Overwhelming demand sees us pushed down the queue.
While smiles were all around as Volkswagen welcomed its stylish new Arteon grand-coupe to our shores, there was some bad news waiting in the wings. After some targeted questioning, it was revealed that the highly-anticipated Volkswagen T-Roc compact crossover will not be arriving on our shores in the near future, as high demand for the stylish high-rider has resulted in Australia being pushed down the list of priority markets.
This is undoubtedly a huge blow to VW’s local office, who would have likely pinned great sales and revenue hopes on the T-Roc, previously stating tentatively that the compact-crossover would make a local debut in late-2018 or early-2019 and do battle with sales juggernauts like the Honda HR-V, Toyota C-HR, and Mazda CX-3, and certainly had all the chops needed to duke it out in the highly-hyphenated compact high-rider segment. We too were excited for the impending arrival of the T-Roc, which marries distinctive styling with robust German engineering, and promises a far more “emotional” and involving experience than VW’s of old.
Our friends at CarAdvice did a little prodding into the matter of the T-Roc’s local introduction during the Arteon launch event in Tasmania, and it was from that line of questioning that VW Australia boss Michael Bartsch let slip the news.
“I think we have to take the T-Roc off the agenda at this stage. It’ll be reviewed again probably in the next 12-months, but [Volkswagen Global] are looking at a global rollout, and the priorities will be from the Northern Hemisphere first.” — Michael Bartsch, Managing Director, Volkswagen Australia
Volkswagen’s little SUV promises “snappy, sporty dimensions outside, and great functionality inside.” As is the way, the T-Roc will be offered in both front- and all-wheel drive, depending on the powertrain setup opted for. Propelling the T-Roc will be no less than three turbo petrol TSI engines and three turbodiesel TDI engines, mated either with a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic. The powertrain setups are said to be front-wheel drive manual, front-wheel drive auto, and all-wheel drive 4Motion automatic. It’s worth noting that the all-paw T-Roc will gain 4Motion Active control as standard kit, meaning while this newcomer might not have the wading depth of a Land Rover, it’s not to be laughed at.
Active driver assistance is also a heavy feature here, with autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping aid to come as standard, while traffic-jam assistance (semi-autonomous driving capability in low-speed conditions, like tailbacks) to be made available as an option in some markets. Pair that with the immense practicality on offer (with a boot bigger than some SUVs one segment above) and the VW badge on the snout, and there’s no wonder why people are elbowing each other out of the way to get one.
It’s clear that Volkswagen was late to the compact-SUV market, missing out on the enormous demand for such cars in our market for example, and hard-earned Aussie dollars will continue to miss VW’s coffers for the time being, insofar as compact crossovers are concerned. However, it’s not all gloom, with Bartsch offering up a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of the smaller Polo-based T-Cross, er, crossover, in comments made out to GoAuto.
“Eventually, we will get [the T-Roc]. But at this stage, it’s best we take it off the agenda for the next 12-months. The production situation won’t allow us to get the car in quantities that will make it viable. So we just need to park it for a year and come back to it, and focus on getting the T-Cross out. I think we’ve got a better opportunity, actually, to position the T-Cross.” — Michael Bartsch, Managing Director, Volkswagen Australia
We’re not all that surprised by this development though, as it was becoming clear to observers earlier this year that Volkswagen had grossly underestimated the demand for the T-Roc, with Wolfsburg bosses admitting that they’ve been forced to triple the production speed for the car to 200,000 units a year. Presently, the T-Roc is only being built in Portugal, though in light of the present situation, it’s been suggested that management may look at its other production facilities worldwide to help supply demand.
There’s not much else for us to do now other than wait, really. Or buy something else.
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