As the market for SUVs grows and grows, Volkswagen has pulled the covers off its newest model – the T-Roc.

The T-Roc is a compact-class crossover, sitting beneath the Tiguan, an impressive tow car that needs no introduction to caravanners.

It is set to make its public debut at this month’s Frankfurt motor show and will go on sale from the end of this year, priced from around £19,000.

What tow car ability will it have?

It’s a car we’re excited about, because VW has proved in recent years it has a keen grasp of what caravanners want from their cars, right across its range.

Just take a look at the results of our Tow Car Awards in recent years. The Amarok was this year’s inaugural best pick-up and the Golf nearly pipped the Škoda Octavia Estate to the top gong in the ‘Up to 1400kg’ class.

And back in 2015, the VW Passat Estate scooped the top prize. So the T-Roc comes from strong tow car stock – let’s hope it delivers.

The five-seat T-Roc will appeal to those who like the higher driving position of an SUV, but don’t need the heft of its Tiguan big brother, which it will be shorter, wider and lower than.

And it will be interesting to see which buyers it appeals to.

Given its predicted pricing it seems a natural rival for the likes of the Nissan Qashqai, but its prestige badge and market positioning mean it could be a rival for a wide range of junior SUVs, right up to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLA.

What’s under the bonnet?

The new T-Roc will be offered with a range of six turbocharged engines, three of which will be petrol-powered (TSI), the remaining three being diesel-fuelled (TDI).

Front- and four-wheel-drive options will be offered, with manual and DSG gearboxes available.

With all five seats in place, the T-Roc has a 445-litre boot, which can be increased by up to 1290 litres, using the 60:40 split/fold rear seats.

In comparison, the Qashqai’s boot is 430-1585 litres and the GLA’s is 481-1235 litres.

Of course, we’re eager to know how heavy this new crossover will be to help us assess what tow car potential it has, but this data has not yet been released.

Spec and trim levels

Over and above the standard offering, T-Roc buyers will be able to choose between Sport and Style.

Fitted as standard across the range will be high-tech safety systems including City Emergency Braking, Pedestrian Monitoring, Lane Assist and an Automatic Post-Collision Braking System.

In addition, all models get air conditioning, LED tail lights and LED daytime running lights.

As the names of the trim lines suggest, opt for Sport and sport comfort seats will be among the extras you enjoy. Go for Style and one extra is that you can choose one of four colours for the cabin’s decorative trim panels.

And – as the press photos show – it’s the first Volkswagen SUV buyers can order with two-tone paintwork, the roof, A-pillars and wing mirrors in a different shade from the rest of the car.

We’ll know more after its public premiere in Germany.