Volkswagen Taigo SUV - Engines, drive & performance
The Taigo is decent to drive and is quicker than some rivals
The Volkswagen Taigo sits on the same ‘MQB A0’ platform as the T-Roc and T-Cross, so the parts and engines are shared between the three cars. If you’ve driven either of those two cars and were happy with them, it’s likely that you’ll find the Taigo acceptable too.
The car’s light weight not only helps with fuel efficiency but with agility too. Turn the wheel and the Taigo is quick to change direction, so it’s quite fun to drive on a twisty back road. Don’t think the Taigo is any kind of sports car, however, because its lofty ride height means it leans quite a bit through bends. Regardless, the Taigo’s steering feels suitably weighted at higher speeds, yet remains light enough to make town driving easy.
We found the Taigo comfortable around town and at motorway speeds, although it can get upset by less-than-perfect road surfaces, feeling fidgety and unsettled.
Volkwagen Taigo petrol engines
Three petrol engines are available to Taigo buyers. The range starts with the same 94bhp 1.0-litre engine shared with the base versions of the VW Polo and T-Cross, and is only offered on the cheapest trim level. Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, this engine is likely to feel a little slow, taking around 11 seconds to accelerate from 0-62mph. However, it should be perfectly adequate if you tend to spend most of your time around town or aren’t bothered about outright performance.
The 1.0-litre engine is also available with 108bhp. This more powerful version offers slightly quicker acceleration, taking 10.4 seconds, and the inclusion of a six-speed manual gearbox makes it more refined at motorway speeds than the 94bhp version. Alternatively, you can pick a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox with this engine - although this costs around £2,000 more to buy than the manual.
Topping the range is a 1.5-litre engine, exclusively paired with the automatic gearbox. With 148bhp, it’s noticeably quicker; 0-62mph takes 8.3 seconds. The power comes in smoothly but the gearbox could be slicker. At times it’s slow to change down when you ask for more acceleration, while the 1.5-litre engine can sound harsh at high revs.
