Volkswagen Taigo review - Interior, design and technology

​The Taigo shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen T-Cross, which is based on the MQB A0 architecture that also forms the base of smaller cars such as the Polo supermini. Volkswagen has smoothed out the boxy lines of the T-Cross to create a more stylish, coupe look for the Taigo. 

With a sloping roofline, lower bonnet and a 66mm reduction in height over the T-Cross, the Taigo will look smart on the school run, and has that extra kerb appeal that is so important across UK suburban streets. But it’s not all form over function; the Taigo is longer than the model it's based on, which helps keep interior space up to par.

The cabin doesn’t throw up too many surprises as the dash is lifted straight from the T-Cross, although there is the option to customise the look with a painted finish to match the car’s body colour. Softer materials are used higher on the dashboard and door cards, with lower grade plastics evident lower down, while opting for a lighter interior trim colour does help to lift the ambience.

The standard kit is reasonable, although we’d recommend the mid-range Style trim as the sweet spot in the range. One bugbear is VW’s insistence on continuing with touch-sensitive climate controls, which are simply a nuisance to use on the move and are positioned too low to be within easy reach. A return to physical dials would be most welcome in our view.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

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The Taigo’s Discover Media set-up is a familiar one that’s hard to find fault with. The main menu is neatly laid out with a selection of tiles, while the screen is flanked by a set of touch-sensitive shortcut keys and physical knobs for the volume and navigation zoom functions, so it’s easy to find what you choose. 

VW’s built-in navigation loads quickly enough, and a proximity sensor brings up certain functions when you move your hand toward the display, so the screen is uncluttered when you don’t need them. Loading times are fine, although the screen lags slightly when swiping through the menus.

The Taigo gets a digital driver’s display with an eight-inch set-up used on the base model, and a 10.25-inch system for the Style and R-Line versions. On the latter version, you can switch between screens to show various bits of information, such as navigation instructions and driver assistance information. If all that scares you, don’t worry – there’s a screen with conventional-looking dials, too.