These days cars seem to be improving—the constant refinement of ride quality, ingenuity, technology, and all the other added enhancements in appearance. The Volkswagen Taigo brings all of those elements in great measure, depending on the extras you opt for.
When you look at the car, it’s a big boy Polo. Fatter in size and raised at a higher stance. It’s an attractive design. It’s more like a T-Roc except almost like a coupé edition which means less boot space; it’s about 440L. The VW Taigo is priced significantly less than the VW T-Roc at R444 900,00 whereas you’ll be paying about R563 800,00 for the entry-level T-Roc. One wonders if this would mark the end of the T-Roc since they’re pretty much the same, though beauty is skin deep, and each has their own beautiful spot.
When you put the pedal to the metal, the power feels instantaneous and perfectly well-balanced. It moves with gentle ease. The engine of the Taigo is powered by a 1.0L 3 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which gives you a decent power output of 85kw. It may sound minuscule compared to the 2.0L engine of the VW T-Roc, but the turbo makes up for it and gives it great power.
Once the car is kicked into gear and is in motion, the power is sent straight to the front wheels. The gearbox in the Taigo has a 7-Speed DSG automatic transmission and works very well; it moves effortlessly and changes smoothly. All Taigo models come standard with the 7-Speed DSG auto transmission.
Volkswagen’s local SUV enthusiasts can look forward to three variants to choose from, namely the top-spec Taigo R-Line, and the entry 1.0L TSI Life which we are testing at the current moment, or you can opt for the 1.0L Style with a whole lot of added extras. However, if you want something more sporty looking, you can get the R-Line Taigo which looks more aggressive. Be nice is the mantra of my peacekeeping mom so in that spirit we invoke the inner R with a bit of respite and peace.
We tested the R-Line Taigo version a couple of months ago; we only had it for a day until an unpleasant situation. My dad had taken me to Carltonville in the R-Line version to collect my license. It was about an hour outside of Joburg. On the way back from the tireless drive, we didn’t get the license as the DLTC were offline. We were hungry and wanted to get home for mom’s specials – but she had an off-day. On the way back, we got hit on the right-hand side by a motorist who had not been concentrating and seemed distracted. My dad experienced a slight case of whiplash from the collision, but thankfully we made it out safely, and the car was still intact and only had an enormous scrape on the side.
The motorist was safe as well and a little shaky from the experience. But the Taigo was a little rough around the edges and still able to take us to the police station and for a chicken meal at our beloved Baron where roast never tasted the same.
Thank God for life and the mercies we take for granted. At the weekend in the latest version of the Taigo Life, there was no such drama as my folks headed to Ballito on the North Coast, an effortless drive in a stunning vehicle, yet the trip somehow lacked spark they tell me, because I wasn’t there. Oh Taigo! I missed you!
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