The new Volkswagen Taigo compact SUV is now available to order in the UK with prices starting at just under £22,000. The coupe-SUV sits between the T-Cross and the T-Roc in the VW line-up, with similar underpinnings to the T-Cross but a slightly longer body and a much sleeker roofline.
A relatively simple three-tier range kicks off with the £21,960 Life model, which offers 16-inch alloy wheels, front and rear parking sensors and a digital instrument display. It also comes with wireless smartphone charging, a touchscreen infotainment system and adaptive cruise control, which maintains a safe distance to the vehicle in front.
Moving up to the Style trim takes the price to at least £25,300, but you get 17-inch alloys, satellite navigation and two-zone climate control. You also benefit from silver roof rails, ambient interior lighting and a larger ‘Digital Cockpit’ display.
Finally, the R-Line comes in at £26,150 and gives you R-Line exterior styling, black roof lining and an R-Line steering wheel, as well as a selection of vehicle profiles that allow the driver to set the car up for more relaxed or sportier driving.
Three engines are available at launch, with the cheapest option being the 1-litre, 94 bhp petrol engine, complete with a five-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive. Available solely in conjunction with Life trim, it’s good for 0-62 mph in about 11 seconds and fuel economy of 51.4 mpg.
But the more powerful 1-litre, 109 bhp engine takes most of the strain. Like the 94 bhp unit, it comes with a manual gearbox as standard, but it can be specified with a seven-speed automatic. It offers slightly more performance than its less powerful sibling, with a 0-62 mph time of 10.4 seconds, but it’s marginally more economical, returning 52.3 mpg.
The final option is the 1.5-litre petrol engine, which comes with 148 bhp and a seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard. That’s only available on Style and R-Line cars, but it offers a substantial improvement in performance with only a minor reduction in economy. In its most efficient guise, it’ll return 47.9 mpg – the same as the 108 bhp 1-litre engine with the automatic gearbox.
“The Taigo is special, being the first SUV-coupé in the Volkswagen range, and it offers a diverse range of qualities recognisable from the brand’s hatchbacks and other SUVs,” said Claire Haynes, the product manager for the Taigo at Volkswagen UK. “It really does provide the best of many worlds.
“Its blend of technology, style, practicality and quality make it entirely at home within the Volkswagen SUV family, but its special status as the brand’s first SUV-coupe, and its focus on connectivity, style, and scope for personalisation, mean that it has its own unique character within the range.”
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Gallery: 2022 Volkswagen Taigo