Volkswagen T-Roc R: hot compact SUV on sale from £38,450

The new Volkswagen T-Roc R is now available to order in the UK, with prices starting from £38,450. 

Standard equipment includes white paint, 19in alloy wheels and Volkswagen's latest Active Info Display system. Other colours are available from £360-£1075, while a leather-and-carbonfibre interior package can be equipped for an additional £2155 and an Akrapavoič sports exhaust system for £3000. 

Revealed at the Geneva motor show in March, the T-Roc R is set to become one of the major players in the burgeoning performance crossover market.

It's as closely related to the Volkswagen Golf R as lesser versions are to the regular Golf, sharing the same powertrain and base suspension components. 

That means it has the Volkswagen Group’s EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (fitted with a particulate filter and in 296bhp tune), part-time Haldex-based all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. 

Volkswagen claims a 4.9sec 0-62mph time – 0.3sec slower than the Golf R but 0.3sec quicker than the Cupra Ateca – and an electronically governed top speed of 155mph.

Despite a close hardware relationship with the Ateca and the Audi SQ2, settings are unique for each car. Although it sits higher than the Golf, the T-Roc R is 20mm closer to the ground than the standard T-Roc, thanks to lower suspension and firmer settings. Passive dampers are standard, but Volkswagen’s Dynamic Chassis Control system can be specified for £695. 

The T-Roc R gets 19in alloy wheels and the beefy 17in brakes from the Golf R Performance as standard.