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VW has confirmed that there will be a new version of the T-Roc R following the arrival of the regular T-Roc SUV, which is expected to debut later this year in its second generation.
Volkswagen has confirmed there will be a second-generation T-Roc R performance SUV, after a similar model was spied testing recently at the Nurburgring.
Speaking with Drive at the launch of the Mk8.5 Golf R this week, Pedro Martinez Diaz, Head of Sales and Marketing for Volkswagen R, confirmed a widebody, high-riding Golf R spotted by Statesidesupercars on the Nurburgring is a 'test mule' for the next-gen T-Roc R.
“The prototype [here]… the interior is a new one, and then for the chassis we normally use the Golf [R] but you see it’s a little bit higher, a bit wider – that’s because it’s the chassis of the T-Roc [R],” he told Drive.
The current T-Roc R flagship is powered by a 221kW/400Nm version of Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch auto found in the updated Golf R.
A special Wolfsburg Edition limited to 200 cars, which adds a louder exhaust and black highlights, joined the line-up earlier this year.
The second-gen regular T-Roc model is expected to be revealed later this year, with a 2026 on-sale date, reportedly with hybrid power for the first time, so it’s possible the R could follow in 2027.
Autocar claims outputs ranging from 150kW/350Nm to 200kW/400Nm are planned for Volkswagen's hybrid system.
While Martinez Diaz ruled out the possibility of either traditional or plug-in hybrid powertrains for the Golf R, the brand was not able to explicitly confirm whether either could appear on the next hot T-Roc.
“It would be great if we could have a performance PHEV, but we have checked this request several times, and for the time being, we are not going to offer a performance on the Golf R,” Martinez Diaz said.
“In general, the brand has a bright offer of different engine types. We are offering combustion engines, we are offering PHEVs. But in this case, not for the performance models.”
Previously, following the launch of the Touareg R plug-in hybrid back in 2023, VW said it didn’t plan to follow it up with Golf or Tiguan plug-in hybrids; instead, focusing on fully-electric cars in these market segments.
A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the world’s most popular newspapers – The Sun. More recently, she’s done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, and led the news team at Wheels Media.
