The first new variant to be spun off Volkswagen’s New Small Family platform, which underpins the Volkswagen Up city car, is expected to be the Taigun compact SUV.
The Taigun, which was first seen at the 2012 Sao Paulo show, is just 3.86m long but has a 2.47m wheelbase.
Rob Hazelwood, managing director of VW UK, told Autocar that “there is a very clear trend” towards people getting out of saloon cars and into SUVs and crossovers.
“We are looking at ways we can capitalise on that,” he said. “VW has been traditional in the past and has looked towards the mainstream, but there has been a lot of work in this direction. There’s still a lot of debate around the [Taigun] concept because it wouldn’t be traditional, but it is clear that there is a market for it.”
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sehr langsam
Oh Lord, please no. I seem to be forever stuck in a queue behind a slow moving (38mph-ish) Up!, these last three months. I suppose it's what you get if you put a tiny engine into such an uncomfortably boxy, un-aerodynamic style. Unfortunately, a Mock-over version will probably have even worse aerodynamics. Perhaps I can look forward to even further improved fuel economy as the queues slow further...
Why bother with the up!
This begs the question, why did VW bother with the Up in the first place? That role could have been fulfilled by just one model, say the Skoda Citigo - and SEAT could have produced something a little more exciting, say a modern version of the Smart Roadster for which I beleive there may now be a market.
To have three small car models all doing the same thing, but each with their own sales and marketing costs is counterproductive and confusing for the customer.