New Volkswagen Taigo arrives priced from £21,960

Volkswagen’s new Taigo has gone on sale in the UK, priced from £21,960.

Arriving as the firm’s first coupe-styled SUV, the Taigo is based on the same MQB A0 platform as that underpinning the Polo and rolls off the same production line in Pamplona, Spain, too.

Billed as Volkswagen’s entry-level SUV – despite being slightly larger than the smaller T-Cross model – the Taigo gives the high seating position associated with a four-wheel-drive but in a more compact body.

All cars come with LED headlights as standard as well as an eight-inch digital cockpit setup and a multifunction steering wheel.

Entry-level Life models gain a host of safety assistance systems as standard, including lane change assist, adaptive cruise control and park assist with front and rear sensors. Black, 16-inch alloy wheels are included too, as are black-finished roof rails.

Priced from £25,300, Style trim adds high-performance IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, as well as a full-width LED bar across the car’s nose. Larger 17-inch alloy wheels are included too.

Move up to R-Line and 17-inch wheels are added alongside bespoke bumpers and R-Line badging for the floor mats and multifunction steering wheel. This grade also includes two-zone climate control and a 10.25-inch digital cockpit pro system alongside an eight-inch central display. Prices for the R-Line start from £26,150.

Four engine and gearbox configurations are available with the Taigo, depending on specification. The entry-level Taigo Life, for instance, can be fitted out with a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 94bhp and a five-speed manual gearbox, or 108bhp with either a six-speed manual or DSG automatic gearbox.

A more powerful 1.5-litre unit with 148bhp and a DSG gearbox is available on Style and R-Line cars, too. The 1.0-litre unit with 108bhp is the most efficient of the lot, bringing 52.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 124g/km.