We didn't misspell Tiguan. Meet Volkswagen's mini SUV, born to knock-out the Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster. It has just premiered at the Sao Paulo Motor Show today.
The VW Taigun makes its world premiere in Brazil, and is perhaps a Volkswagen Golf, in emerging markets, speaking from the perspective of volumes and significance.
On the sidelines of the Sao Paulo Motor Show, Volkswagen Sales Chief Christian Klingler said "A small SUV would have promising market potential for example in India, South America, Mexico and partly in China."
The exterior look of the Taigun Concept follows Volkswagen's design DNA, familiar to folks who can recognize the Touareg and Tiguan.
If the Taigun heads to production with the same dimensions, it'll qualify as a small car in India and can avail tariff cuts. Sporting tight overhangs, it is 3,859 mm long, 1,728 mm wide and 1,570 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,470 mm.
The Taigun is a four-seater powered by a 1.0-litre TSI engine that produces 110 PS and 175 Nm. Weighing just 985 kg, it can speed all the way up to 186 km/h and accelerates to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds, while delivering a combined fuel consumption figure of 22.2 kpl.
The Taigun sits on 17-inch alloy wheels, with a 205/50 R17 tire rating. The cabin designed with a 280 litre bootspace which expands to 987 liters when the seats are folded down.
Based on the underpinning of the VW Up!, a model that's undergoing rigorous testing in Pune, VW's board member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg has opined about this future model to the Brazilian publication recently.
"The Brazilian market is very important for the group, so we decided to make a release, a concept made on the New Small Family platform," Hackenberg said.
Auto Esporte expects VW to launch the Up! hatchback in 2014. There are changes being made to the car to acclimatize it with Brazilian fuel options as well as re-engineer it with local knowledge to drop it into the nucleus of this booming segment in emerging countries.
Volkswagen understands that countries such as India and China are about to be machine-gunned with crossovers in the B and C Segments over the next five years. This has led to the conceptualization of the Taigun.
Volkswagen India must be licking their lips!
Brazilian auto publication Auto Esporte ran these photographs, hours ahead of its official reveal, that put it in different environments.
[Source - Revistaautoesporte.globo.com]
