Automotive

Volkswagen unveils Taigun compact SUV concept in Brazil

Volkswagen unveils Taigun compact SUV concept in Brazil
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept is likely to go into production if the public responds favorably to the design
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept is likely to go into production if the public responds favorably to the design
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept's inetrior
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept's inetrior
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept's interior
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept's interior
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept front view
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept front view
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept front angle view
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept front angle view
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept side view
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept side view
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept is likely to go into production if the public responds favorably to the design
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept is likely to go into production if the public responds favorably to the design
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept rear angle view
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept rear angle view
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept cutaway view
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The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept cutaway view
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Volkswagen has taken the wraps off its latest concept vehicle at the São Paulo International Motor Show in Brazil. Built around the Volkswagen Group’s New Small Family (NSF) platform used on the Volkswagen up!, the Taigun is a compact SUV concept vehicle styled after its bigger brothers, the Tiguan and Touareg. VW plans to gauge public reaction to the Taigun before making a decision on whether to put the vehicle into production.

The four-seat Taigun is powered by a new 1.0-liter, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 108 hp (110 PS/81 kW) at 5,000 rpm with 175 Nm (129 lbs ft) of torque developed through a six-speed manual gearbox. Based on the latest EA211 series, the engine features direct fuel injection and turbocharging to return a combined fuel consumption figure of 4.7 liters per 100 km (60.1 mpg), while taking the 985 kg (2,171.5 lb) vehicle from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.2 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 186 km/h (115 mph).

The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept cutaway view
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept cutaway view

Despite compact exterior measurements of 3.86 m (12.66 ft) long and 1.73 m (5.67 ft) wide, VW says the Taigun’s 2.47 m (8.1 ft) wheelbase contributes to a deceptively roomy interior that includes 1,036 mm (40.78 in) of headroom in the front and 980 mm (38.58 in) in the rear. There’s also a 280-liter (73.9 US gal) loadspace in the rear that increases to 987 liters (260.7 US gal) when the rear seats are folded down.

VW says the Taigun features 17-inch alloys with short overhangs (708 mm (27.9 in) at the front and 681 mm (26.8 in) at the rear) and plenty of ground clearance along with a metal underbody protection panel to deal with "rough surfaces," but is designed for urban environments, with a high driving position to provide good vision in traffic. And although VW's press release suggests the vehicle can be taken off road, the NSF platform on which it is based currently only supports front-wheel drive vehicles.

The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept's inetrior
The Volkswagen Taigun compact SUV concept's inetrior

The company says it has also kept the interior controls to a minimum, as evidenced by front air nozzles that not only control the direction of air flow, but include dials to control blower speed and temperature, with the settings displayed on the nozzle itself. The central infotainment system, which can be paired with a smartphone, is positioned below the auxiliary instrument gauges displaying oil pressure, coolant temperature and turbo charge pressure.

Source: Volkswagen

View gallery - 9 images
2 comments
2 comments
Bill Bennett
Every Touareg I have drivin has left me with the thought sweet engine horrible chassis,3.2,4.2,5.0 Touareg same chassis, Horrible car outside mirrors that block traffic view from a technician point of view, horrible to work on, a thermostat takes 12 hours to replace on the 3.2, absurd would be polite, the cost of when the prop shaft fails, notice I did not use the word if.
Niq Carter-Rowe
Hmm, I think Bill Bennett is possibly doing this new vehicle a dis-service. It says it's mechanicals are based on things like the "Up!" and it's series, which is sort of the next generation of the Lupo (i.e. dinky & this is only a foot longer) [I can't speak for the Up, but the Lupo is like a Golf that's been on a hot wash] The article merely says that it is "styled" like the Touareg, that is "it looks a bit like it", not that the bit's underneath are based on anything Touareg-y.