VW Taigun Compact SUV heading for production

It was a good-looking and appealing effort from VW to tap in to the very compact SUV market, with a real family look (a Tiguan on a boil wash), peppy little 3-cylinder 1.0 litre engine delivering 108bhp and a 0-62mph of 9.2 seconds (with 60mpg economy) and enough room to carry stuff and people thanks to an extra 50mm in the wheelbase compared to the Up! Now it looks like the Taigun is heading for production after VW’s Chief designer, Klaus Bishoff, told Autoexpress that he deeply believed the Taigun would be heading for VW showrooms very soon, and could be sold in the UK and Europe as well as in emerging markets. So you can add the Taigun to the list of VW’s SUV offerings, and with new versions of the Tiguan and Touareg (perhaps based on the CrossBlue Concept) and a Polo based SUV on the way too, it looks like VW are covering all the bases.

Autoweek archives: Pontiac Firebird Type K wagon

This Autoweek archives piece comes from March 1980, when Bob Irvin and Bob Hall explored the fabled--and failed--Pontiac Trans Am wagon. In the late 1970s, the Pontiac Firebird Type K (Kammback) was explored as a way to inject some life into the aging F-body lineup. After a concept build by Pontiac Motor Division, vice president of design Bill Mitchell had two 1977 models constructed in Italy by famed Ferrari designer Sergio Pininfarina.

Kia No. 3 Concept to show

Kia No. 3 Concept - Due to show at Geneva '09 But Kia aren’t going to be left behind, and have unveiled a concept car (which they admit is a precursor to a new model) – the Kia No. 3 Concept – which will be at Geneva next week, and which was also designed in Europe.