2026 Volkswagen T-Roc makes global debut 

The next-generation 2026 Volkswagen T-Roc has been unwrapped in full, revealing a bolder, sportier small SUV debuting the Volkswagen Group’s next-gen hybrid tech that’ll no doubt appeal to a broader audience.

The Finer Details

The second-generation Volkswagen T-Roc has arrived with a full range of electrified powertrains, including an all-new plugless hybrid system that will see the small SUV stand toe-to-toe with the Toyota Corolla Cross and Hyundai Kona Hybrid.

On sale in Europe as of this November, Volkswagen says the T-Roc will be the last combustion car it launches, unless EV sales continue to plunge and it’s forced to make a U-turn.

Bigger all-round, the new T-Roc is 120mm longer than is predecessor, with VW claiming a 1.85m occupant can now comfortably sit behind a 1.85m driver. The boot is bigger too, having grown 30 litres to 475L.

Looking like a more aggressive take on the latest Tiguan, the new model gets a near full-width grille, a pair of C-shaped double-blade intakes below the headlamps and wraparound tail-lights.

Under the bonnet, the range opens with a mild hybrid 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine that pumps out either 85kW or 110kW depending on the variant.

A bigger mild hybrid 2.0-litre turbo will also come and should offer between 110kW-150kW, while other markets will have access to a turbo-diesel.

The fastest version will be the 245kW T-Roc R has been confirmed but will make it debut at a later date.

Crucial for markets like Australia with its increasingly strict NVES emission regs will be the arrival of a new full-fat hybrid (HEV) powertrain that combines a small efficient petrol engine with an e-motor capable of driving the front wheels for short distances – full details will be release later, but VW says the system has been “developed entirely from scratch”.

Also missing from the fray was a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option, though that will likely be pinched from the Mk8.5 Golf, meaning you can expect an electric range of around 130km.

An all-electric ID.Roc might also join the ranks at some stage, but that small SUV will be based on a different ‘SSP’ architecture and is being readied alongside the Mk9 Golf that’s due in 2028.

Inside, the new T-Roc looks like it has a cabin largely carried over from the latest Tiguan; sharing the bigger model’s 10-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.9-inch infotainment system, with both working with a new head up display.

To compensate for a lack of buttons, between the driver and passenger seat is a new configurable rotary dial that can switch driving modes and adjust the volume as well as other functions.

Due on sale here in the second half of 2026, the new Volkswagen T-Roc will tackle the Hyundai Kona, Toyota Corolla Cross and Honda HR-V with its line-up of electrified powertrains, enhanced tech and sportier looks. All that’s missing is just how efficient VW’s new hybrid tech is and how keenly priced it will be.

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