There' s An Obvious Reason Why VW' s Hot SUV Won' t Come To The US CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News There' s An Obvious Reason Why VW' s Hot SUV Won' t Come To The US
There' s An Obvious Reason Why VW' s Hot SUV Won' t Come To The US
Aug. 18, 2019 3:15 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Opinion / 5 Comments Even though it looks great. The grass always seems greener over in Europe whenever the US denied the latest awesome performance hatchback or wagon. In this latest case, Europe is set to receive a new performance crossover from Volkswagen called the T-Roc R, as well as a convertible version called the T-Roc Cabriolet. Judging by the failures of the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet and Range Rover Evoque Convertible, the Cabriolet doesn't seem like a major loss, but the R seems like the type of product that would be perfect for VW in the US. After putting the Golf R on hiatus for the 2019 model year, the Golf GTI will stand as the only high-performance vehicle in VW's lineup. The T-Roc R shares its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with the Golf R, producing 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque – which sounds like a recipe for fun, but there's a very simple explanation for why it won't come to the US. Volkswagen Volkswagen In a word, it all comes down to pricing. Following the T-Roc R's reveal at Geneva, VW has released pricing for its hot crossover. The R model starts at €43,995, which roughly translates to just under $49,000. For comparison, a base Golf R starts at just over $40,000. At this price, VW evidently feels it wouldn't be able to sell enough units to justify offering the T-Roc R in the US. The T-Roc is smaller than VW's current smallest SUV in the US, the Tiguan, and the performance-oriented R model costs around the same as a fully-loaded three-row Atlas SEL V6 Premium, so the value proposition would be a tough sell. VW says the T-Roc R can hit 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds on its way to a 155 mph top speed. In Germany, this performance might be appreciated, but in the US, customers would likely opt for the size and practicality of an Atlas or Tiguan. Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen Of course, this price comparison is only based on loose currency conversion and the T-Roc R could be slightly cheaper if it was ever sold in the US. But based on the starting price of a Golf R and the value offered in the Tiguan and Atlas, we can't see it happening any time soon. The T-Roc R's base price doesn't even include optional extras like a titanium exhaust, 19-inch wheels, Dynamic Chassis Control, and a Beats sound system. For just a few thousand dollars more, there are plenty of performance-oriented SUVs from luxury automakers such as the Audi SQ5 and the BMW X3, which is why chances seem slim that VW will bring the T-Roc R to the US. Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen Join The Discussion
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Volkswagen Tiguan Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top