VW Tries De-Boring Its Nivus/Taigo Crossover
- Volkswagen is giving its little Taigo coupe-SUV a mid-life facelift.
- The sub-T-Roc-sized coupe-SUV was spotted in prototype form.
- VW also sells the Taigo as the Nivus in South and Central America.
Volkswagen has so many SUVs and crossovers on sale in Europe it can be hard to keep track of them. There’s the T-Cross, the T-Roc, T-Roc Cabriolet, the Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace, Tayron, Touareg, ID.4 and ID.5. And offering a first step on the SUV ladder is the Taigo, which appears to be getting a facelift for 2026.
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The Taigo, which is sold in South and Central America as the Nivus, is supposed to be a slightly sexier alternative to the more upright, practical T-Cross. But compared to rivals like the voluptuous Ford Puma, it looks pretty dreary. It’s just a usefully practical hatchback with a mild suspension lift, but while the coming facelift isn’t going to turn this frog into a prince, it is going to make it a more attractive frog.
Related: VW Nivus Facelift Debuts In Brazil, Sporty GTS Model To Follow In 2025
These images suggest VW isn’t going to attempt to bring the Taigo’s nose into line with its more recent all-new products like the Euro Tiguan. This prototype appears to retain its deep grille rather than switch to a slimline version. Unusually for a test car, this one still has its maker’s badge on full display.
But VW debuted the facelifted Nivus last October and that car did receive a slim grille opening, much like America’s Taos got for 2025, so the Taigo is sure to get the same treatment. We can also expect to see a new style of DRLs at the front of the Taigo and new look for the rear LED lamps when the crossover makes its debut later this year.
This set of images don’t show the interior, but the changes are unlikely to be drastic. The Taigo has an older style of dashboard that looks like something out of a 2010s car, but it still delivers the digital features buyers expect these days. As well as having a central touchscreen, it features a TFT instrument pack and higher-spec trims get a digital climate control panel.
We can’t see VW making any big moves under the skin of the Taigo either, so the current turbocharged 1.0-liter and 1.5-liter engines will be carried over in 94 hp (95 PS), 114 hp (115 PS) and 148 hp (150 PS) forms, all driving the front wheels only.
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