Volkswagen has confirmed its new coupe-crossover will be called the Taigo. The forthcoming sporty compact SUV – based on VW’s Nivus SUV from the South American market – will make its debut this summer, ahead of European sales starting towards the end of 2021.
Launched as the Nivus in Brazil last spring, the Volkswagen Taigo is, in effect, the T-Cross but with a more flowing rear roofline that gives it a slightly sportier profile.
The car is based on the VW Group’s MQB A0 platform for compact cars; it’s the smallest version of the VW Group’s modular chassis architecture and the same structure that underpins both the brand’s T-Cross compact SUV and the current Polo supermini.
What we know from the Brazilian Nivus places the Taigo slightly longer than the T-Cross at 4,266mm long, but its roofline sits around 10mm lower. The Taigo will give customers a more rakish, style-focused small SUV option in VW’s range, serving as a rival for the likes of the Toyota C-HR at a time when sales in this area of the market are expanding.
VW has confirmed that the Taigo will launch with a range of TSI petrol engines. In South America the Nivus is sold with a single engine option, a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol, and this is likely to form the core of the Taigo line-up as well.
However, it will likely come with a range of power outputs as per the Polo, with 70kW and 80kW versions of the 1.0 TSI possible.
It’s feasible that VW may also offer more potent editions of the vehicle with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit. No diesels or hybrids are likely to feature, partly to help keep pricing more affordable.
Volkswagen has confirmed that the Taigo will feature LED headlights as standard, while a fully digital cockpit, a multitude of driver assistance systems and the latest connectivity tech will be offered.
VW’s renderings of the new car in R-Line trim point towards a sporty trim being offered, while Match, beats and SEL models could potentially be offered, mirroring the trim structure of other compact VW models.
These images show R-Line trim’s chunky front bumper, featuring a big air intake and gloss black trim inserts, as well as large alloy wheels.
The car’s profile sports a rakish roofline at the rear, differentiating the Taigo from its more pragmatic T-Cross sibling, while at the rear a prominent spoiler, a full-width LED light signature and a pair of exhausts complete the look.
The car will be built at VW’s Pamplona factory in Spain, where the T-Cross and Polo are already produced.
Sean Carson