Volkswagen Taigun concept #2

The Volkswagen Taigun mini SUV that will slot in beneath the Tiguan has been shown for a second time at the 2014 Delhi motor show, marked by changes to the car's design.

First shown at the Sao Paolo motor show in October 2012 , the Volkswagen up!-based SUV will be launched as an affordable rival to the Ford EcoSport in emerging markets such as Brazil and India.

Like the Indian-built Ford EcoSport, it is also expected to be offered in established markets, including perhaps Australia.

The updated VW Taigun concept displays a similar front end design to the 2012 version but it's the rear where the major changes occur, with a new look split tailgate offering improved access to the boot.

If this feature makes it to the production version, it will be a key difference to its rivals, the glass upper section opens upwards, while the lower portion opens sideways.

However the spare wheel is now affixed to the tailgate and the boot release is integrated into the brake light, a la Ford's EcoSport.

It has 280 litres of cargo space - about 100 litres less than a VW Golf - but expands to 996 litres with the rear seats folded over.

Volkswagen says the need for the externally-mounted spare wheel was based on customer feedback, noting that users "wanted fast access to the spare wheel without having to empty the boot first".

Befitting its affordable nature, the VW Taigun concept has a fairly spartan but stylish interior, and is fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox. It features a tri-tone motif with an integrated touch-screen system and apart from the dashpad looks almost production ready.

Measuring less than 4.0 metres long and weighing just 998kg, the Taigun is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol TSI engine developing 81kW/175Nm. Volkswagen reckons the baby SUV can dash from 0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds. It has a top speed of 186km/h.

Volkswagen's smallest SUV concept is fitted with disc brakes and stability control and features bash plates front and rear and a raised ride height for mild off-roading.

Speculation the affordable four-seat city SUV could enter production as early as 2015  has been bolstered by a Volkswagen statement that coincided with the Delhi motor show relaunch of the updated concept: "The response of the Indian trade-fair visitors and the Indian media is something Volkswagen awaits with great excitement – their feedback will also be incorporated into the final conception of the production model".

Based on the Volkswagen up! sub-light car - VW's smallest and cheapest model in Australia, pegged at $13,990 - the new Taigun is expected to be similarly affordable and could hit the streets at a price not far north of $20,000 in this country.

Volkswagen Australia has previously stated that "we would be stupid not to look into it if this opportunity came up".

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