Volkswagen admits it needs Juke rival
* Production car likely to be based on Taigun concept
* Likely to arrive by the end of 2014
Volkswagen needs a small SUV to rival the Nissan Juke and new competitors such as the Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka, according to the company's UK boss.
Speaking to What Car?, Robert Hazelwood admitted that the absence of such a car created a significant gap in the company's current model line-up. He stated the firm "could really do with a small SUV or crossover".
Any Juke rival is likely to be heavily based on the Taigun concept, which was first shown at the 2012 Sao Paulo motor show. It is based on the same platform as the VW Up, and has the same wheelbase as a VW Polo, but is 11cm shorter, 5cm wider and 11cm taller.
The show car was a four-seater powered by a 109bhp turbocharged version of the Up's three-cylinder petrol engine. However, any production version would also be likely to include a diesel option and a four-wheel-drive variant.
Such a Volkswagen car could be on sale by the end of 2014, according to earlier reports.
By Chas Hallett
