Volkswagen will reveal the second generation of its hugely popular T-Roc in August, which will be the first model to use a new full-hybrid powertrain also bound for the Golf and Tiguan.
The next T-Roc, destined to be Volkswagen‘s final all-new model with a combustion powertrain, will be offered with a hybrid powertrain that works similarly to that used by Toyota, capable of driving the wheels using either a petrol engine, an electric motor or a combination of both at any given time.
Volkswagen has never used such a system in a production car, and its introduction comes less than a decade before the firm will have to go all-electric in Europe – but CEO Thomas Schäfer said the company is “experimenting now because certain regions are gliding into HEVs [hybrid electric vehicles]”.
“We needed to do it anyway, because South America has a need for an HEV drivetrain – and the T-Roc is built in South America for South America, and also in China.
“Interestingly enough, HEV has also become a big theme in the US specifically. It’s a technology that everybody said was not necessary any more, but now with the BEV slowdown in the US, the balance is [moving towards] HEVs.”
After introducing this new system in the Mk2 T-Roc, Schäfer said Volkswagen will “see where it makes sense” elsewhere in the line-up but “we’re not going to double everything up; we will have PHEV and HEV models”.
It will not be introduced to every car that uses the same MQB architecture as the T-Roc, but it will be added to the Golf and Tiguan in the next two years, a Volkswagen official told Autocar.
The new T-Roc is expected to be revealed at a standalone event in August, before its public debut at the Munich motor show the following month – where Volkswagen is also tipped to reveal the ID 2X baby SUV.