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Volkswagen previews sub-Tiguan crossover

Volkswagen previews sub-Tiguan crossover

The T-Roc will debut before the end of the year.

Following a leak, Volkswagen has released a teaser video to preview the production version of the 2014 T-Roc concept.

As expected, the T-Roc is Wolfsburg's version of the new Audi Q2 that's sold in Europe. The concept shown three years ago in Geneva was a two-door, open-top model, but the video confirms the production variant takes the form of a more conventional four-door crossover with a fixed roof. So far, there's no evidence that Volkswagen will offer the T-Roc with Jeep Renegade-like removable roof panels.

The Q2 connection means the T-Roc rides on Volkswagen's modular MQB platform. Power could be provided by a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to produce 170 horsepower and a generous 200 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel drive and a dual-clutch automatic transmission will come standard, and Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive system will be offered at an extra cost.

An earlier report claims the T-Roc will arrive in European showrooms before the year draws to a close, but U.S. sales won't kick off until 2019. When it finally arrives, the T-Roc will slot under the second-generation Tiguan as Volkswagen's smallest crossover. It will compete in the same segment as the Nissan Juke.

Additional details about the Volkswagen T-Roc will emerge in the coming months, and the soft-roader is tentatively scheduled to break cover this fall during the Frankfurt Auto Show.