Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet review

If you've read our review of the standard Volkswagen T-Roc, you'll know it's a straightforward, sensible family SUV. The interior is spacious, the dashboard makes sense, and the driving experience is easy and unfussed. That's it – no boats rocked, nothing offensive, a little something for everyone.

And yet even Volkswagen, a brand that probably irons its bedsheets, can occasionally let its hair down and make something like this – the T-Roc Cabriolet. This wacky drop-top crossover throws away the T-Roc's roof and rear doors, giving you the choice of roof-up refinement or open-air motoring at the touch of a button.

Clearly, this is a niche car. It's probably too small to work as your main family car, while sports car enthusiasts will probably enjoy something more focused like the Mazda MX-5 or BMW Z4. Spend a few minutes behind the T-Roc Cab's wheel, however, and you may start to see its unique charm. Somewhere between the lofty driving position, and the sights and smells of the outside world, you could almost convince yourself you're driving a modern-day beach buggy.

Unlike those Volkswagen-powered fibreglass kit cars from the '60s, however, the T-Roc Cabriolet has modern-day refinement, reliability and technology. In fact, beyond the car's ability to retract its roof, it's just as easy to use and drive as a regular T-Roc. So, if you're looking for a convertible that doesn't have a bone-shaking ride and can carry the occasional rear-seat passenger, the T-Roc Cabriolet might be the car you've been looking for.

Interior and technology

Keep your eyes fixed forward in the T-Roc Cabriolet and you may not notice anything amiss compared to the regular model. The dashboard, the seats, the controls – they're all exactly the same as its hardtop sibling. For the eagle-eyed, the only giveaway is the little switch between the seats to raise or lower the roof.

That means you get the same solid build quality and reasonably nice materials. Like most Volkswagens, there's a little too much dark-coloured plastic for our tastes – some lighter contrasting colours would've helped the cabin feel a little less gloomy. There are no squeaks or rattles, however – impressive considering the T-Roc Cabriolet loses the structural rigidity of a fixed metal roof.

Everything's very easy to get your head around, too. There are sharp digital dials ahead of the driver, clearly labeled controls on the steering wheel, and handy shortcut buttons either side of the infotainment system. A facelift in 2022 brought some extra gloss black interior trim pieces, but traded away the pre-facelift car's physical climate control dials for touch-sensitive sliders that can be fiddly to use on the move.

The infotainment system itself isn't one of Volkswagen's latest units and that's actually a good thing. VW's newer screens are far too visually busy and their menu structures take too many taps to navigate. The setup in the T-Roc may be simpler by comparison but it's easier to get your head around, and the shortcut buttons make jumping between functions easier than hopping back and forth between a home screen. All versions include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, so can bypass the baked-in software if you prefer.

Practicality

The T-Roc Cabriolet's two-door body, plus the fact it needs somewhere to stow the folding roof mechanism, means it's not as practical as the regular T-Roc. Space up front is the same – headroom is arguably much better – but rear-seat space is noticeably impacted. There's less rear legroom and just two seats versus the regular T-Roc's three-seat bench.

Compared with most convertibles that either don't have rear seats, or have a glorified shelf masquerading as rear seats, however, the T-Roc Cabriolet can actually carry rear-seat passengers in relative comfort. As long as your passengers aren't well over six-foot tall, they'll just about fit and elbow room is fairly generous since there's no middle seat to worry about. There are a pair of rear Isofix points back there but you'll struggle to fit a bulky child seat back there without pushing the front passenger seat too far forward to be useful – not to mention the fact that getting kids in and out is a difficult stretch with no rear doors.

The folding fabric roof is stowed in a compartment above the boot, which means the cargo area itself is a wide and long but fairly low, measuring 284 litres – similar to a Toyota Yaris or Ford Fiesta. That's not impressive among SUV rivals but is respectable for a convertible and, unlike some drop-tops, you don't have to fiddle around in the boot with a load shelf to make space for the roof to fold. As a result, the T-Roc Cabriolet should be spacious enough for single or couple owners, but family buyers may want a larger car.

Engines and performance

There's just a pair of turbo petrol engines to choose from in the T-Roc Cabriolet lineup. Entry-level models use a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit with 115hp, or you can upgrade to a 150hp 1.5-litre four-cylinder. Both come with a slick six-speed manual gearbox as standard, or you can spec a seven-speed DSG automatic for the 1.5-litre model. Our test car came with the latter setup – the 1.5-litre engine and automatic gearbox – although we've liked Volkswagen's 1.0-litre engine in other cars we've tried it in.

Performance from the 1.5-litre petrol is reasonably strong. There's a decent slug of power available low in the rev range, so it'll waft you around at urban speeds without any strain. Accelerating up to motorway speeds is also fairly effortless, especially with the DSG automatic gearbox keeping the engine spinning at a happy speed.

The only time the 1.5 falls flat is when you mash the pedal into the carpet. Do so and you'll find there isn't loads of extra power in reserve, so this isn't a convertible for neck-snapping performance. The engine also makes a bit of a drone if you accelerate hard, lacking the aural excitement of the best in class. For most day-to-day driving, however, it's easy, responsive and intuitive.

Driving and comfort

If the engine was a clue that the T-Roc Cabriolet isn't here to get your pulse racing, the handling simply confirms it. The car is light and easy to drive but it's no more exciting than the regular T-Roc – which is to say, not remotely exciting in any way. There's plenty of grip but hard cornering is rewarded with progressively more body roll, so there's no sense that the car is egging you on to go faster.

But driving with the roof down needn't be about going fast – you can simply enjoy the sensation of being so close to the elements. For this, the T-Roc is perfect. Its simple, fuss-free driving experience means you can spend more time focusing on the world around you and less on the task of driving. That also makes the car easier to live with during regular commuting, when you just need the car to be easy to use and not add to your stress.

Embrace the T-Roc Cabriolet's laid-back vibe and you'll find it's an easy car to get on with. There's no guesswork required when turning the wheel or pressing the pedals, and no need to constantly adjust the car on long, straight roads. This is all aided by the competent suspension, which does an admirable job of tuning bumps out before they make it to the cabin – a tricky feat considering convertibles aren't usually as rigid as hard-top cars.