Volkswagen has stolen the headlines at the Sao Paulo motor show in Brazil, with a new little SUV idea based on the up!. Called the Taigun (an anagram of Tiguan, which sits above it in the range), it’s a cars and truck that VW believes has significant prospective in the flourishing South American market, however the production version will be offered around the world – including in the UK.
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“If I make a concept, my objective is always to put it into production – it’s not just a dream,” Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, head of product advancement at VW, told us.
Built on a somewhat stretched version of the ‘New little Family’ platform, the Taigun is 319mm longer, 83mm wider as well as 81mm taller than the up!, as well as has a 50mm longer wheelbase.
It likewise features a much more powerful version of the up!’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, already seen in the up! GT Concept. Turbocharged as well as with direct-injection, it creates 109bhp as well as 175Nm of torque as well as returns fuel economic climate of 60.1mpg with CO2 emissions of 110g/km.
Power is sent to the front wheels with a six-speed handbook gearbox and, with a kerbweight of just 985kg – 40kg much more than the entry-level up! – performance is outstanding for a cars and truck of this size. The 0-62mph sprint takes 9.2 seconds as well as the top speed is 116mph. “There will be no four-wheel-drive version; this is a city cars and truck developed for metropolitan driving,” Hackenberg revealed.