The Volkswagen Taigo is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) with a sloping roofline manufactured by the German automaker Volkswagen. Based on the Mk6 Polo, the Taigo is built on the Volkswagen Group MQB A0 platform.

Volkswagen Taigo/Nivus
2022 Volkswagen Taigo
Overview
ManufacturerVolkswagen
Model codeCS1[1]
Also calledVolkswagen Nivus (Latin America)
Production2020–present
AssemblySpain: Pamplona
Brazil: São Bernardo do Campo (Volkswagen do Brasil)
DesignerJosé Carlos Pavone[2]
Body and chassis
ClassSubcompact crossover SUV (B)
Body style5-door liftback
LayoutFront-engine, front-wheel-drive
PlatformVolkswagen Group MQB A0
RelatedVolkswagen Polo Mk6
Volkswagen Virtus
Volkswagen T-Cross
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission5-speed manual
6-speed manual
6-speed automatic
7-speed DSG
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,566 mm (101.0 in)
Length4,266–4,270 mm (168.0–168.1 in)
Width1,750–1,757 mm (68.9–69.2 in)
Height1,493 mm (58.8 in)

The vehicle was first released as the Volkswagen Nivus, which was unveiled in May 2020 in Brazil.[3] It has been launched in other South American markets in 2021,[4] and was released in Europe in July 2021 as the Taigo.[5][6] It is positioned alongside the T-Cross in the European market,[7] and below the T-Cross in South America.[8]

Overview

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Based on the Volkswagen Group MQB A0 platform, the Taigo/Nivus is closely related with the Mk6 Polo, sharing its side doors, windshield, roof stamping, suspension setup and most interior parts for efficiency and cost-cutting measures.[9] While its fascia is completely redesigned, Volkswagen has also raised the hood which results in a taller presence and give it a more rugged look compared to the Polo.[10] A completely new C-column stamping and the rear parts of the car allows for a larger trunk space, from 300 litres in the Polo to 415 litres.[11][12] As the result, unlike other subcompact crossovers in the market, the Taigo/Nivus has a low-roof proportion that allows it to be marketed as a "coupe crossover" alternative to the tall-proportioned T-Cross. All-wheel drive is not available in any markets, as the MQB A0 platform did not support it.

The Taigo/Nivus is the first Volkswagen model developed in Brazil that is produced and sold in the European market. While the Nivus built in Brazil will be exported to markets in Latin America, the crossover went on production in the second half of 2021 in Pamplona, Spain as the Taigo.

According to Volkswagen do Brasil, about 30 people from the Spanish team were involved in the Taigo/Nivus project and some of them visited the facilities in Brazil to learn about the development vehicle before European production begins. Volkswagen claimed Taigo/Nivus was developed without any physical prototype needed, with designers and engineers using virtual reality and augmented reality instead. As a result, project time was reduced by 10 months with significant cost savings.[13]

Taigo

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The Taigo was released for the European market on 28 July 2021, a year after the debut of the Nivus.[14] Manufactured at the Pamplona plant in Spain alongside the Polo and T-Cross, its design has largely carried over from the South American Nivus with several minor changes. An R-Line variant is available as the flagship model. VW stated that it is the "first SUV coupe to be launched in the (European) small car segment". The sleek roofline comes at the expense of boot space as the Taigo has a capacity of 438 litres, compared to 455 litres for the European T-Cross.

Available exclusively with front-wheel drive, two petrol engine options are at launch, including a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder TSI delivering 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) or 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp), and a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp). The 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) unit is paired to a standard 5-speed manual, with the 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp) engine offering a choice of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG dual clutch transmission.[15]

Nivus

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Debuted on 28 May 2020 in Brazil, the Nivus is the second vehicle by VW to occupy the segment after the T-Cross. It is built at the Anchieta plant in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil alongside the Polo and Virtus, with all three models sharing the MQB A0 platform. The Nivus is powered by a 1.0-liter TSI turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine rated at 118 PS (87 kW; 116 hp). Badged 200 TSI, the unit runs also on ethanol, in which case it makes 130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp).[3] The engine is hooked to a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive.

An export-only option is the 170 TSI, with a 95hp version of the same engine backed by a 5-speed manual transmission, available in countries such as Argentina and Uruguay where manual transmission remains more appreciated than in Brazil.

In the interior, the Nivus shared the same dashboard with the European Polo, with minimal differences, making it to look slightly different from the Latin American Polo. The infotainment system featured VW Play, which is a multimedia interface fully developed in Brazil.

The Nivus was released in Mexico in December 2021, being imported from Brazil.[16]

Powertrain

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Petrol engine
Model Displacement Series Power Torque Transmission Markets
1.0 TSI 95 999 cc I3 EA211 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) 175 N⋅m (129 lb⋅ft) 5-speed manual Europe
1.0 TSI 110 999 cc I3 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp) 200 N⋅m (148 lb⋅ft) 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG Europe
1.0 200 TSI 999 cc I3 118 PS (87 kW; 116 hp) (with petrol) 200 N⋅m (148 lb⋅ft) 6-speed automatic South America
130 PS (96 kW; 128 hp) (with ethanol)
1.5 TSI 150 1,498 cc I4 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) 250 N⋅m (184 lb⋅ft) 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG Europe

Sales

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Year Brazil Argentina Uruguay Mexico Europe[i][17] Turkey
2020 16,242[18] 1,149[19] 60[20]
2021 36,669[21] 5,459[22] 734[23] 1,688
2022 39,407[24] 4,237[25] 943[26] 3,203[27] 66,698 6,149[28]
2023 52,106[29] 3,674[30] 114[31] 5,139[32] 10,334[33]
  1. ^ Europe: 2020 EU 27 + UK + Switzerland + Norway + Iceland

Safety

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Rear disc brakes are optional in the Nivus.[34]

Latin NCAP

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The Latin American Nivus with 6 airbags, airbag switch, UN127, ESC, ISA, full SBR and optional collision avoidance system received 5 stars from Latin NCAP in 2022 under its new protocol (similar to Euro NCAP 2014).[35]

Euro NCAP

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The Taigo was tested by Euro NCAP in 2022 as a partner model to the Polo and achieved the maximum five-star safety rating.[36]

References

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  1. ^ "VW TAIGO (CS1)". Meyer Motoren. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  2. ^ "O pai do Nivus". VITOR MATSUBARA. UOL Carros. June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Mihalascu, Dan (2020-05-28). "2021 VW Nivus Debuts In South America As The Brand's Smallest Crossover Coupe". Carscoops. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  4. ^ Tavares, Nicolas. "Novo Volkswagen Nivus 2021 é revelado e chega às concessionárias no fim de junho" [New Volkswagen Nivus 2021 is revealed and arrives at dealerships at the end of June]. Motor1.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  5. ^ "New Volkswagen Taigo name confirmed for compact coupe-SUV". Auto Express. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  6. ^ "VW adds sporty crossover with Taigo". Automotive News Europe. 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  7. ^ "New 2021 Volkswagen Taigo is style-focused T-Cross sibling". Autocar. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  8. ^ "VW Nivus x T-Cross: o que uma proprietária do SUV achou do novo crossover?". Motor1.com (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  9. ^ "Volkswagen Nivus parte de R$ 85.890 e aposta no custo-benefício" [Volkswagen Nivus part of R$ 85,890 and bet on the cost-benefit]. revistaautoesporte.globo.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  10. ^ "Dá para chamar o Volkswagen Nivus de Polo SUV?" [Can you call the Volkswagen Nivus a Polo SUV?]. revistaautoesporte.globo.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  11. ^ Vidal, Marlos Ney (2020-06-10). "Confira o truque que deixou a frente do VW Nivus mais alta que a do Polo". Autos Segredos (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  12. ^ "VW Nivus vs Polo e T-Cross: as diferenças de dimensões e espaço interno" [VW Nivus vs Polo and T-Cross: differences in dimensions and internal space]. Quatro Rodas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 30 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  13. ^ Mihalascu, Dan (16 June 2020). "VW Nivus Enters Production In Brazil, Will Be Made In Spain Too From 2021". Carscoops. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  14. ^ "VW Hatched Another Crossover, The 2021 Taigo 'Baby' Coupe-SUV". Carscoops. 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  15. ^ "2022 VW Taigo Revealed As Small Crossover Aspiring To Be A Coupe". Motor1.com. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
  16. ^ "El Volkswagen Nivus ya tiene precio en México: El segundo B-SUV de VW apuesta por la tecnología". 20 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Volkswagen Taigo European sales figures". carsalesbase.com. 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  18. ^ "Carros mais vendidos do Brasil em 2020". AUTOO (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
  19. ^ "Así fueron las ventas totales en 2020". motor1 (in Spanish). 2022-04-12.
  20. ^ "Ventas: diciembre 2020 (y anuales 2020)". Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  21. ^ "Carros mais vendidos do Brasil em 2021". AUTOO (in Brazilian Portuguese). 3 January 2021. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  22. ^ "Así fueron las ventas totales en 2021". motor1 (in Spanish). 2022-04-12.
  23. ^ "Ventas: diciembre 2021 (y anuales 2021)". Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  24. ^ "Carros mais vendidos do Brasil em 2022". AUTOO. 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  25. ^ "Así fueron las ventas en diciembre (y totales) 2022". Motor1.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  26. ^ "Ventas: diciembre (y totales) 2022". Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  27. ^ García, Gerardo (2023-01-06). "Los 371 autos más vendidos de México en 2022: el ranking completo con todos los modelos". Motorpasión México (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-12.
  28. ^ "2022'de satılan her 100 otomobilin 28'i Bursalı - Emre Özpeynirci". Bursada Bugün. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  29. ^ "Carros mais vendidos do Brasil em 2023". AUTOO (in Brazilian Portuguese).
  30. ^ "Así fueron las ventas de autos en diciembre (y totales) 2023". Motor1.com (in Spanish). 2023-12-29.
  31. ^ "Ventas: diciembre (y totales) 2023". Autoblog Uruguay (in Spanish). 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  32. ^ García, Gerardo (2024-01-10). "Los autos más vendidos en México en 2023: así queda el ranking con los 389 modelos". Motorpasión México (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  33. ^ "Türkiye'nin en çok satan SUV modelleri". www.ntv.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  34. ^ "El Volkswagen Nivus sumó equipamiento y un nuevo color azul para la carrocería". Todo Noticias. July 11, 2022.
  35. ^ "Official results of the Volkswagen Nivus + 6 Airbags 2022". LATIN NCAP - PARA AUTOS MAS SEGUROS.
  36. ^ "Official VW Taigo 2022 safety rating". www.euroncap.com. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
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