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Volkswagen Taigo review

2022 onwards (change model)
Parkers overall rating: 3.9 out of 53.9
” Stylish coupe-SUV is sensible but not scintillating “

At a glance

Price new £24,520 - £32,825
Used prices £13,106 - £25,030
Road tax cost £190
Insurance group 13 - 24
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Fuel economy 46.3 - 52.3 mpg
Miles per pound 6.8 - 7.7
View full specs for a specific version

Available fuel types

Petrol

Pros & cons

PROS
  • Excellent engines shared with T-Cross
  • Comfortable ride
  • Spacious rear seats
CONS
  • Slightly smaller boot than T-Cross
  • Frustrating touch-sensitive controls
  • No more exciting to drive

Written by Steve Percy Lawman Updated: 23 October 2024

Overview

What’s a Volkswagen Taigo? Put simply, it’s a T-Cross SUV with a little more style courtesy of a coupe roofline and elongated tail.

It’s intended to appeal to style-conscious buyers who still want the elevated driving position and rugged character that a compact SUV provides, but just don’t like the boxy shape and don’t need its extended practicality.

Not that long ago the coupe-SUV was the preserve of vastly expensive premium models like the BMW X6, but more and more manufacturers are launching affordable models to give the proletariat a taste of the good life. Rivals include the Citroen C4, Renault Arkana, Kia XCeed and Toyota C-HR, though other stylish SUVs that may be a little boxier – such as the Ford Puma and Mazda CX-30 – will no doubt sit on many of the same shopping lists. These are some of the best small SUVs you can buy, so the Taigo has a lot of work to do in order to keep up.

The Taigo is pure Volkswagen up front – and not very exciting – but round the back it’s slightly more interesting. In addition to the sloping roofline and steeply-raked rear window you get a full-width taillight element which does actually look quite cool, especially at night. R-Line models with their sportier body kits also add to this effect, while VW’s offering the Taigo in some bold exterior shades as well.

Despite the mildly avant-garde exterior looks the Taigo is as conventional as it gets under the skin. It’s closely-related to the T-Cross, of course, which means a compact range of petrol engines with manual or automatic gearboxes. You’ll find no hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric trickery here.

In fact, from behind the wheel you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and the T-Cross – but we suspect for many drivers that won’t be a bad thing.

If you’d like to know more about the VW Taigo, you’re in the right place – keep reading and we’ll take you through what it’s like inside and out, how practical it is, how much it’ll cost you to run and what it’s like to drive.