The new VW Taigo is touted as being the first coupe in its segment of ultra-compact SUVs, but in a few years, we expect to see many copycats of VW’s new body style from many brands roaming the streets.
As manufacturers race to fill any sliver in the market with their own product, VW has managed to find one that, until now, has eluded all the rest, and the Taigo is the result.
The new crossover’s selling point is the fact that it looks sportier than just about any of its T-badged siblings thanks to a sloping roofline decorated with a spoiler and complemented by a fashionable body-spanning rear lightbar.
Built on the same chassis as the popular Polo and T-Cross, the Taigo measures a little narrower and lower to the ground than its blockier brother, it’s only available with one engine, and it’s a bit pricier.
But with more cargo capacity, an athletic drive, and plenty of standard features, it holds its own even against the strong competition that is the other VW SUVs.
Small on the outside, big on the inside
Thanks to clever packaging the Taigo’s cabin offers more space than the exterior would suggest and the low seating position, long seat rails, and adjustable steering column ensure that drivers of most shapes and sizes can fit behind the wheel.
The top only starts bending noticeably around the boot area and backseat headroom is therefore not impeded by much, but for legroom, the riders in front do have to slide forward when larger passengers get in.
Another consequence of the sleek look is that visibility out of the rear-view mirror is not the best, but it’s a boon for luggage capacity as the Taigo can carry up to 440 litres with all five seats up, 17% more than the T-Cross.
Around the interior, the R-Line package brings a smoky grey finish, sporty steering wheel, and model-specific seats that look attractive and feel firm. There are a few scratchy plastics here and there but it’s not overbearing, and all the controls and buttons are firm and reassuring to the touch.
The cabin layout is familiar if you’ve seen a relatively new Polo or T-Cross before which isn’t a bad thing as it remains an up-to-date design, and the many software menus are easy to navigate and get to grips with and not a maze of controls one will rarely use.
Buyers of the R-Line are spoiled with adaptive Matrix LED lights, dual-zone climate control, and multi-colour ambient lighting as standard, and this particular unit had the upgraded Discover Pro media system which brings an 8-inch central display alongside a wireless charger and built-in navigation.
The optional R10,300 Beats stereo equipped to the test Taigo also supplied a high-quality soundtrack during my travels, though VW’s standard speakers have always been so good that I’ve never seen the need to opt for the upgraded system anyway.
What’s not optional, though, are the cool software features that every now and then are quite helpful.
The configurable driver’s display, thoughtful on-screen messages, and individual trip summaries all say attention to detail that isn’t often found in the crossover segment, sometimes not even in vehicles triple the price.
Turbo Taigo
The Taigo range is all equipped with a 1.0-litre, turbo-petrol unit making 85kW and 200Nm that is transferred to the front wheels through a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
Eco, normal, and sport settings change the behaviour of the drivetrain and most of my time was spent in the latter as it was most awake, the consumption consistently hovering in the mid-sixes for every 100km as a result.
With a 0-100km/h time of 10 seconds the performance slightly belies the angry look of the front, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in handling, remaining planted, direct, and resisting the urge to become “light” when the needle picks up, which often happens in other crossovers from smaller brands than VW.
If it’s already on the go the Taigo is nippy and eager to play, it’s only when it has to start moving does it show the faintest lick of reluctance before the turbo kicks in.
Verdict
The new VW coupe SUV has all the right ingredients to be another hit from the country’s second best-selling manufacturer, and there’s not much pushing buyers away from it.
The sloping roofline and aggressive mug pull together to help the Taigo stand out from all the square-body competitors in an incredibly crowded segment that is consistently growing.
The Taigo may be the first coupe in the A0 crossover category, but we’re willing to bet it won’t be the last.
VW Taigo R-Line
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