TORQUE
As ever, the expectation in the name of a car conjures up an unconscious vision in advance as to what it might be like. By FIONA SHAFER, Managing Director MD HUB
GIRL
VW T–ROC
T
The quiet ROC Star?
he T from T-Roc is shared with the first letter of the other VW SUVs and the Roc, derives from the English word Rock. The model now sits between the Taigo and the Tiguan in the nine-strong line SUV family, with more models in the pipeline. It apparently ‘combines dominance of an SUV with the agility of a compact hatchback model and the dynamism of the compact class.’ Let’s just say it as it is. This car feels as solid as a rock most of the time. Hopping into the VW T-Roc immediately after a few days’ power experience in the Audi TTRS was like going back in time. Well, it was like going back in VW time to be exact, to another age when the shutting of their car doors were imperceptible (one of my top car tests of build quality), and you immediately knew what you were doing. How quaint in this day and age… It’s a manual car with an original lift-for-reverse gear stick (not ‘Manuel knob’ as my late Grandmother accidentally called it). It also has a real key that you put in a key hole, and runs on petrol. My immediate thought was that this would make a great car for grandparents who want a no-fuss, easy-to-drive car that is easy to get in and out of (sorry but it comes to us all and I am just trying to help), will host a row of small people very securely with ISOFIX fittings in the back, and is not going to burn rubber any time soon. With its one-litre engine, it is a good car for calmly pootling about in. The six-speed gear box is a little like a bag of spanners, and not as smooth a change over as I would have expected. However, once I got used to it, it was good enough. You need to press the clutch down hard for a decent change (I did say it was like going back in time).
My immediate thought was that this would make a great car for grandparents who want a no-fuss, easy-to-drive car 40
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You can also see what you are doing in more ways than one before you even get into it in the dark. A slightly bizarre illuminated prison-like grill, the size of a man hole cover appears by the side of the front doors to light your way. How polite and courteous – and very German… Just don’t say, ‘I’m a grandparent, get me out of here…’ I showed a colleague (40-ish) around it without sharing any of my initial thoughts and they said, “This would be great for mum and dad…” Enough said. If you just want to get from A to B as safely and as economically as possible without any aggravation (or excitement), but with a plethora of easy to access technology for all the family, this is well worth the investment.
DY N