By Otsile Kadiege

Volkswagen has added another model to its T-SUV line-up dubbed the the Volkswagen Taigo. The Taigo is a “trendy Lifestyle model” with a crossover body style that’s slotted in between the Volkswagen T-Roc and Volkswagen T-Cross, and built on the versatile MQB A0 platform. 

Exterior design 

The Taigo borrowed a lot of its crossover coupe styling cues from its Brazilian sibling – the Nivus. Up front, depending on selected options, the Taigo comes with full LED headlights or the new IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights and an illuminated radiator grill crossbar.

The 4.26 metre long, 1.75 meters wide and 1.49 mm tall SUV coupe has a particularly striking C pillar slanting well forward as well as roof rails, and contrasting wheel arches. The Taigo’s rear-end features an LED light bar and Taigo lettering near the edge of the tailgate. 

Interior and technology

Inside, the VW Taigo features Volkswagen’s latest multifunctional steering wheel and modern control elements as standard. A 9.2-inch touchscreen and wireless charging will be available. The infotainment systems are based on the third generation of MIB3, including an online control unit (eSIM) and “App Connect Wireless” (depending on the configuration). Despite its coupe like body styling, the Taigo has a decent 438 litres of luggage capacity. 

Performance 

The new Taigo is powered by a 3-cylinder 1.0-litre and a 4-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engines. The 3-cylinder powerplant makes 70 and 81 kW while the 4-cylinder develops 110 kW. Depending on the chosen powerplant, the Taigo is available with a 5 or 6-speed manual transmission and a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission. 

Driver assistance systems 

Every Taigo comes with assistance systems borrowed from higher sectors. These include the surroundings monitoring system “Front Assist”, including city emergency brake function, and the lane departure warning system “Lane Assist” as standard. “IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist” is available as an optional extra, enabling semi-automated driving up to a system-determined top speed of 210 km/h. 

Pricing and local availability 

The Taigo will make its local debut in 2022. Pricing and specifications should be released closer to the launch date.