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By Jonathan Crouch

Volkswagen's T-Roc gets serious in top 300PS R form. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 79

Performance-minded compact SUVs are getting progressively more credible. Here's a case in point, the Volkswagen T-Roc R. A crossover's never going to be the perfect starting point for a shopping rocket but this one's been very thoroughly engineered to deliver most of the driving enjoyment of its similarly engineered Golf R counterpart: 300PS, 4MOTION 4WD, a throaty exhaust, a 445-litre boot and quite a lot of streetside presence. What's not to like? Here's the slightly sharper looking revised version.

Backgroundword count: 142

When the Golf R first arrived back in 2009, we imagined it might pave the way to a whole series of 'R'-branded fast Volkswagens. In the event, it took a decade for the 'R' range to be expanded beyond the Golf line-up - with this car, the T-Roc R. Where once, Volkswagen would have added the R performance tinsel to conventional models like the Polo or the Passat, it says much for the current state of the market that beyond the Golf range (and possibly the ID.3 EV), it's limiting the tuning scope of its R tuning division to its SUVs. A Touareg R can be had if you have to buy the fastest Volkswagen SUV possible. In the real world though, this T-Roc R would probably be quicker point-to-point. But how close can it get to replicating the Golf R experience?

Driving Experienceword count: 253

Volkswagen's R development team started off with the usual Wolfsburg recipe for compact performance models. Namely, the award-winning EA888 version of the 2.0-litre TSI petrol turbo engine in 300PS form. Plus 4MOTION 4WD and a DSG 7-speed paddleshift auto gearbox. Pretty much what you'll find in a Golf R. And exactly as you'll find it with this car's two Volkswagen Group cousins, the Audi SQ 2 and the CUPRA Ateca. Or perhaps not quite exactly. Capito's engineers had to put quite a lot of specific effort in to make this formula really work for the T-Roc. An aluminium subframe (borrowed from the old Golf GTI) has been fitted at the front for lower weight and extra stiffness. There's a 20mm drop in ride height over a standard T-Roc and the springs are 20% stiffer. The brakes are borrowed from the old Golf GTI Performance Pack model, with bigger pads. And there are shorter gear ratios and specific damping settings, plus the option of Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive damping (which you can't have on an Audi SQ2 and which is really a must-have addition if you're to be able to experience everything the dynamics of this car can offer). A fatter rear spoiler improves downforce at high speed. And there's a standard Drive Mode system with a rorty 'Race' setting, which really comes alive if you pay a ludicrous amount extra for the throaty Akrapovic exhaust. 62mph from rest takes just 4.8 seconds en route to an actual (not limited) top speed of 155mph.

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