Volkswagen Taigo

Volkswagen's SUV portfolio has been expanded with its newest member, a Polo-sized crossover known as the Taigo, which is basically Volkswagen's first coupe crossover for those who can't truly afford a Porsche Cayenne Coupe, whatever the reason. So, what's it all about Volkswagen's first coupe crossover?

Priced at 19,350 Euros plus additional costs, the first-ever Volkswagen Taigo is proof that crossovers won't stop growing and it's basically a T-Roc in a Brazilian costume, which explains a lot because the Taigo first debuted in Brazil as the Nivus. Thankfully, Volkswagen decided to sell the Nivus in Europe as the Taigo but with some major changes to comply with EU regulations.

Starting with the design, the Taigo is basically a T-Roc with a sloping roofline and a side view that looks nearly similar to the Ford Edge. Although it is longer than the T-Roc, it's less wide and smaller than most of its Polo-sized relatives. Not much to complain about this coupe crossover, of course.

Like most Volkswagens of today, the Taigo features a minimalist interior only Gen Z youth can understand. Of course, you can still expect the buttonless touch screen that does everything from maps to music, smartphone connectivity, high-tech instrumental panel, and other forms of gadgetry involved, but if the spacing is a concern, despite the sloping roofline, it's still as roomier as the T-Cross and spacious as well, although less roomy than its T-Roc relative, but still good enough for all walks of life. Kudos to Volkswagen.

Under the bonnet, the Taigo offers a choice of two TSi engines such as the fuel-efficient and compact 1.0L engine and the powerful 1.5L that is mated exclusively with the DSG gearbox. The latter produces 150PS of power, 250Nm of torque, a 0-100kphntime of 8.3 seconds, and 212kph of top speed. You can really kiss those Japanese cars goodbye with that one. What about dynamics? Nothing important, really. It behaves just like the Polo and because it's front-wheel-drive only, it feels like it only works on normal roads and some dirt if you're heading to the province to meet your relatives for lunch. Not very exciting as such but it's not half bad to drive and because of its Polo-sized dimensions, it feels almost so easy to live with.

For added safety, the Taigo features a host of safety features such as the IQ.DRIVE Travel Assist, Predictive ACC, Sude Assist plus Lane Assist and Rear Traffic Alert, Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist, City Emergency Braking System, Driver Alert System, Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, Proactive occupant protection system, Park Assist, and many others.

It's hard to describe if the Taigo is a good or bad crossover to drive but either way, it feels like it's above average and there's nothing special driving a coupe-crossover equivalent of the T-Roc. What's your take? You'll have to try it first.

Photo: Volkswagen AG