By Otsile Kadiege

Volkswagen South Africa has announced the local specification for the soon to be launched VW Taigo which is positioned between the T-Cross and the T-Roc in the Volkswagen T SUV model range. VW SA says the Taigo, which is manufactured in Pamplona, Spain, will retail in South Africa from June 2022.

Sporty exterior design

Volkswagen’s first SUV coupé in the A0 SUV segment is quite a looker thanks to its striking coupé silhouette, forward-sloping C-pillar and precise sharp lines on its side profile. Upfront, the new Taigo has a striking design accentuated by a black radiator grille which is flanked by standard LED headlights and LED daytime running lights (DRLs).  Volkswagen’s IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights will also be available but will be standard in the Style and R-Line only. Another sporty feature of the new Taigo is a newly developed front bumper.

Customers can choose wheel sizes from 16 to 18-inch alloy wheels. In the rear, the new Taigo also has LED taillight clusters as standard with the rear tail light unit surrounded in black. The new Taigo is available in eight exterior colours – two solid paint finishes, five metallic paint finishes and one pearl effect finish. All body colours except Deep Black Pearl can be combined with a contrasting black roof.

The Taigo is flatter and longer than the T-Cross and has a ground clearance of 137 mm. The long wheelbase of 2 566 mm is said to give all passengers a comfortable and slightly elevated seating position. As compared to the Polo and T-Cross, the distance between the axles has been increased by two and three millimetres respectively. Measuring 4 266 mm in length, 1 515 mm in height and 1 757 mm in width.

Interior design and technology

The new Taigo’s horizontal dash panel features standard Digital Cockpit in the Taigo Life or the Digital Cockpit Pro in the Taigo Style and R-Line, as well as the new generation of infotainment systems. The new Taigo is available with a choice of three different infotainment systems: Composition Colour with a 6.5-inch display (standard in the Life), Composition Media with an 8.0-inch display (standard in Style and R-Line) and the optional Discover Media with an 8.0-inch display format.

The 2-zone climatronic air conditioning (standard in the Style and R-Line) has a new, digitalised mode of operation: touch panels and sliders now perform the functions of rotary knobs and buttons. Located below the air conditioning module are two USB-C ports and, as an option, a compartment for wireless smartphone charging. The luggage compartment volume is 440 litres and offers almost as much storage space with full seating as the T-Cross with its sliding rear seat (385 to 455 litres).

Driver assistance systems

A handful of Volkswagen’s latest driver assistance system will be available in the new Taigo. These include IQ.Drive Travel Assist, Predictive ACC, Side Assist plus Lane Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist, Driver Alert System and Park Assist.

Taigo grades

Locally the new Taigo is available in Life, Style and R-Line versions. VW says features favoured by most customers such as LED headlights and Digital Cockpit are now integrated as standard in the Taigo. The entry-level Taigo Life features  LED headlights and LED tail lights, 16-inch Belmopan alloy wheels, black roof rails, Composition Colour system with 6.5-inch monitor, App-Connect, We Connect Go, a front centre armrest with a USB-C interface, multi-function leather steering wheel, electric foldable exterior mirrors with heating function.

Options include a sliding panoramic sunroof, removable trailer hitch, IQ.Light LED Matrix headlights, Keyless Entry, 17-inch Bangalore alloy wheels, Comfort Package (Rear View Camera, Keyless Entry and Park Assist) and Driver Assistance Package (Park Assist, Lane Assist and Side Assist) to list a few.

The mid-spec Taigo Style includes IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, a rear bumper which has a chrome strip and a silver diffuser, silver anodised roof rails, 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, an 8-inch Composition Media infotainment system and ambient lighting. Optional features include 18-inch Funchal alloy wheels, beats sound system, Comfort Package (Rear View Camera, Keyless Entry and Park Assist), IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist Package (Lane Assist, Forward Collision Warning including Autonomous Emergency Braking system and Adaptive Cruise Control), Driver Assistance Package (Park Assist, Lane Assist and Side Assist), Seat heater for front seats to list a few.

Sitting at the top of the Taigo range is the R-Line package. This derivative includes R-Line exterior design, IQ.Light LED matrix headlights and LED fog lights, 17-inch Valencia alloy wheels, Karoso upholstered fabric seats in ArtVelours, black headliner, stainless steel pedals, privacy glass for rear side windows and rear windows and Active Info Display. Optional features include the tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof, removable trailer hitch, Black Styling Package with black 18-inch Misano alloy wheels, Keyless Entry, 18-inch Misano alloy wheels, beats sound system, IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist Package, Comfort Package, Driver Assistance Package, Seat heater for front seats, Inductive mobile charging which includes Composition Media Plus and Discover Media.

The optional Black Style Package adds black exterior accents to the Taigo R-Line. The exterior mirror caps, radiator grille and tailpipe trim are all finished in black, while the darkened side windows and dark rear window shield the interior. The Black Style Package is rounded off with 18-inch Misano alloy wheels in black.

Powertrain and availability

The new Taigo will be available with the 1.0 TSI engine with 85kW and 200Nm. The Taigo’s three-cylinder engine is paired with the 7-speed DSG transmission. Fuel consumption is at a claimed 5.4l/100km and VW claims it takes 11.3 seconds to go from 0 to 100km/h.

Retail pricing of the Volkswagen Taigo will be announced closer to the launch date. The Taigo comes standard with a 3 year/120 000km warranty, 3 year/ 45 000km EasyDrive Service Plan and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. The service interval is 15 000km.