Volkswagen Taigo – Back to Basics

Volkswagen Taigo Life 1.0 TSI 95 hp Life – €28.590

Judging by the reactions under news items, there is absolutely no one who is in love with the coupé SUV, because there is no body shape that gets more verbal misery. Still, this type of car sells like hot cakes, albeit until recently mainly in higher segments. It took a surprisingly long time for manufacturers to dare to make the SUV with sloping roofline a bit more accessible, but now there are some relatively affordable options. That started with the Renault Arkana and is now being continued in the form of the Volkswagen Taigo. The smooth brother of the T-Cross remains well under 30 mille in basic form and is therefore cheaper than the simplest Arkana. However, that is always a hybrid with 145 hp, while at Volkswagen you are sent on the road with a one-litre with 95 hp. Anyone who can handle the five-speed manual transmission can ‘shoot’ from 0 to 100 in 11.1 seconds.

Volkswagen Taigo

The basic version is called ‘Life’ and looks pretty okay on the outside. Roof rails, some silver details in the grille and 16-inch light metal successfully compete with an all too rudimentary appearance. LED headlights are also standard, although that does not apply to the beautiful IQ Light models with continuous LED strip. The color is called ‘Ascot Gray’ and is somewhat reminiscent of primer, but fortunately that is very hip. Uni-white is also possible, but costs a nice €210 extra. Red costs €640, all other metallic colors are slightly cheaper at €510.

Simpler chairs

Volkswagen Taigo

The first impression is also quite good in the interior. We see a neat touchscreen, although it is certainly not too large at 6.5 inches. More expensive variants have an 8-inch copy, which also shines better and is more attractively integrated into the dashboard. The basic Taigo, like any other version, gets an 8-inch ‘Digital Cockpit’ instrumentation, although you should not expect too much from the functionality of this simple VW. The Life’s most striking feature is in front of the poker, where we spot a simple set of buttons for heating and ventilation. No automatic climate control, but just manual air conditioning. The Life versions (Life and Life Business) also clearly distinguish themselves from their more luxurious brothers in terms of decoration. For example, these versions have simpler front seats with a simpler fabric and without lumbar support, the mood lighting is missing and the Lifes do without chrome accents on buttons and door panels.

Adaptive cruise control is standard again, a good thing. A lane assistant keeps the Taigo within the lines as standard and a rain sensor is present, but that does not apply to parking sensors. A DAB radio is available for entertainment, although that probably does not sound fantastic with 4 speakers (2 speakers and 2 tweeters). Of course, the key still has to be in the ignition to start the car, but that is also the case with the much more expensive Audi Q3.