The All-New Volkswagen Taigun
Volkswagen has launched its Skoda counterpart – The All-New Volkswagen Taigun. Taigun is a mid-ranged Mini-Suv with a compact but clique eye-catching design. It comes with loads of features and german build quality.
Volkswagen has strongly entered the Mini-SUV market and is planning to put a great impact on the sales of its Korean rivals. The Volkswagen Taigun is the cousin of Skoda Kushaq and borrows a lot of features from it. It only comes in two different petrol engines.
Design
The Volkswagen Taigun is made on the same platform as the Skoda Kushaq. Hence, it has a lot of design elements in common such as the door lines, roof rails, rearview mirrors etc. But, despite the similarities, Volkswagen has given Taigun a very distinct design.
Taigun has a bold and upright stance with a lot of chrome elements. It is given all-LED headlamps and taillamps in higher models. Further, 17-inch black-finished alloys are given in the top model and 16inch spoke alloys are given in lower models.
It is a smaller car as compared to its rivals. But, it has enough wheelbase that 4 passengers can sit comfortably in the car. On the sides, it has black cladding running throughout the car and chrome roof rails which can hold up to 50kgs of weight. Further, In the GT line, there are green stripes on the sides.
The rear of the Volkswagen Taigun is the most distinct part of the car with a continuous taillight. The continuous taillights look inspired by the Audi q8 and come in no other affordable car in India. Also, Taigun gets a black finish on its taillights for a sportier look.
The dashboard design of the Volkswagen Taigun is quite impressive and quite similar to the Skoda kushaq except the screen is integrated and not floating. The instrument cluster is digital and offers a lot of features but is small as compared to its rivals. The car has a lot of hard plastics everywhere.
Engine
The All-New Volkswagen Taigun is offered with two engine options-
- 1.0 litre; 115Ps @ 5000-5500 rpm;178Nm @1750-4500 rpm; 3-cylinder
- This Engine is more refined but has lower fuel efficiency(18.10 kmpl for manual and 16.44 kmpl for automatic). This engine is made in India. Hence it will be much cheaper and more value for money. This engine choice is for people who do more city driving than highway driving and are less thrilled about high-speed driving.
- This engine gets a 6-speed torque converter and not a 7 speed DSG. The 6-speed torque converter is good for the city but not only decent for the highway.
- 1.5 litre; 150Ps @ 5000-6000 rpm ; 250Nm @1600-3500 rpm 4-cylinder
- This engine is by far one of the best engines in the segment. With its massive torque coupled with a 7-speed Volkswagen DSG gearbox, the driving feel is off the charts. This engine is for enthusiasts. Further, it has a linear punch throughout. Moreover, there is no lag in the turbo and delivers solid driving experience in the Volkswagen Taigun.
- One feature offered by this engine is that two cylinders can be turned off to increase mileage and save money. The mileage of this engine is higher( 18.47 kmpl for manual and 17.88 for automatic)
Features
The All-New Volkswagen Taigun is not as feature-loaded as its rivals. But, it still gets a bunch of cool and first in class features such as –
- All Led Headlamps and Taillamps
- Infinity taillamps
- Sunroof
- Disc wiping Technology
- 10-inch infotainment system
- Wireless mobile charging
- Volkswagen connect app
- Keyless entry
- Paddle shifters
- Wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto
- Ventilated Front Seats
- Traction Control
Pricing
| Variant | Ex-Showroom Price |
|---|---|
| Dynamic | Comfortline – 1.0L TSI MT | Rs. 10 49 900 |
| Dynamic | Highline – 1.0L TSI MT | Rs. 12 79 900 |
| Dynamic | Highline – 1.0L TSI AT | Rs. 14 09 900 |
| Dynamic | Topline – 1.0L TSI MT | Rs. 14 56 900 |
| Dynamic | Topline – 1.0L TSI AT | Rs. 15 90 900 |
| Performance | GT – 1.5L TSI EVO MT | Rs. 14 99 900 |
| Performance | GT Plus – 1.5L TSI EVO DSG | Rs. 17 49 900 |
Practicality
There is ample rear-seat space for 2 passengers. The front passenger seats are scooped out for more space in the rear. The headroom in the room is decent for tall passengers.
There are twin cupholders and a key holder near the front armrest. The dash gets a 12v socket. The glove box is decent-sized and has a cooling function. Further, the door pockets are quite big and there are additional twin cupholders in the rear armrest.
The boot is not that huge as compared to its rivals as the car is smaller in size. The boot space is 350L according to Volkswagen and can hold enough luggage for a family on a weekend trip.
Drive
The All-New Volkswagen Taigun drives amazing which is no surprise as it’s a Volkswagen car.
It has a really good steering wheel and ride-handling balance. The suspension is customized for Indian roads and work very well.
The 1.5L petrol engine is the best engine in this segment and by far the most fun to drive. It has a linear punch throughout and massive power output.
Further, the seats are comfortable and the riding position is very commanding as you sit high in the car. The suspension is stiffer than other Volkswagen cars. Hence Taigun handles bumpy roads very well. There is almost no body-roll on curvy roads even at higher speeds because of the stiffer suspensions. The shifting with paddle shifters is also very smooth.
Safety
The Volkswagen Taigun is a german car and the brand name says it all about safety. German brands are known for their solid strong cars and Taigun is no different.
It is not rated on the Global Ncap yet. But still is a much safer car as compared to its Korean rivals.
The Taigun comes with ESC(Electronic stability control)standard on all variants. It gets ABS EBD and traction control. All variants get the front disc and read drum brakes.
The GT+ variant gets 6 airbags while other variants get 2 airbags.
Taigun is equipped with multi-collision brakes and hill hold control.
Competition
The main competitors of the Taigun are Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, and Its cousin sister Skoda Kushaq.
Is It Worth Buying
It is worth buying for driving enthusiasts. The 1.5L petrol engine is the best in class and no other car except the Skoda Kushaq will offer such a great driving pleasure.
It will have a higher service cost. But, the pleasure of driving this car overpowers the higher service and maintenance cost.
It is less feature-loaded as compared to its rivals like the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. So if you are looking for a safe good-looking car with an amazing engine and you can compromise on some features you should consider Taigun as your option.
