Volkswagen reveals the Taigun concept

Volkswagen has revealed the Taigun concept, a compact SUV which is based on the platform of the Up! city car.

The Volkswagen Taigun is powered by a 1.0 litre three cylinder petrol engine which is capable of returning 60.1mpg. Volkswagen boast that the Taigun’s styling emulates its bigger siblings the Tiguan and Touareg and is very much a vehicle for the urban environment.

Volkswagen's development chief Ulrich Hackenberg said “some of the Taigun concept car's features aren't likely to make production, the split tailgate is 'not very realistic' and a production car is likely to have a conventional hatchback.”

The Taigun's interior colour scheme which uses lots of white, yellow and bright blue is expected to be toned down, too, although the overall architecture could remain unchanged.

The German car-maker is said to be monitoring public reaction to the Taigun before deciding whether to put it into production, but Hackenburg hinted that it could potentially get the new model to market in around two years, so it's not likely to reach showrooms until late 2014 or early 2015. Any production version 'must remain affordable', Hackenberg said.