VOLKSWAGEN has confirmed it will be entering the coupe/SUV sector with the announcement its new Taigo will be released priced from £21,960.

Joining the German car maker's five other SUVs the Taigo will be petrol powered only and will be available in three trim levels.

High grade R-Line models will top out from £29,140 with mid-range Style versions priced from £25,300.

The Taigo is slightly longer than VW's entry-level SUV the T-Cross and lower and shorter than the T-Roc fitting into its SUV line up alongside the Tiguan, the ID.4, Tiguan Allspace and the Touareg.

Standard equipment includes LED headlights, an 8.0-inch Digital Cockpit; a multifunction steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging, Park Assist, a fatigue detection system and curtain airbags in the front, with a central airbag adding to its safety features.

The Taigo range features four engine and gearbox configurations, with the combination depending on specification.

The entry-level Taigo Life is available with a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, 95ps TSI petrol engine, fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox, as well as a 110 ps engine of the same size, mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox, or a seven-speed DSG automatic.

A second DSG-equipped model - a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TSI engine with 150ps - is available in the Taigo Style and R-Line.

The six-speed manual Taigo returns the greatest fuel economy within the range of 52.3 mpg, and the lowest COemissions, of 124 g/km.

The best performance figures in the range come from the 1.5-litre model which has a 0 to 62mph acceleration time of 8.3 seconds and a maximum speed of 132mph with a fuel return of 46.3mpg.

The 1.0-litre TSI engine used in the entry-level car has an acceleration time of 11.1 seconds and tops out at 114mph.