Design and Build

Think 'fastback T-Cross' here and you'll not be too far out. Like the T-Cross, the Taigo is based on the Polo supermini's MQB-A0 platform, but unlike the T-Cross, it gets a sportier swept-back rear end, finished by a full-width light bar. Sharp creases down the flanks, contrasting wheel arch trims, an extended rear overhang, smart LED headlamps and a deep front bumper complete the more dynamic effect. Dimensionally, the Taigo conforms to the segment norm, its 4,266mm length, 1,494mm height and 1,757mm width being comparable to the strong-selling Nissan Juke. Inside, there is of course lots carried over from both the T-Cross and the Polo, which means this car gets the brand's latest MIB 3 entertainment software for its 8.0-inch central screen - upgradeable to 9.2-inches in size further up the range. Plus there's a completely digital instrument gauge cluster, which will be either 8.0-inches or 10.25-inches in size, depending on the spec you choose. Rear seat headroom is slightly less than you'd get in a T-Cross because of the sloping roof, but you'd have to be quite tall to notice it. And a couple of averagely-sized adults should be fine. Out back, there's a 438-litre boot - that's 17-litres less than you'd get in a T-Cross.

Market and Model

Prices start at around £27,000 (that's for base 'Life' and 'Match' variants) with plusher 'Style' and 'R Line' variants requiring a £30,000 budget. Even 'Life'-spec gets quite a lot, with 16-inch 'Everett' Black alloy wheels, front fog lights, LED headlights and black-finished roof rails. Comfort and convenience features include logo projection lighting from the car's door mirrors, a multifunction camera, lumbar support for the front seats, electrically-folding heated door mirrors and a multifunction steering wheel. There's also an 8.0-inch instrument screen and a central infotainment monitor of the same size. Standard safety kit includes Lane Change Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and Park Assist with front and rear parking sensors. Move up to 'Style' trim and you get Volkswagen's 'intelligent' 'IQ.Light' LED matrix headlights. These feature individually controlled modules that are able to automatically switch modes to suit a variety of driving situations. The Taigo 'Style' also features 17-inch 'Aberdeen' alloy wheels, as well as Dynamic Light Assist for the IQ.Light headlights as standard. Plus a 10.25-inch 'Digital Cockpit Pro' dashboard display and an 8.0-inch 'Discover Navigation' infotainment system. Sportier 'R-Line' trim gets you 17-inch 'Valencia' alloy wheels and R-Line exterior styling with bespoke bumpers. On the inside, more 'R-Line' styling cues are present, with a black roof-lining, 'R-Line' badging on the floor mats and an 'R-Line' specific multifunction steering wheel, plus luxuries such as ambient lighting and 2-zone Climatronic climate control.

Cost of Ownership

As you'd expect, this Volkswagen delivers a frugal set of running cost returns. In base 1.0 TSI 95PS manual form, you're looking at 51.4mpg on the combined cycle and 124g/km of CO2; it's 52.3mpg and 124g/km for the 1.0 TSI 110PS manual model; and 47.9mpg and 134g/km for the 1.0 TSI 110PS DSG auto variant. For the four cylinder 1.5 TSI 150PS DSG auto version, it's 47.9mpg and 138g/km. There's no diesel option - and both mild hybrid and Plug-in hybrid tech is missing too. And warranties? Well the standard package is three years and 60,000 miles. We can't see why Volkswagen couldn't extend that mileage limit to 100,000 miles, since that what you get on its mechanically very similar Caddy model. Doing that though, wouldn't give Volkswagen dealers so much of an opportunity to sell extended warranty packages. There's one for four years and 75,000 miles or, if you plan to see a bit more of the world in your Taigo, there's a five year / 90,000 mile package. Whatever your decision, your car will come with three years of pan-European Roadside Assistance that has no mileage restriction. The paintwork warranty lasts for three years and, as you'd expect, this little SUV is protected by a 12-year anti-corrosion package.

Summary

You wouldn't have thought there was room for yet another small SUV in Volkswagen's range, but the Wolfsburg brand has found space for the Taigo anyway. It's difficult not to think that it will merely sell to folk who would otherwise have bought T-Roc or an upper-spec T-Cross; that's one perspective. The other is that the T-Cross looks a little frumpy compared to some avant-garde rivals like Nissan's Juke and Ford's Puma. Which has meant to date that some people not prepared to move up to the slightly larger T-Roc have been dismissing the Volkswagen brand in the small SUV segment. The Taigo will put this issue right. Perhaps too effectively. After all, it's certainly difficult to see why you'd choose a mid-to-high-spec T-Cross when you could have this trendier Taigo instead for only slightly more. But that assumes you're wedded to the idea of having a Volkswagen in this segment. Many browsing customers of course won't be; they simply want a stylish, well-equipped quality option when it comes to a car of this kind. With this model in the range, the Wolfsburg maker thinks it's better able to offer that. They could well be right.