VW Taigo fills gap between T-Cross and T-Roc in Volkswagen SUV family

The motor industry reminds me of a rowboat that seemingly always has little holes in it that are not immediately visible to the naked eye.

Just when you think this rowboat cannot or does not need to offer the consumer anymore choices, a new hole is identified and it becomes a race by the manufacturers to fill it.

He who plugs the most holes wins. He who plugs the most holes in the more populated areas of where these holes exist, wins that much quicker in terms of market share and straight up sales numbers.

What started off as basic motorised transport to replace the much-loved horse has now evolved into a business that has to offer something for everybody in every shape and form in order to capture the imagination of an ever more spoiled buying public.

VW Taigo the alternative

This is exactly where the new Volkswagen Taigo comes in. It is positioned between the T-Cross and the T-Roc in VW’s T-SUV model range. The more established offerings in this SUV family are the Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace and the Touareg.

But the VW Taigo features coupe-like styling and is said to appeal to a buyer that does not want one of these traditional square shaped SUVs on offer.

So, one could say that opting for a Taigo is more of an emotional, style influenced choice and these choices normally come at the expense of practicality and interior space. But I can say that the VW Taigo seems to have comprised on neither, while also offering heaps of the latest technology on offer by the German carmaker in the compact segment.

There is a generous amount of space on offer for the driver and fellow passengers, and the boot is surprisingly large for a car that features a sloped coupe roof. A young modern family will find no fault in these departments.

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The VW Taigo grades

The VW Taigo comes in three different spec grades.

The Life offers LED headlights and LED taillights, a Digital Cockpit, 6.5-inch Composition Colour infotainment system, App Connect, We Connect Go, front centre armrest with a USB C-type interface, multi-function leather steering wheel, electric foldable exterior mirrors with heating function and 16-inch Belmopan alloy wheels.

The Style derivative adds IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights, ambient lighting, 17-inch Aberdeen alloy wheels, Park Distance Control in the front and rear, Dynamic Light Assist, 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro, Active Info Display, and an 8-inch Composition Media infotainment system.

The VW Taigo R Line is the top of the range and offers a black headliner, stainless steel pedals, privacy glass for rear side windows and rear windows, as well as 17-inch Valencia alloy wheels. The much sought-after R Line body kit does duty and comprehensively sets this model apart from the others.

All three spec grades offer only one engine and gearbox combination, and that is the popular T Cross 1.0-litre TSI with a seven-speed DSG gearbox that produces 85 kW of power from 5000 to 5500 rpm and 200 Nm of torque from 2000 to 3500 rpm.

At this stage there is no talk of any high-performance engine and gearbox combos coming our way.

You are never going to light up the drag strip with this particular combination, but it is adequate for anything you would want from a coupe SUV in this segment and at this price point.

Pricing

Taigo Life 1.0 TSI – R429 900
Taigo Style 1.0 TSI – R464 100
Taigo R-Line 1.0 TSI – R486 000

The VW Taigo comes standard with a three-year/120 000 km warranty and a three-year/45 000 km service plan.

For more information on the VW Taigo, visit the manufacturer’s webiste.