The Volkswagen Taigo has been available in Brazil for a year under the name Volkswagen Nivus and takes over a large part of the technology and its drives from Polo and T-Cross. The SUV is manufactured in Pamplona, Spain. The market launch is in autumn, but VW has not yet published prices.
When it comes to stylish SUV coupes, the VW company is at least one of the laggards in Europe. Although in the premium segment, the high seats with the more dynamic roofline have long been in vogue, Renault brought the body shape into the compact segment last year. Volkswagen is now making the body shape accessible to an even wider audience with its debut. The Volkswagen Taigo SUV coupe is based on the MQB-A0, the smallest version of the modular platform. The small car platform is used by the Seat Ibiza and Arona, the Audi A1, and the brand brothers VW Polo and T-Cross. The Volkswagen Taigo is manufactured in the Spanish VW plant in Pamplona.
In Brazil, the SUV coupe has been available under the name Nivus for around a year. So it is hardly surprising that the model was launched first in the South American country. The sportier-styled alternative to the T-Cross small SUV was designed and developed by the Group's subsidiary Volkswagen Brasil. In addition, the VW company has presented the European version, which has different engines but looks a little different from its Brazilian sister model.
Despite its South American roots, the VW Taigo fits seamlessly into VW's current SUV design. Nevertheless, there are a few highlights that set it apart from its siblings. At the front, the light signature of the standard LED headlights merges into an illuminated strip that connects the two light units. On the lower edge of the doors, there is a hint of a stainless steel-look footboard in the "Style" equipment.
From the B-pillar, however, the differences to the T-Cross are significantly more significant. The roof drops sharply towards the rear, which gives the SUV a crouched silhouette. At the back, the Volkswagen Taigo received a discreet roof spoiler and a black panel in which the brand logo and the taillights are framed. A narrow light strip extends almost over the entire rear and is only divided in the middle by the VW emblem. At just under 4.27 meters, the VW Taigo is sixteen centimetres longer than the Volkswagen T-Cross. However, at a width of 1.76 meters, both are roughly the same.
The interior is almost identical to that of the more conventionally styled T-Cross. Digital displays are standard; with a surcharge, there is a larger version with a display measuring 10.25 inches. In the Volkswagen Taigo SUV Coupe, however, the air conditioning is not operated via classic rotary controls and buttons but via sliders and touch surfaces. The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto series are high-end equipment. Despite the sloping roofline, the Taigo offers a trunk volume of 438 litres in the standard configuration - 80 litres more than the Volkswagen T-Cross. However, the latter has a sliding back seat that increases the volume if necessary.
Under the bonnet, the differences to the Brazilian version are greater. While the Volkswagen Nivus in South America is only available with a 116 or 128 hp three-cylinder, the Volkswagen Taigo engine range is somewhat more extensive. The basic model is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo three-cylinder with 95 hp, which is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. The same unit is also available with 110 hp. Here, either a six-speed manual gearbox or, optionally, a seven-speed DSG takes over the power transmission. The same applies to the top version, which benefits from a turbo four-cylinder with 1.5 litres displacement and 150 hp. Front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive is not available yet.
There are few surprises with the assistance systems. The Volkswagen Taigo also takes over the electronic helpers from the recently redesigned Volkswagen Polo. These include, among other things, adaptive cruise control, as well as lane change and emergency braking assistants. VW will be accepting Taigo orders from late summer, but the first copies will not be delivered until autumn. The Volkswagen Group has not yet published prices. The Volkswagen T-Cross currently starts at just under 20,000 euros; the larger and fancier Volkswagen Taigo is likely to be priced above this mysterious threshold.
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