2022 Volkswagen T-Roc Facelift Revealed To Remind Us Of The Cabriolet SUV

The Golf among Volkswagen’s crossovers, the T-Roc is preparing for 2022 by getting a facelift. We’re not talking only about the standard model, but also the high-performance R and the quirky Cabriolet. Yes, the only model with a folding roof from Wolfsburg is already being updated, a little over two years after its official debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show.

As with recent VW products such as the Polo, Golf, and Tiguan, the T-Roc family gains an LED light bar bisecting the front grille. You’ll have to step up to the more sophisticated matrix headlights as the lesser, also-LED setup, has a regular grille without the wide illuminated strip. Speaking of lights, there are new stacked fog lights also using light-emitting diodes while the taillights have been updated as well and come with dynamic turn signals at an additional cost.

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The Germans say they’ve spruced up the color palette and redesigned the alloy wheels, which start at 17 inches in size and go up to 19 inches. The R-Line upgrade is still available, bringing some of the sporty visual tweaks of the full-fat R without the premium commanded by the beefier engine. Some mild changes to the bumpers have also been made, but overall, the T-Roc has remained essentially the same. If it weren’t for the light bar, it would be difficult to distinguish the 2022 model from the pre-facelift version.

Stepping inside the cabin, the changes are more significant since even the base model will have a digital instrument cluster going forward. However, the most obvious novelty is the center console where the air vents have been moved lower to make room for the top-spec infotainment system with a 9.2-inch diagonal. Cheaper trims come with a 6.5- or 8-inch touchscreen.

The T-Roc now uses VW’s latest MIB3 infotainment tech and can be optionally had with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. In addition, it has switched to touch-sensitive climate controls in the same vein as the ones adopted by the facelifted Polo, Tiguan, and Arteon.

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Underneath the hood, you’ll find the usual suspects. The lineup kicks off with a three-cylinder, 1.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine delivering 110 horsepower (81 kilowatts) to the front axle. The larger four-cylinder, 1.5-liter TSI ups the power ante to 150 hp (110 kW) while retaining the FWD layout. Upgrade to the 2.0-liter TSI rated at 190 hp (140 kW) and you get 4Motion as standard.

VW still believes there’s a market big enough for diesels to offer a pair of 2.0-liter TDIs, one with 115 hp (85 kW) and the other with 150 hp (110 kW). The former is strictly a FWD affair while the other comes optionally with an all-paw system. Depending on your selection, the T-Roc is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic.

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Sitting at the top of the range is once again the T-Roc R with its mighty 300 hp (224 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 4.9 seconds. The Audi SQ2’s more mainstream sibling comes only with the DSG in combination with 4Motion and a launch control function. Flat out, the sporty crossover with its quad exhaust system will hit an electronically governed 155 mph (250 km/h).

The days when VW was selling a Golf R Cabriolet are not coming back, not even in spirit, considering the T-Roc R will continue to be available only with a fixed roof. Should you want the cabriolet with its three-layer fabric roof, it’s only offered with front-wheel drive and the 1.0- and 1.5-liter TSI engines. Both get the six-speed manual as standard, but the four-pot can be optionally linked to the DSG.

Since it was introduced four years ago, the T-Roc has been sold in more than one million examples and VW hopes the mid-cycle facelift will maintain customer demand at a high level.