An all-new model, this coupe-SUV is the smallest in the segment, and could be the most affordable German coupe-SUV for Singapore

Wolfsburg, Germany – New, funky coupe-SUV or revival of a 90s health fad?

Volkswagen announced today its very first coupe-styled SUV, the Taigo.

A small SUV around the same length as the Volkswagen Golf, the Taigo is in the same class as VW’s first small SUV, the T-Cross, which debuted in Singapore earlier this year.

The car could put an interesting spin on coupe-SUVs should it come to Singapore – it will be one of the least expensive German coupe-SUVs around.*

Volkswagen Singapore has not made any official mention on when/if the car will come here, but given the rabid popularity of the segment, we think it’s only a matter of time and right-hand drive availability, though the fact that Singapore still doesn’t have the T-Roc SUV does cast some doubt.

Dimensions

Besides the pricing, its style also looks to ensure it stands out in a crowd. 

As expected of a coupe-SUV, it’s slightly longer and lower (but no wider) than the T-Cross. It measures 4,266mm long, 1,757mm wide, and 1,494mm tall – compare that to the T-Cross at 4,235mm by 1,768mm, by 1,584mm, respectively. Like the T-Cross, the car is based on the same MQB A0 platform as the Volkswagen Polo.

What’s the Taigo like to drive? We don’t know yet, but would be very surprised if it was radically different from the VW T-Cross

Interestingly, the Taigo may have a tiny edge in legroom, since its wheelbase is 2,566mm, compared to 2,553mm of the T-Cross. As you can read in our full test drive review of the T-Cross, the headroom is good but it being a small SUV, legroom is not particularly generous. It has the same adjustable second-row, with cargo space of 438-litres, a tad less than the T-Cross’ 455-litres.  

Styling 

The biggest difference is the height, with the Taigo being 90mm shorter. The side view immediately  shows you why: There’s the classic coupe-SUV silhouette, with smaller windows, a sloped C-pillar and roofline, offset by the car’s big fenders, and a stance taller than that of a hatchback’s. 

The front end is a slight departure from the T-Cross’, bearing the new ‘VW Face’ as seen on the Mark 8 Golf, but it loses the square fog-lights found on the T-Cross, for an uninterrupted lower grille section.

The most dramatic change is a new LED light bar which spans the front, and connects the two headlights. The rear, likewise, has a similar looking light signature and a lightbar which joins the taillight clusters. It’s car design 2020 101: If you can’t make the car wider in real life, make it look wider with a lightbar.

The front lightbar may not be standard issue, though: It’s paired with VW’s new Iq.Light matrix LED headlamps found in higher trim versions in Europe – that’s why the regular Golf 1.5 doesn’t have it, but the GTI does, for instance. 

Interior and Drivetrain

On the European market, the car is offered with two versions of a 1.0-litre turbo triple (95hp, 110hp) and one version of a 1.5-litre turbo inline with 150hp. Given the T-Cross’ market debut, we can expect the 110hp version to come to Singapore.

VW hasn’t unveiled performance data yet, but we would be surprised if it differs greatly from the T-Cross. For reference, the 115hp T-Cross 1.0 does 0-100km/h in 10.2 seconds, with an efficiency of 5.2L/100km.

Again like the T-Cross, the Taigo has the latest MIB 3 infotainment system paired with a regular gearshifter – not shift-by-wire like on the Golf and Audi A3, which use the MQB Evo platform.

The cars shown here are the higher-spec European trims, the Style (Green) and R-Line (red), so they have a digital cockpit display (10.25-inch) and the largest infotainment touchscreen available, the Discover Pro at 9.2-inches. Lesser options include 8.0-inch Discover Media or Ready2Discover, or 6.5-inch Composition (MIB2). Below the infotainment is a new option – a digitalised touch-button climate control system.

The Taigo is also ready for active safety systems, what VW now terms ‘Iq.Drive’, including driving assist on highways (‘Travel Assist’) at speeds from 30 to 210km/h, adaptive cruise, forward collision warning/avoidance and more.

As always the final spec for Singapore may differ. Based on the T-Cross, our guess is that a top-spec R-Line would make most sense, with possibly a mid-spec Style variant. A super-budget model is unlikely, since most buyers would just go straight for the similarly-sized Skoda, the Kamiq. But given Skoda doesn’t have a coupe-SUV yet, it could mean more options for Taigos here if/when it arrives. 

*Coupe styled SUVs are not uncommon – strong mainstream best-sellers like the Toyota Yaris Cross and Honda HR-V can be termed coupe-SUVs, and the Taigo would probably not be less expensive than those cars.

But it’s been the luxury German practice to offer a coupe-styled version of an existing SUV – see BMW X3/X4, X5/X6, Mercedes-Benz GLC/GLC Coupe, Audi Q3/Q3 Sportback, Q5/Q5 Sportback and so on. In that sense, and since Opel has no coupe-SUVs, the Taigo could be the least expensive German coupe-SUV here.

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