Volkswagen’s new T-Roc is quite a beast – with all the benefits of a Golf

I WAS in my local gym the other day – I needed to use the loo – when I overheard a personal trainer use a phrase that was new to me.

“You’re all biceps and triceps,” he said to some Disney Channel-looking 17-year-old with a wispy top lip. "Those are just the glamour muscles.”

Glamour muscles. I like that. It could refer to any number of cars — especially crossovers, those hatchbacks with inflated ride-height and a few splodges of plastic to look rugged.

They look good but lack substance.

Underneath, they are no more fearsome than the teenage gym-goer who wants to fill his shirtsleeves.

But people fall for it. They buy a crossover because it looks like it could do the Dakar Rally but inside it is cramped and they order it in front-wheel drive.

There ARE some good cars in this segment.

The Nissan Qashqai, which kicked off the trend, is a great family motor.

Audi has done a good job with the Q2. And now there is the VW T-Roc.

It is based on the VW Golf — arguably the best car, pound for pound, on the market.

It uses VW’s hyper-versatile MQB platform (as does the Q2) so its chassis build-quality is second to none, the handling sharp and driver tech plentiful.

T-Roc customers won’t care about that.

They want a car with flair, status and attention-grabbing looks. Being a Golf underneath is just a bonus.

It’s like taking an M&S suit to Vivienne Westwood to jazz it up.

And the T-Roc IS a looker.

The lines are angular and purposeful, while a neat chrome trim and sweeping LED lights make it stand out.

With a starting price of £18,950 for the entry-level S trim — just £720 more than the Golf — VW had to save money somewhere . . . and it has, on the interior.

The finish isn’t up to the standard you expect from German firms.

The cabin is a landscape of cheap plastic dressed up with bright metal that matches the exterior paintwork.

That said, the 8in touchscreen infotainment system is standard across the range and a host of goodies can be bolted on, like adaptive cruise control.

Best of all, it drives like a peach.

Actually, it drives like a Golf. The jacked-up ride position can feel floaty on bumpy roads but in essence this is a quality hatchback.

I drove the 1.5-litre EVO engine, which first appeared on the latest Golf and is a characterful plaything.

Engines range from a 1-litre turbo to a 2-litre petrol, plus a couple of diesels. And it can be optioned in AWD.

This is not just biceps and triceps. The T-Roc is a fine car in its own right.

Right, I’m off to work on my core strength.