Volkswagen Taigo unveiled as new compact ‘coupe’ SUV

Volkswagen has revealed the Taigo – a new compact model that arrives as the brand’s first coupe-style SUV to be sold in Europe.

Heavily based on the Brazillian-built and designed Nivvus model, Volkswagen says the Taigo has been tweaked and re-engineered for European tastes.

Based on the same MQB A0 platform as the Volkswagen Polo – and which it rolls off the same production line as in Pamplona, Spain – the Taigo will be marketed as the firm’s entry-level SUV, despite actually being larger in size than the T-Cross.

Design highlights – aside from the coupe profile – include LED lights at the front and rear, with the rear LEDs being particularly impressive as they stretch across the full rear of the car, a cue only typically found in far more expensive cars. Matrix LED headlights will also be fitted on higher-spec cars, while Volkswagen will offer a range of personalisation options – such as a two-tone colour scheme and dashboard panels painted in the same shade as the rest of the car.

Inside, it gets all the brand’s latest technology, with digital dials set to feature across the full range, and with a touchscreen measuring up to 9.2-inches.

Despite the sloping rear end, Volkswagen is promising an impressive amount of interior space, with a 438-litre boot actually bigger than the T-Cross, though it misses out on that car’s more practical features like sliding rear seats.

Set to be offered in the UK in Life, Style and R-Line grades – the latter being bespoke to European markets – standard equipment will include LED headlights, 16-inch alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel and electric folding mirrors.

The Taigo’s engine range will broadly mirror that of the Polo and T-Cross, with purely turbocharged petrol engines set to be offered, ranging in power from 94bhp to 148bhp. No electrified options are in the pipeline yet, Volkswagen has said.

Though prices haven’t been announced, expect the Taigo to just undercut the T-Cross, meaning they’ll likely start from around £20,000. First examples are predicted to reach showrooms before the end of the year.