Volkswagen’s T-Roc Convertible is a fun and charming little runaround – but there’s a catch

THE Volkswagen T-Roc Convertible is a car that proves you shouldn’t be fooled by appearances. For two reasons.

On the one hand, don’t think that just because it’s a crossover that has had its head chopped off it’s rubbish.

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I agree that on paper a convertible small SUV sounds like a total mess.

It didn’t work for the Range Rover Evoque, but somehow VW has pulled it off.

It’s a fun and charming little runaround with the added bonus that you can get a tan on the way to Tesco.

On the other hand, just because it looks like a crossover, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a suitable family car.

As fun as it is, the two-door T-Roc Convertible is about as useful for parents as a training bra is for Katie Price.

My friend has two young kids – she ended up having to drop the roof every time she wanted to get the car seats in.

No good if it’s raining, although her two-year-old loved watching the roof go up and down so much she was worried she would burn the mechanism out.

All of this makes the T-Roc Cabriolet a bit of a weird prospect.

Volkswagen has taken two of our favourite types of car – crossovers and convertibles – and shamelessly blended them even though they shouldn’t mix.

Although I suppose no one thought peanut butter and chocolate would taste nice.

In reality, this car works because it’s not really a crossover at all.

It shares its name with and resembles the T-Roc in some ways, but it’s got a longer wheelbase, a sharper-raked windscreen, two doors and two rear seats.

Once you know this, you realise that it’s no different to most convertibles: Sporty-looking, topless and totally impractical for a family.

So for those who write it off just because they find the idea of a convertible SUV stupid, just remember it isn’t an SUV at all.

It’s actually a rival to cars like the Mini Convertible and BMW 2 Series Convertible.

You just won’t have to bend down so low to get in and out of it.

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