Volkswagen reveals new compact SUV based on the up! city car

The Taigun, (a possible anagram for Tiguan) was recently shown at the ongoing Sao Paulo Motor Show in Brazil. The Taigun previews a small SUV and is based on the New Small Family platform which underpins the well-received and award winning up! city car. Just like the up!, the Taigun is small on the outside - 3,860mm long and 1,730mm wide. Yet the compact dimensions do not hinder room for its occupants courtesy of a generous 2,470mm wheelbase.

Powering the Taigun is a turbocharged minuscule 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine producing 108bhp and 175Nm of torque through a six-speed manual gearbox. Thanks to new engineering methods and improved technologies, the Taigun returns a combined fuel consumption of just 4.7L/100km. All that power can propel the 985kg Taigun to 100km/h in a decent 9.2 seconds for a 186km/h top speed.

The styling of the Taigun is in line with the current Volkswagen family especially its SUV siblings, the Tiguan and Touareg, though from certain angles it's pretty reminiscent of the Cross Coupe TDI Concept.

While the vehicle looks high and wide, the Taigun is pretty much an urban SUV, or lifestyle vehicle - sounds familiar? The high driving position gives the driver an optimum view in traffic, while the large boot space ensures plenty of room for luggage. A split tailgate makes loading/unloading tasks easier. On the inside, the Taigun is simple with minimum controls. For example, the front air nozzles controls the speed and temperature of the air flow besides the usual direction.

Production of the Taigun will be based on public reaction to the concept. From our initial impressions, if it is competitively priced it might click with the youth and young adults given the trendy young image the mini SUV portrays.