2018 Volkswagen T-Roc unveiled

VW unveils baby Tiguan to take on the Audi Q2 and Mini Countryman. It arrives at the end of 2017 and priced from £19,000

Volkswagen has taken the wraps off its all-new five door, five seat compact SUV that will sit below the Tiguan in its range.

The all-new model will be up against the likes of the Audi Q2, Mini Countryman, Nissan Qashqai and SEAT Ateca for a share of the compact SUV market.

Available with a choice of six engines, three trims with front or four-wheel drive, the newcomer measures in at 4234mm long, 1819mm wide and 1573mm tall which is shorter, wider and taller than a VW Golf (4255mm, 1799mm, 1452mm).

It gets 60/40 split rear seats and a boot that offers 445-litres of capacity with the rear seats in place and 1290-litres with them lowered.

At the front the T-Roc gets a high wide grille that merges into the headlights, with chrome detailing, low-level fog lights, a silver skid plate and distinctive LED daytime running lights inset into the bumper. It has a similar look to the Ford Edge SUV.

Along its flanks are pronounced wheel arches, some chrome detailing and low level dark plastic trim that also follows the circumference of the wheel arches.

Around the back, there’s an integrated roof spoiler, a taillight design similar to the Tiguan, more dark plastic lower down and a rear skid plate.

The T-Roc can be specified with a contrasting roof that extends to the bottom of the front roof pillars, providing a two-tone appearance.

With exact engine lineups to be confirmed it’s likely to get a choice of three petrol engines including the latest 1.5-litre TSI Evo 150PS and three diesel engines with the option of manual and DSG automatic gearboxes with two or 4Motion four-wheel drive.

It’s expected to arrive with three trim levels: standard; Sport; and Style. Style will focus on decorative finishes and touches with Sport focusing on what its name suggests.

All variants are expected to get front assist area monitoring with city emergency braking and pedestrian monitoring, automatic post-collision braking system and lane keep assist. It’ll also feature air con, colour infotainment system, LED taillights, and LED daytime running lights in the bumper.

Dr Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management, said at the world premiere in Italy: "The T-Roc sets a new benchmark in the booming SUV segment. With its functionality, dynamic handling and technology, the T-Roc embodies all good Volkswagen qualities.