The German carmaker will produce a T-Roc cabriolet from 2020, adding a second soft-top to its line-up since the Golf Cabriolet was axed in 2016. Scheduled for a launch at the turn of the decade, the SUV is to be built at the Osnabrück plant – formerly the home of coachbuilder Karmann, which produced the Golf Cabriolet and original drop-top Beetle. Currently, the plant oversees part-production of the Porsche Cayenne and Cayman, the Skoda Fabia and the VW Tiguan, before the model is finished in Wolfsburg.

At its peak, around 20,000 T-Roc convertibles will be made per year. SUVs are increasingly important for Volkswagen, as the brand plans to launch 20 before 2020, by which time SUVs will represent around 40% of the brand’s total sales.

This is part of a new, more emotional strategy at Volkswagen, as the car manufacturer seeks to introduce cars away from its traditionally rational approach. The dramatically-styled Arteon was the first example of this effort to expand. The T-Roc cabriolet, in turn, will be the brand’s first drop-top SUV.

"Volkswagen is evolving into an SUV brand," Said VW brand boss, Herbert Diess. "The T-Roc is already setting new standards in the compact SUV segment. With the cabriolet based on the T-Roc, we will be adding a highly emotional model to the range.”

A T-Roc R model has previously been reported; but Volkswagen remains secretive on whether or not the model will make it to production, despite the sports SUV market growing, with new market entries being announced, regularly.