Volkswagen Taigun SUV; what to expect

Volkswagen Taigun Design

Volkswagen is known for making nice-looking cars with a clean and subtle design language that can work for a decade. The same design philosophy is put to the Volkwagen Taigun with signature VW design, clean lines, no extra cuts and creases here and there and honestly, it’s a handsome-looking SUV. The Taigun is based on the European Small SUV called the VW T-Cross.

Upfront it has the same front facia as its bigger sibling the VW Tiguan which Indian buyers loved and no doubt the Taigun will impress many buyers in India for its design once its launched. Upfront there are the high-mounted headlights which integrate with the chrome detailed grille. Lower down at the bumper runs a large chrome element that ends up with large fog lights at both ends. Also gets a nice-looking faux skid plate lower down in the bumper. There is also a large air intake with hexagonal mesh in the bumper up front. Honestly, the front end looks nice even with the use of large about of chrome elements. Lower down at the bumper runs a large chrome element that ends up with large fog lights at both ends. Also gets a nice-looking faux skid plate lower down in the bumper. There is also large air intake with hexagonal mesh in the bumper upfront. Honestly, the front end looks nice even with the use of large about of chrome elements. Just like a SUV should be it gets a high bonnet with an upright cabin design and a very strong shoulder line giving it a nice boxy look and classic VW design language. There are also use of body claddings all around and thankfully it sits on the right set of wheels to give it a perfect SUV look when viewed from the sides.

The rear also gets same boxy design that goes of well with rear spoiler and the nicely designed all-LED taillights that run across the rear tailgate along a big bar. The bumper gets rear reflector with fog lamps integrated to them and is finished off with a skid plate that completes the design.

Volkswagen Taigun Dimensions

The Taigun when compared to its rivals like the Creta and Seltos is not that long and measures at just 4.2 meters in length but it will have a bigger interior space. The length is 4,218mm and has a wheelbase of 2,651mm while the ground clearance is measured at 205mm. The Taigun having a longer wheelbase than its rivals gives it a much bigger rear seating space with higher seating positions. As a result, it has better legroom at the rear and with nearly a flat bottom floor, the middle passenger at the rear will be comfortable making it better than its rivals when it comes to rear seating space. Whereas the boot will have just 330 litres of space which is not a strong point about the Taigun when compared to it rivals but it has a wide opening and deep enough to carry away some luggage.

Like the exterior, the interior of Taigun is something that will impress many buyers and VW has put in as many features they could along with right use of materials and equipment. The top of the line variants electrically adjustable front seats with high seating positions for the commanding feel of an SUV. It will also be offered with soft-touch materials on the dash along with a multi-layered dashboard design with body-colored trims.

A 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system will be the highlight of the center console that will come with Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto with a wireless connectivity feature. The Taigun will also be offered with a fully customizable digital instrument cluster for the driver. Like some high-end modern cars, it will be a Virtual Cockpit which can be configured for displaying maps, vital driving information and even traditional dials or can be also set to view all these three together. Like any other VW cars and SUVs with the same screen, it’s a super bright and sharp unit that is clearly visible under sunlight and works pretty well. Also there will be VWs new flat-bottom steering wheel on offer.

Coming to the equipment part which is the most important factor in this segment, the Volkswagen Taigun gets a panoramic sunroof, leather seats, six airbags, cruise control, wireless charging function, ESC, and connected-car tech, high-quality sound system but there is no ventilated seats on offer.

However, in the international market, Taigun is also offered an eight-speaker Beats Audio sound system, active lane-keeping assist, adaptive radar-based cruise control to name a few. Volkswagen might not introduce all these features in the India-spec Taigun as of now.

Volkswagen Taigun Powertrains

The Volkswagen Taigun SUV will be offered with two petrol engine options only- one the 1.0L 3 cylinder TSI engine and the other a more powerful 1.5L TSI. The 1.0L TSI is 3 cylinder unit that powers the Polo and Vento, which will be tuned to produce 115HP that is up by 5HP when compared to the unit on Polo and Vento. The torque output will be 200NM. This engine comes with two gearbox options – a 6-speed manual and 6-speed torque converter automatic and power will go to the front wheels.

The top-spec Volkswagen Taigun will be equipped with the 1.5-litre 4-Cylinder TSI engine producing 150HP and 250 NM of torque and come mated with DCT transmission powering the front wheels. This engine is the same unit that powers the VW T-ROC  in India. This unit also comes with a host of technology like cylinder deactivation and variable turbine geometry (turbocharger). While the former helps in providing fuel economy the later helps in a more responsive performance out of the engine.

Comparing both the engines with its rivals like the Creta, the smaller 1.0L TSI seems to make similar kind of power like the Creta’s 1.5L naturally aspirated engine but the torque output on the VW’s 1.0L TSI is much higher when compared to 144NM in the Creta’s unit. While the bigger 1.5L TSI unit makes 10HP and 8NM more than Creta’s 1.4L turbo unit.

Volkswagen Taigun MQB A0 IN platform

The Volkswagen Taigun will be built on the Volkswagen tired and tested MQB platform which is known to be one of the best modern car architecture. This platform is used to make several Volkswagen Group cars like the Golf Hatchback, Tiguan SUV, Skoda Superb and even new Audi Q3 SUV. The Taigun for India will be built on a localised version of the platform and is codenamed MQB A0 IN, the same platform will also underpin the Skoda Kushaq SUV which is the sister SUV to the Taigun and it will be launched first. Localization will help in cost-cutting and that will result in VW making higher quality cars at a competitive price. For Indian road conditions, the Taigun gets a taller suspension setup with a stiff anti-roll bar for better stabilization and handling while tyre size will be from 16-inches to 18-inches. While braking department should be taken care of by 4-wheel disc brakes. While further cost-cutting will be done with interior materials used for seats and upholstery.