In this article:
Who is the VW Taigo a good car for?
What is the VW Taigo like to drive?
Is the Volkswagen Taigo a good car?
The Volkswagen Taigo is a good car, as long as you keep in mind that you pay for a lot of features that are usually standard in many of its non-Germanic opponents.
Who is the Volkswagen Taigo a good car for?
The Taigo is a good car for fashionable folk who want a good-looking, quality product that isn't too big and can go off-road too. It is more of a crossover than an SUV.
The Taigo is powered by the brand's 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged engine which is mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The engine produces 85kW and 200Nm of torque, with an average (claimed) fuel consumption figure of 5.4 l/100km, a 0-100km/h sprint time of 11.3 seconds, and a top speed of 200km/h.
Is the Volkswagen Taigo a good first car?
It's a good first car, but it's out of the price range of most first-time car buyers. Young drivers should rather look into a pre-loved Volkswagen Up!, a Polo Vivo or a used Polo.
Is the Volkswagen Taigo a good family car?
Small families will love the versatile Taigo, especially its spacious boot, and its safety features that meet stringent European standards.
The Taigo, at 4266 mm, is slightly longer than the T-Cross, and its boot is rated at 440 litres vs. the T-Cross's 377 litres. The coupe roofline doesn't really eat into rear cabin space, and there's sufficient legroom on the rear seat for people of average height, but there's more legroom on offer in the T-Cross because of the smaller boot.
Is there a Volkswagen Taigo hybrid model?
Not for the local market, at present.
View the latest VW Taigo models for sale in South Africa>
What’s it like to drive?
Reviewer's opinion
Out on the road, the Taigo provides familiar Volkswagen fare, with a reasonably composed ride quality, and a respectable level of refinement if you can get past the thrum of that three-cylinder engine up front. The DSG gearbox works beautifully when the car is already in motion, providing slick shifts and intuitive gear changes, but at low speed, the transmission can feel lumpy as first gear engages.
The Taigo tips the scales at just over 1 180kg, and it is around 100kg heavier than a Polo but lighter than a T-Cross. So - with two occupants on board, the powertrain feels sufficient, but you may find yourself wanting more when fully loaded. Overall, the Taigo is likely to be a very agreeable companion across a variety of daily driving condition.
- Sean Nurse, AutoTrader
Read his full VW Taigo driving impression here.
What does it look like?
The new Taigo is positioned between the T-Cross and the T-Roc in Volkswagen’s T-SUV model range, but looks rounded and coupe-like (like the T-Roc) instead of square and boxy like the T-Cross.
What is the Volkswagen Taigo like inside?
The Taigo's interior is ever-so-slightly more modern and funky compared to the T-Cross's more traditional Polo-inspired design, and features soft-touch surfaces than both the T-Roc and T-Cross.
Tech features
Standard features of the Taigo Life 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® include LED headlights and LED tail lights, a Digital Cockpit, 6.5-inch Composition Colour infotainment system, App-Connect, We Connect Go, front centre armrest with a USB-C interface, multi-function leather steering wheel, electric foldable exterior mirrors with heating function and 16-inch Belmopan alloy wheels. Exterior highlights include an individualised front section with a chrome-look crossbar, projection light from the exterior mirrors and black roof rails.
In addition to the standard features in the Life derivative, the Taigo Style 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® also comes standard with IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights, ambient lighting, 17-inch Aberdeen alloy wheels, Park Distance Control in the front and rear, Dynamic Light Assist, 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro, Active Info Display and an 8-inch Composition Media infotainment system. The Style is differentiated from the rest of the range by the rear bumper which has a chrome strip, a silver diffuser and silver anodised roof rails.
In addition to the standard features in the Style, the Taigo R-Line comes standard with a black headliner, stainless steel pedals, privacy glass for rear side windows and rear windows as well as 17-inch Valencia alloy wheels. The top-of-the-range Taigo’s bumpers are distinguished by their striking R-Line design. In the front bumper, the high-gloss black cross and longitudinal bars of the air intakes convey a unique and charismatic sense of dynamism.
- Volkswagen SA
Price and specs
Which is the cheapest Volkswagen Taigo?
The most affordable model in the line-up at present is the Taigo Life 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® at R429 900 (without options).
Search the latest Volkswagen Taigo deals in South Africa >
How much does it cost?
Taigo pricing is as follows:
Taigo Life 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® - R429 900
Taigo Style 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® - R464 100
Taigo R-Line 1.0 TSI 85kW DSG® - R486 000
Pricing includes a three-year/120 000 km warranty and a three-year/45 000km service plan (the service plan optionally extendable to 10 years/300 000km).
*Pricing correct at time of publishing and subject to change without notice.
Competitors
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