Volkswagen officials have given the green light for the Taigun small crossover, which will launch in 2016, if all goes according to plan. VW sources broke the news to Autoweek, with the report also stating that the Taigun is unlikely to be sold in the U.S. due to its compact dimensions and three-cylinder gasoline and diesel engine lineup.
The Taigun debuted last year in Brazil at the Sao Paulo motor show and targets similar crossovers such as the Ford EcoSport. However, whereas the Blue Oval model offers optional all-wheel-drive, the Taigun will only be front-wheel-drive since it shares the platform with the Up city car.
It is however longer, with its 97.2 inches (2,470mm) wheelbase being 2 inches (51mm) longer than the Up’s. The track widths are the same at 56.2 inches (1,427mm) for the front and 56 inches (1,422mm) for the rear.
VW also sees the Taigun as an alternative to FWD crossovers such as the Fiat Panda Trekking and even its own CrossUp, set to launch in Europe later this year. The German carmaker didn’t offer an official timeline for the launch of the production Taigun, but the car has reportedly entered an initial engineering program, which means it should reach dealerships by 2016.
The Taigun will be assembled at two plants: Sao Paulo, Brazil, for left-hand drive markets and Pune, India, for right-hand drive markets. The report says VW is also considering production at a third plant in Kaluga, Russia.
VW is likely to offer the crossover with three-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines linked to either a standard manual gearbox or an optional dual-clutch transmission. A natural gas variant is also said to be in the works.
This week, the German company published a new set of photos of the study, which you can check out for yourself in the gallery below.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
