Volkswagen is Already Testing a Hotter Version of its Compact Crossover

Volkswagen has been testing a hot version of tis T-Ro crossover – but it won’t be heading to North America.

The Volkswagen T-Roc made its public debut at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, and for now, the stylish compact crossover isn’t bound for North America. But that won’t stop us from keeping a close eye on what Volkswagen is working on, just in case the German automaker changes its mind.

The standard T-Roc hasn’t even arrived dealerships in Europe yet, and already Volkswagen is testing a hotter R variant. Spy photographers caught this prototype close to Volkswagen’s test facility at the Nurburgring.

SEE ALSO: VW T-Roc Arrives With Stylish Looks, Range of Turbo Engines

Since the Volkswagen T-Roc is based on the Golf, it’s little surprise there’s a T-Roc R in the works. Expect the hotter crossover to have the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood with around 310 horsepower.

For now, there aren’t very many changes to the exterior of the vehicle to differentiate it from a standard model, but we do see a quad exhaust setup in the rear. Expect to see more aggressive styling once the production model rolls around.