent; Volkswagen cars aren’t known for their radical design but rather a functional one. The T-Roc is a clear representation, as the front can be summarised as modern. Highly visible in this new design are the sharper lines, the lighting and the overall theme of giving a sporty appeal to the exterior. Its compact dimensions measuring 4,251 mm in length, 1,819 mm in width, and 1,594 mm in height, with a 2,603 mm wheelbase, the T-Roc is easy to navigate and also park.

Further, the 159 mm ground clearance suits are not bad for paved roads across the country and occasional light off-road drives. ventures, though it’s not designed for serious desert driving. The practical features like LED lighting and a panoramic sunroof are also factors that determine the exterior of this crossover.

Front

Most of us would agree, the new T-Roc’s front makes a great impression with several key changes. A wide, blacked-out grille that expands beneath the slim IQ. Matrix LED headlights, joined by a full-width LED light bar integrating the VW logo in the middle, create an appealing and attention-grabbing look. The lower bumper is accented by remarkable hexagonal cutouts and pointed styled air intakes. The crisp bonnet creases and bold curving boost the aerodynamic profile, giving the car a lot of chiselled and imposing presence. There are also lighting elements within the headlamp clusters, and overall, the new design makes the T-Roc stand out among its peers.

Side

From the side, the T-Roc’s crossover design attracts attention largely owing to a sloping roofline, chrome strip running from the A-pillar to the C-pillar, and stylish 17-inch Chester alloy wheels. There are bigger size 18-inch Grange Hill or 19-inch Misano diamond-cut alloys also available which give the car a sporty look. Also deserving mention is the R-Line variant, which offers black exterior mirror housings and roof rails, with an absolute emphasis on the car's aggressive personality.

Alloy Wheels

The T-Roc’s 17-inch Chester alloy wheels offer a good balance between style and comfort, paired with 215/55 R17 tires.  The R-Line’s 19-inch Misano wheels with 225/40 R19 tires look sleek and are designed to provide superior grip for a sporty drive.

Rear

The rear has the prominent dark-tinted LED taillights with animated signature graphics that give the car a distinctive look. The design is accented by a pronounced roof spoiler and a redesigned bumper with metallic or gloss-black accents. The T-Roc badge is clearly visible at the centre, now accentuated further, which enhances its contemporary look. What also catches your attention is the highly refined diffuser element and integrated reflectors, giving a clean and dynamic rear profile to the car. The functional touches, including the standard rear wiper and a wide-opening tailgate, are examples of everyday practicality.

Colors

The T-Roc is available in three colours: White, Green, and Blue.

City Performance

Our extensive drive across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the T-Roc has impressed us with its sharp, responsive and refined performance. The powertrain consisting of a 1.4-litre TSI engine, an 8-speed automatic transmission, is a superb combination, offering awesome acceleration and smooth power that ensures your city driver is easy and hassle-free, when crawling through bumper-to-bumper, peak time.  The compact dimensions and light steering make it easy to navigate traffic or congestion rather effortlessly.

Highway Performance

On the highway, you feel the T-Roc extremely stable during high speed, with 148-hp of power, and overtaking is a breeze. You’ll appreciate that the highway noise is well suppressed, which makes the cabin feel more refined than typical crossovers. Adaptive cruise control, available on higher trims, is a great feature to lower your fatigue during long road trips. The T-Roc gets thumbs up from us for its driving performance across the city and highway. 

Ride and Handling

Ride and handling balance are key strengths for the facelifted T-Roc. Why? Well, there are several key elements that make us believe so through real-life experience. Starting from the sizable wheels for a soft and compliant ride, absorbing everyday road imperfections. The sportier suspension and larger wheels on some trims provide a firmer, more controlled driving on winding mountain roads. While steering is accurate and weighted for easy city navigation, at times you may feel it lacks some enthusiasm, though, but not a big problem. The car is a great car to handle, and comes across as comfortable, secure, and ideal for both commuters and families.

• A 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

• A 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro

• 17-inch or 19-inch alloy wheels

• Cloth or leather upholstery
• Dual-zone climate control with rear vents
• 6-speaker audio system (optional BEATS audio)
• Keyless entry and push-button start
• Panoramic sunroof (Style and R-Line)

• 360-degree camera
• Ambient lighting
• Power-folding side mirrors

• Wireless charging (optional)

The 2025 Volkswagen T-Roc is available in three variants in the UAE:

Volkswagen T-Roc 1.4L TSI Life AT.

The entry-level T-Roc Life AT has a practical, value-focused SUV experience with a 1.4L turbo engine, 148hp, and an 8-speed automatic.

Volkswagen T-Roc 1.4L TSI Style AT.

The Style trim gets a more refined look, featuring larger 17-inch alloys, automatic climate control, leather-trimmed steering, massage seats, keyless entry, rear camera, ambient lighting, and fog lights. It has the smaller 8-inch touchscreen, but interior comfort is far better.

Volkswagen T-Roc 1.4L TSI R-Line AT.

The sporty R-Line is impressive with unique body styling, 17-inch alloys, sunroof, moonroof, and additional premium features. It has automatic climate control, fog lights, and a rear camera are standard, while sportier touches and upgraded interior materials deliver a more dynamic, upmarket SUV feel.

Zigwheels Recommendation: For most UAE buyers, our recommendation would be the T-Roc 1.4L TSI Style AT. It's the best balance between price, features, and comfort. You get decent upgrades over the Life, including advanced tech, climate control, more luxurious seating, and important convenience features, without the higher premium. This makes it suitable for city buyers, be it families or professionals who prefer quality, safety, and sophistication at a reasonable price point

The T-Roc has a fresh, aggressive look and attractive IQ. Matrix LED headlights, this compact SUV or crossover, whatever you wish to call it, is all about style with a sporty vibe. The big 12.9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are great features for connectivity and entertainment. This is further topped by the peppy yet efficient 1.4L TSI engine, ideal for navigating city traffic or that occasional highway cruising. Additionally, a sizable boot, best safety and user-friendly, new digital cockpit that Volkswagen added make it a practical car, available at a reasonable price, for professional or family buyers. 

Other Cars to Consider