What's the news?
The B-SUV segment, that of small crossovers, is starting to get crowded, and a big player has just entered the room - Volkswagen Ireland has announced that its new T-Roc will go on sale in October, with a starting price of €24,750.
That looks pricey compared to the basic Kia Stonic, for instance, but while the cheapest €18,599 Kia gets an old 1.2-litre petrol engine, the T-Roc gets the latest-tech 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol so, engine-for-engine, it's actually priced on a similar level to the Korean car.
The entry-level spec includes Climatronic two-zone air conditioning, USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity and a 6.5-inch 'Composition Colour' infotainment system.
Step up to a Design spec model and you'll get 16-inch 'Chester' alloy wheels, larger Composition Media infotainment featuring an eight-inch glass touchscreen, a chrome package, voice control and App Connect amongst other items.
The top-spec model will be the T-Roc Sport, which comes with a choice of 1.5-litre 150hp petrol or the 2.0-litre 150hp TDI diesel engines, with the latter available in either six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG automatic. The 1.5-litre TSI Sport starts from €29,750 and the 2.0-litre TDI 4Motion starts from €34,795. The Sport specification features sports seats, 17-inch 'Kulmbach' alloy wheels, LED headlamps and tinted rear windows. More models will be added in 2018.
A basic T-Roc can be added to with the Technology Upgrade Pack, which includes adaptive cruise control, front fog lamps and 16-inch Chester alloy wheels for €599, a saving of €639 over the items individually.
On the Design specification, tinted rear windows, silver anodised roof rails and a mirror pack are available in the Technology Upgrade Pack for just €399 - a saving of €231 over the items priced individually.
And finally, on the Sport specification, for €1,499 customers can have a Technology Upgrade Pack consisting of the 'Discover Media' navigation system, a rear-view camera, winter pack and a panoramic sunroof, offering a saving of €1,300 against the items when priced individually.
There are also further Design Pack and Sports Pack options, while all versions will come with standard forward-collision alert and lane departure warning systems.