Skip advert
Advertisement

VW Taigun revealed

Volkswagen has unveiled a chunky, five-door Taigun concept at the Sao Paulo Motor Show in Brazil

Volkswagen has stolen the headlines at the Sao Paulo Motor Show in Brazil, with a new small SUV concept based on the up!. Called the Taigun (an anagram of Tiguan, which sits above it in the range), it’s a car that VW thinks has huge potential in the booming South American market, but the production version will be sold around the world – including in the UK.

Advertisement - Article continues below

“If I make a concept, my aim is always to put it into production - it’s not just a dream,” Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, head of product development at VW, told us.

Built on a slightly stretched version of the ‘New Small Family’ platform, the Taigun is 319mm longer, 83mm wider and 81mm taller than the up!, and has a 50mm longer wheelbase.

It also features a more powerful version of the up!’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, already seen in the up! GT Concept. Turbocharged and with direct-injection, it produces 109bhp and 175Nm of torque and returns fuel economy of 60.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 110g/km.

Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and, with a kerbweight of just 985kg – 40kg more than the entry-level up! – performance is impressive for a car of this size. The 0-62mph sprint takes 9.2 seconds and the top speed is 116mph. “There will be no four-wheel-drive version; this is a city car designed for urban driving,” Hackenberg revealed.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Look closely at the bodywork, painted in ‘Seaside Blue’, and there are clear nods towards the up!’s design. The shoulder line that kicks up above the rear wheel arch is a feature from the up! three-door (although the Taigun uses a five-door layout), with the rear handle hidden in the C-pillar. A wider track, boxy wheel arches, roof rails with LED spotlights and metal scuff plates give it a proper off-road look, despite the compact dimensions.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The front end is reminiscent of the current Tiguan and Touareg, with the grille and headlights creating a horizontal bar across the front of the car. Here though the designers have taken it a step further with the horizontal bars actually cutting into the clusters. At the rear, square taillights are echoed by twin exhausts, while there’s a Range Rover-style split tailgate, plus the rear window can be opened independently.

On the inside there’s space for five passengers and a 280-litre boot, which grows to 987 litres with the rear bench folded – that’s just a few litres larger than the Polo. Trimmed in blue cloth to match the paint, the interior has a number of innovative features – such as digital temperature selectors built into the air vents, a grab handle for the front passenger and a trio of dials – including a turbo boost pressure gauge – on top of the dash. Rather than clipping into a cradle, the up!’s standard infotainment system has been integrated into the dashboard.

“We have to wait and see what the reaction to the concept is, but if it’s positive it would take two to two and half years to put into production,” Hackenberg explained. When it does make it to showrooms, expect prices to start from around £12,000.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best new cars coming in 2024
Best new cars coming in 2024 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best new cars coming in 2024

There are some big new models from the likes of BMW, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, MINI, Skoda and more on the way in 2024
12 Mar 2024
New Volkswagen Tayron spotted as seven-seat alternative to the Tiguan
Volkswagen Tayron (camouflaged) - front action
News

New Volkswagen Tayron spotted as seven-seat alternative to the Tiguan

Volkswagen had initially sold the Tayron exclusively in China but it’ll come to Europe later this year
22 Feb 2024
Volkswagen ChatGPT to gain ‘level 2’ software update later this year
Steve Fowler in the Volkswagen Golf facelift at CES
News

Volkswagen ChatGPT to gain ‘level 2’ software update later this year

A ‘two-way conversation’ will soon be possible with your new Volkswagen
21 Feb 2024
Match of the day! Volkswagen Match trim returns in range-wide value boost
Volkswagen ID.7 Pro Match - front tracking
News

Match of the day! Volkswagen Match trim returns in range-wide value boost

Match specification is now available on 10 models in the VW line-up, including the new Tiguan and ID.7 flagship EV
30 Jan 2024

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars can expect to be paying roughly £10 more per year, a although the biggest gas guzzlers will fare the worst
26 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years
Upcoming Audi models - four-way image
News

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years

After a quiet few years, the German giant is gearing up for its biggest product onslaught to date
25 Mar 2024