Volkswagen T-Roc long-term test: report 8
Is this former What Car? Small SUV of the Year the perfect companion for our senior videographer? That's what we'll find out as we put our long-term T-Roc to the test...
The car Volkswagen T-Roc 1.0 TSI 110 Life Run by Kiall Garrett, senior videographer
Why it’s here To find out whether this five-star small SUV is big and comfortable enough to meet the demands of regular long-distance load-lugging journeys
Needs to be spacious enough to carry around lots of camera equipment and chew through long motorway journeys with ease while delivering good fuel economy on a town-based commute
Mileage 3589 List Price £28,330 Target Price £26,822 Price as tested £30,585 Official economy 47.1mpg Test economy 42.2mpg
30 April 2024 – Moving house mobile
For some people, moving house probably isn’t that stressful. I imagine if Jeff Bezos changes address, for example, he doesn’t have to worry about whether his washing machine will really fit in his family hatchback. If you’ve got enough money, you can simply pay to take the pain away and get some professionals in to do everything for you.
For most of us, though, the process of relocating is often an arduous and painful one. Yes, I might have rented a van, but a look at my bank account suggested this wasn't a wise investment, so I relied on my trusty VW T-Roc for my recent move, and was left mightily impressed.
The T-Roc's wide, boxy boot aperture made throwing large IKEA bags of clothes into the back a simple task, while shoving in my work-from-home desk setup was remarkably easy.
The height-adjustable boot floor made a big difference to proceedings. In its highest setting there’s no loading lip, which makes hauling things into it simple. Plus, the boot floor lies level with the rear seats when they’re folded down, making it easy to slide long items through from the boot right up to the front seats. Plus, it leaves a spot under the floor itself to store even more stuff.
I was impressed with the capability of the T-Roc’s 445-litre boot, which became 1290 litres with the rear seats down, and the biggest achievement of the day was loading a chest of drawers in and still having space to put bags and cases around it.
Even with the car loaded to the gunwhales with luggage, the 109bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine in my car never felt out of puff – I just had to work the six-speed manual gearbox a little harder to keep the engine in the sweet spot for power.
I have raved a lot about the T-Roc’s practicality when carrying my everyday camera equipment and making transportation for What Car? video shoots easy, but moving house has taken my appreciation for this small SUV’s versatility to a whole new level. Of course, beds and sofas are best left to bigger beasts – I borrowed chief photographer John Bradshaw's Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo for that job – but as a support car for a big move it was absolutely spot on.
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