Facelift official reveal - fugly or not?
61 - 80 of 80 Posts
Been there previously and so that particular itch (running a Porsche long-term) is scratched! Admittedly it was the 3l diesel Macan (no longer available AFAIK) with performance midway between plain 2l petrol Macan and 3l Macan S for power and probably on par with S for torque. Had the Macan for 3 years. Excellent car, but it was relatively big and heavy (with not too much interior space, though that wasn't a big factor for me) and the controls ergonomics were not good - so many buttons etc, though I think that's improved somewhat in the new version. But I started to want something smaller, a bit lighter and more nimble.
EVs aside, Porsche tend to make two classes of car - smaller, mostly 2-seater, sports cars like Cayman and 911; or larger (Macan) or very large (Cayenne and Panamera) SUVs. There's nothing in between. A smaller crossover/SUV below the Macan was rumoured at one stage, which would have been ideal for me, but was apparently canned during the sudden switch to EVs.
My present Q3 was a step along the road to smaller/lighter/more nimble and it's been semi-successful. But it's still not that agile - still understeers significantly coming off a fast roundabout for instance. I'm led to believe that T Roc R should be better in that respect (anyone here prepared to back that up?), hence my interest in trying the T Roc next.
I still prefer the mk1! I dislike the bottle openers on the mk2 as to me they look squint. They should have added a slight protrusion as with the mk1 DRLs so the bottle openers would sit straight. I also think the grill looks better on the mk1. Black wing mirrors are cool though.
I did see a Taigo on my street the other day. It’s very smart. A little smaller looking than the T-Roc but a good looking car all round.
I did see a Taigo on my street the other day. It’s very smart. A little smaller looking than the T-Roc but a good looking car all round.
Joined
·
57 Posts
Isn’t this comparing a mk2 r-line with a mk1 sel?
The better comparison would be with the mk2 style (the model down from the new r-line) which doesn’t look that much different.
![Automotive parking light Tire Automotive side-view mirror Wheel Vehicle]()
And yes, I am trying to reassure myself that I haven’t missed out by recently taking delivery of one of the last mk1s!
The better comparison would be with the mk2 style (the model down from the new r-line) which doesn’t look that much different.
And yes, I am trying to reassure myself that I haven’t missed out by recently taking delivery of one of the last mk1s!
I did like it initially until I realised it looks like a Ford focus from the side 🤔
Joined
·
67 Posts
The main difference as I se it is the significantly improved cabin finish. Soft touch dash and overall updated layout provides a much higher quality look and feel to the cabin. External changes smartens up the nose - but that’s more a personal opinion thing - unlike the obvious undeniable cabin improvements.
Joined
·
2,654 Posts
Dated or not, I think the mk1 front looks better integrated and more refined, while the mk2 (R-Line ?) looks like a boy-racer DIY after market body kit has been fitted, although I agree the Style does look slightly better.
As for the interior, there seems to be pros and cons. The soft touch or lack of has never really been much of an issue once you start to drive the car (who caresses their dash every day anyway ?) but for me, the change to touch controls for the heating and A/C is not something I would relish despite any claims to be more modern.
As for the interior, there seems to be pros and cons. The soft touch or lack of has never really been much of an issue once you start to drive the car (who caresses their dash every day anyway ?) but for me, the change to touch controls for the heating and A/C is not something I would relish despite any claims to be more modern.
Joined
·
67 Posts
Agree with you about touch controls, why manufacturers think they are an “improvement” escapes me. The Style model has button controls for volume and screen and on the steering wheel. The R models have all touch controls including the steering wheel. Interestingly Honda have remained with knobs and buttons for the heating and major controls on the new HR-V. So maybe at least one manufacturer is listening to drivers. I suspect it is cheaper to use touch controls hence more cars are getting them. How that fits with increasing bans on even touching your phone escapes me, if it is deemed dangerous to touch an icon on a phone why is it deemed safe to search through a plethora of menus and icons on a cars touch screen to adjust the temperature?
You sound as if you've seen it? 🤔
I haven't seen anything on the Internet!!!
Joined
·
57 Posts
So, I saw my first Mk2 T-Roc in the wild today. I was on the M11 and there was an indium grey T-Roc ahead of me with German plates. Something about the rear looked a but unusual and, it was only as I passed it I realised it was the new model. No pictures obviously as I was driving but I must say it was quite difficult to see much difference between it and my 2021 SEL.
From the rear, the only real difference I could see was some new reflectors either side of the number plate matching the shape of the front led driving lights. On the front, there was the chrome strip light bar across the middle of the radiator grill and the led driving lights were ever so slightly different in shape. And that was about it! Can’t comment on the interior of course.
From the rear, the only real difference I could see was some new reflectors either side of the number plate matching the shape of the front led driving lights. On the front, there was the chrome strip light bar across the middle of the radiator grill and the led driving lights were ever so slightly different in shape. And that was about it! Can’t comment on the interior of course.
Joined
·
67 Posts
It’s the inside where VW have made most improvements responding to the almost universal criticism that the interior let the car down by it’s cheap appearance - no soft touch panels etc. I don’t think I have read one road test that didn’t comment on how poor the interior was in comparison to its competitors. This facelift addresses that criticism and reviews of the facelift model have all commented on how much nicer the cabin is to be in.
Joined
·
57 Posts
The quality of the interior has never really been an issue for me (though maybe soft-touch materials on the tops of the doors would have been nice). I like the layout of the dashboard and controls in the Mk1 and prefer the way the touch screen is integrated rather than ‘floating’. I am not keen on the trend towards touch sensitive controls in areas such as the steering wheel and aircon. That being said, if cabin quality was a major criticism then VW would be remiss if they didn’t address it in the Mk2.
I did try to spec up a Mk2 similarly to my SEL and it was a good £2k more expensive so there is a cost associated with the improvements (unsurprisingly I guess).
I did try to spec up a Mk2 similarly to my SEL and it was a good £2k more expensive so there is a cost associated with the improvements (unsurprisingly I guess).
Joined
·
67 Posts
I am not sure if amendments are worth £2k but from my point of view I initially looked at the T-Roc and the interior put me off, that and the lack of options I would like - leather seats, electric adjustable memory seats etc.- were not available. The Mk2 version solves those problems. The question I have now is whether to stick with a conventional ICE engined car or go hybrid. Honda HR-V or similar. MPG obviously has a bearing and it depends on what I can get from a 1.5 Tsi DSG Style model, some suggest that driven conservatively up to 50 MPG is possible. HR-V claims 50+ - but it also depends how they drive. So will have to wait until both are available for extended test drives. Luckily I am not in a hurry.
61 - 80 of 80 Posts
Join the discussion
