Unclaimed exotics: Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet will not receive an heir

The T-Roc crossover is currently the most popular Volkswagen model in Europe, but the demand for the Cabriolet version was less than expected is a German company, so the T-Roc will not have this version in the next generation.

The subcompact crossover T-Roc debuted in 2017 and took the laurels of Volkswagen's best-selling model from the Golf; the Cabriolet version joined the range in 2019 — Volkswagen expected that it would sell 20,000 copies annually, but in reality it turned out to be about twice that less. The convertible turned out to be too expensive (in Germany it now costs from 35,885 euros, while the regular T-Roc starts from 27,085 euros), its two-door body has a lot of original parts and a complex folding fabric roof mechanism, the T-Roc Cabriolet is produced at the Volkswagen plant in Osnabrück, Germany (former Karmann plant).

At the moment, the T-Roc Cabriolet is offered with a choice of two petrol engines — 1.0 TSI (110 hp) and 1.5 TSI (150 hp), transmission — 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic » DSG, front-wheel drive only. The T-Roc Cabriolet currently has no direct competitors, but in the recent past there were larger analogues in the form of the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet and Range Rover Evoque Convertible — alas, the demand for them turned out to be negligible and they have already left the market.

Last week, on the sidelines of the CES exhibition in Las Vegas, Volkswagen head of development Kai Grünitz, speaking to reporters, said that the T-Roc Cabriolet will not have a successor, since the market potential of such versions is very limited. Let us add that Volkswagen is now desperately struggling with costs, reducing the choice of trim levels even for the most popular models and ruthlessly abandoning unpopular models.

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Meanwhile, a regular T-Roc with a closed 5- door body next year will experience a generational change. The “second” T-Roc will be the last new “hydrocarbon” Volkswagen model in Europe; further new products will be only electric, unless, of course, Volkswagen management changes its mind due to any powerful socio-political shifts in Europe.

The second-generation T-Roc will share the MQB Evo platform with the new VW Tiguan, VW Passat and the updated VW Golf; there will most likely be no more versions with manual transmission, and prices will probably rise.