By Sala Masindane

It is almost unthinkable that Volkswagen has taken so long to manufacture an SUV coupé. Why do you ask? Well, it is not the leading brand by mistake but by the strides, they take for pushing the envelope. The wait is finally over and we had the Tiago on our doorstep.

Exterior

The all-new Tiago is quite a looker thanks to its striking coupé silhouette. Upfront, the new Taigo Life has a striking design accentuated by a black radiator grille, a newly developed bumper and rounded off by the optional IQ.Light LED matrix headlamps.

Interior

Inside, the new Taigo Life features a digital driver’s display and a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment display that is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto ready. Like newer VWs, buttons give way to control panels. The dash layout is also pleasing to the eye and infotainment graphics are crisp with the standard sound system being decent. We also appreciate the retention of old-school tactile buttons instead of operating everything through a touchscreen. This makes things far more intuitive and safer.

The luggage compartment volume is 440 litres and offers almost as much storage space with full seating as the T-Cross with its sliding rear seat (385 to 455 litres). The boot space is also of decent size for a compact coupe SUV making the Tiago a viable option for small families. The Taigo is spacious with passengers experiencing good head and legroom across the cabin, even though the sloping roof design hampers rear visibility.

Drive and Performance

Under the hood of the new Taigo SUV coupe is a 1.0 TSI engine with 85kW and 200Nm. The Taigo’s three-cylinder engine is paired with the 7-speed DSG transmission. The Tiago does feel like it’s punching above its weight but there’s also noticeable turbo lag. Nothing too hectic for the car its size. Comfort, ride quality and handling are commendable. Of importance though is the extremely low fuel consumption. We managed an average fuel consumption of 5.2l/100km during our stint which is lower than the claimed 5.4l/100km. Fuel consumption is at a claimed (at a surprisingly attainable 5.4l/100km).

Overall, the Tiago enters an already congested compact SUV market but offers good value for your buck. The all-new Tiago is priced from R429, 900.