Volkswagen is calling its newest creation “a literal breath of fresh air” in its press release, and I have to say I agree. The Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet looks kind of absurd but like it’s a hell of a lot of fun—and it’ll be hitting markets in early 2020.
I gotta say, this is one hell of a fun addition to the CUV family, which, if you ask me, can seem a little bland (have more fun with the design language, people!). The T-Roc Cabriolet is nice and squat, which works surprisingly well for it—the vehicle looks like it offers the functionality of a compact crossover with the ridiculous fun of an open-top. It’s big and beefy while still convincing you that it’s going to be a light, fun drive. These are two things that should never be paired together. But now that they are, I love it.
The soft-top roof can be electrically opened in nine seconds, Volkswagen claims—as long as you’re not traveling faster than nineteen miles per hour. And on top of that, it comes with a manual transmission.
No, no, it’s okay. Take a moment if you need one. Let the glory of a manual six-speed gearbox sink right in. It comes with the option for a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, but the manual is standard.
You also have to options available for engines: a 114-horsepower turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder or a 148-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. That’s not a wild amount of power, but the T-Roc Cabriolet isn’t meant for any wild off-road driving, given that all the power is sent to the front two wheels.
While there are two distinct design packages (the Style package, which is the tame option you’ll likely see as a base model, and the R-Line package, which adds fog lights and sportier seats), there are some things that are standard across the board. Low-speed emergency braking with pedestrian detection and lane-keeping assist come standard on all cars. You also have the option to add a Beats audio system, an 11.7-inch digital gauge cluster, and an eight-inch infotainment system.
The T-Roc Cabriolet is making its big debut at the International Motor Show Germany in Frankfurt in September, and it’ll be hitting the market in the spring of 2020.
Unfortunately, given the fact that the T-Roc proper won’t be making its way to the States, it’s reasonable to assume the Cabriolet won’t be coming over, either. This is, in my opinion, an incredibly ridiculous and very absurd move on VW’s part—if there’s one country that would appreciate a convertible CUV, I’d argue that it would definitely be America.
Nonetheless, we can all appreciate that this incredible vehicle exists while hoping and praying that one day it will make its way over to see us stateside.