Apple does have one model without a touchbar but it's thirteen inch and has lower specs. I am pretty sure it too has a T2 chip and the same keyboard flaws. It's what I'd buy if I bought a Mac but I don't think I will.
Also, the FN MBP hardware hasn't been upgraded at all like the TB ones were, so the CPU is one gen earlier and thus dual core, while keyboard flaws remain since it's a non-fixed keyboard (the one without the rubber thingies)
Here is a link from Apple that says all of their Macbook Pro models have T2 chips from 2018 onward.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208862
But I still may be wrong though where did you read that the MBP without a touch bar doesn't have a T2 chip?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/future-13-macbook-pro-w...