The T-Roc is one of Volkswagen’s most important models for years, representing the brand in the affordable style-conscious end of the fast-growing mid-sized SUV segment. Almost everything you can’t see on this car comes from a Golf hatch, which is no bad thing. As for the stuff you’ll admire in the driveway, well it all looks satisfyingly fashionable.

The T-Roc’s extrovert styling is certainly very different to that of Volkswagen’s conservative Tiguan. It’s smaller too, the compact 4,234mm length not only 252mm shorter than its SUV stablemate but also 21mm shorter than a Volkswagen Golf. The Wolfsburg brand’s Head of Design, Klaus Bischoff, and his team have gone for a wide and long stance allied to a relatively low roofline and a steeply raked C-pillar. Inside, the cabin looks much the same as that of the Golf, though gives buyers greater scope for personalisation. Plusher models get the ‘Active Info Display’ 10.3-inch TFT instrument binnacle display now available on most larger Volkswagen models. Luggage space is quite generous - measuring 445 litres when loaded up to the top of the second row seat backrests.

The T-Roc gets the usual range of turbocharged Volkswagen Group engines. There are three TSI petrol engines, a 115PS 1.0-litre unit, a 150PS 1.5 and a 190PS 2.0-litre powerplant. And two TDI diesels, a 115PS 1.6 and a 150PS 2.0-litre. Providing you avoid the base 1.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel units, you’ll also get the option of DSG auto transmission and 4MOTION 4WD.

As Volkswagen well knows, this is the kind of car it needs to make to satisfy the current fickle, fashion-led SUV market. It’s curious then, that it’s taken the Wolfsburg maker so long to get around to bringing us such a model. Now at last, the company’s dealers have something really credible to offer buyers who once would have been satisfied with an ordinary Golf or Focus-style family hatch but now want something similarly sized but a bit more interesting.

Is that what this is? After all, if you strip away the funky bodywork and the cabin personalisation, what you’ve got here is a slightly less efficient but more expensive Golf. But then, you could say similar things of just about any other contender in this segment. It’s all about giving the market what it wants. And with the T-Roc, Volkswagen has done just that.

CAR: Volkswagen T-Roc
PRICES: £20,425 - £31,485 [TSI models]
INSURANCE GROUPS: TBC
CO2 EMISSIONS: 117-155 g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.0 TSI 115PS] 0-62mph 5.6s / top speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.0 TSI 115PS] (combined) 55mpg [est]
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: stability control, ABS with EBD and EBA, seven airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm TBC