Volkswagen T-Roc R: Hotter next-gen small SUV coming in 2027

Volkswagen will launch an all-new T-Roc R in early 2027, when it’s set to become the hero of the German brand’s best-seller in its second generation.

Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian media launch of the updated Golf R Mk8.5, global head of sales and marketing for the Volkswagen R division, Pedro Martinez Diaz, confirmed plans for a second instalment of the hot T-Roc R small SUV – contrasting with previous reports of a hybrid-heavy core lineup.

“The new T-Roc has been announced globally, and there will also be a T-Roc R successor in the future,” Mr Martinez Diaz said. “We are planning to launch the car at the beginning of 2027.”

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Pictured: Current T-Roc R

Volkswagen R’s global sales and marketing boss wouldn’t be drawn on further details, though we’d wager the performance halo model will draw upon a version of the Golf R’s running gear.

Given the current T-Roc is effectively a Mk7 Golf under the skin, the second-gen version which is understood to be slated for a September debut at this year’s Munich motor show will almost certainly ride on the newer MQB Evo underpinnings of the Mk8 Golf, as well as the Cupra Formentor and others.

With that in mind, the most potent 245kW/420Nm version of the EA888 2.0-litre ‘TSI’ turbo-petrol engine seems likely, especially since the Formentor offers this exact drivetrain with the nifty torque vectoring rear differential seen in the Golf R as well as the Audi S3 and RS3.

The new T-Roc R’s performance drivetrain will be a stark contrast to the new parallel hybrid drivetrain set to debut with the second-generation T-Roc, as part of the Volkswagen Group’s €60 billion (A$103bn) investment in combustion engine development by 2028.

Leaked: Images of what’s believed to be the next-generation T-Roc from an infotainment menu

Overseas reports claim VW’s new hybrid system will be based around the brand’s ubiquitous 1.5 TSI four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, teamed with an electric motor and battery pack.

Outputs are said to range from 150kW/350Nm to 200kW/400Nm. Coincidentally, the brand’s 1.5 TSI ‘eHybrid’ plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system based around the same petrol engine is offered with the same outputs – perhaps just the battery pack will be different for the parallel hybrid version.

If the standard T-Roc (including the T-Roc ‘Hybrid’) is revealed in September ahead of a likely early-2026 launch in Europe, then the T-Roc R may be revealed later in 2026 before its 2027 market launch as confirmed by Martinez Diaz.

Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.

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