Volkswagen to introduce full-hybrid powertrains with 2026 T-Roc

Volkswagen will introduce a full-hybrid powertrain to its line-up for the first time with the second-generation T-Roc, which will be unveiled at the Munich motor show in September.

The move marks a shift in the German car maker’s electrification strategy as it responds to slower than expected electric car sales.

The new set-up is similar to that used by the Toyota Prius, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery.

The ICE unit is expected to be a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which will drive the wheels alongside the electric motor. The petrol engine will also function as a generator to recharge the battery pack to enable limited electric-only driving. Various outputs are planned, ranging from 201bhp to 268bhp, with peak torque of of 258lb ft to 295lb ft, a source has confirmed to Autocar.

The technology differs from Volkswagen’s current hybrid systems, which either need to be charged via an external source (plug-in hybrid) or provide only an electric boost during normal running and are unable to operate in pure-electric mode (mild hybrid).

The new hybrid drivetrain will not be exclusive to the T-Roc. Both the Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia are set to receive it and additional models could follow.

The MQB Evo platform, which underpins a wide range of Volkswagen Group models including the new T-Roc, allows for further expansion of the company’s new hybrid drivetrain across models such as the Tiguan, Passat and Tayron, as well as Audi’s A3, Seat/Cupra’s Leon and Formentor and Skoda’s Scala, Kodiaq and Superb, Autocar has been told.

Models with the new hybrid system will be badged as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), a Volkswagen spokesperson confirmed to Autocar.