In April this year, Volkswagen confirmed the next-generation T-Roc will be one of the company’s final combustion-powered models. It is scheduled to debut in 2024 or even 2025 but the Wolfsburg-based firm has already started the development work on this new crossover. Today, we can share the very first spy photos with the 2025 T-Roc, which is still testing as a mule.
These shots were taken in Southern Europe during the early test procedures of the next-gen T-Roc. As you can see, the vehicle currently takes the shape of a modified Golf Mk8 with a lifted suspension and wider wheel arches. There’s a distant photo of the cabin too, revealing a provisional dashboard layout with an instrument cluster under a huge housing.
Gallery: Second-gen VW T-Roc mule spy photos
Last year, the T-Roc was Volkswagen’s best-selling product in Europe and the company isn’t ready to make it an electric-only model just yet. A spokesperson for the automaker told Autocar earlier this year that “the current internal-combustion-engine T-Roc is one of our best-selling models, so we will not abandon this segment.” An ID. Roc nameplate has been trademarked by Volkswagen hinting at a potential electric future for the model. But for now, the T-Roc will continue to be powered by combustion engines.
However, early reports suggest the new T-Roc will switch to electrified powertrains. Currently, the model is sold with traditional TSI and TDI turbo gas and diesel mills, but mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines are expected to join the range. The crossover will ride on an updated version of the MQB platform, which will allow for electric support to be added to the combustion engines.
As far as the T-Roc Cabriolet is concerned, it isn’t among the most popular versions of the crossover, and its future at the moment seems uncertain. On the other hand, it’s Volkswagen’s only open-top model currently on sale and the German firm could decide to keep it for another generation as a niche product. The same is probably valid for the T-Roc R, too.
