The Volkswagen India Group has been busy with the launch of its upcoming Creta, Seltos-rival, the Taigun. The Taigun will be the make or break product for the German carmaker in this second innings of its operations in India. Recognizing this, VW will not leave any stone unturned. Taigun will be placed in one of the fastest-growing segments in India, the mid-size SUV segment, which is currently led by Hyundai Creta. This is a highly lucrative segment and is also the trend of customer preference at the moment. The Taigun will be the second product under the India 2.0 strategy. The first product being the recently unveiled Skoda Kushaq. The Taigun will share the underpinnings and engines with the Kushaq and will also compete against the same. The unveiling of the Taigun is expected to be anytime this week. Let us, therefore, take a look at what to expect from the mid-size SUV.
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Volkswagen Taigun – Exterior
The Taigun was showcased in the Auto Expo 2020 and looks unmistakably VW. The front is a bold look with LED Headlamps and DRLs. The front also looks kind of shiny with chrome on the front grille. The flat bonnet will allow for good visibility. The front bumpers are designed to give the SUV a sporty look. The alloys are also typical Volkswagen, in that, VW uses this alloys design on all of their international SUVs. The sides are accentuated by sharp creases and a boxy stance. The rear looks very modern with connected LED tail lamps by a blacked-out glass bar that runs across the width of the car. This is in line with the design language that one can find in the European versions of T-Roc and T-Cross. The wheelbase will likely be 2671mm which will be the largest in the segment.
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Volkswagen Taigun – Interior, Safety and Features
The interiors will likely feature high-quality material in the cabin including dashboard design and plastics used. There will be the latest Digital Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Digital Cockpit Style Instrument Cluster with a customizable display, Flat-bottom Steering Wheel with Audio Controls and Voice Recognition, Electric Sunroof and much more. We expect Volkswagen to make the cabin feature-rich, along with plenty of comforts, convenience and safety features to compete against the likes of Creta and Seltos. There will likely be plenty of safety kit as well including 6 Airbags, ABS with EBD and ESC. The ground clearance of 205mm will enable it to go off-road for a weekend getaway trip.
The safety list might include features like the 6 Airbag setup, ABS with EBD, ESC, Hill Hold Assist, Front and Rear Parking Sensors with Camera, ISOFIX Child Seat Mounts and much more. VW always takes safety very seriously and we don’t expect anything else on the Taigun as well.
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Volkswagen Taigun – Engines, Rivals and Expected Prices
The thing that is confirmed with the Taigun is the engine options on offer. There will be two turbo petrol engines on offer with direct injection technology for more power and efficiency. There will be a 1.0-litre TSI engine, making 115hp and 200Nm and a 1.5-litre TSI engine making 150hp. The smaller engine will come with either a 6-speed manual or an automatic transmission option and the larger engine will come with a 7-speed DSG (DCT) gearbox. The powerful engine along with strong driving dynamics will likely be the strong points of Taigun.
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The rivals list of the Taigun is also strong and increasing. This includes the already popular Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Hector, Tata Harrier, already unveiled Skoda Kushaq and upcoming MG Astor. The most important aspect to stay in the competition is the pricing. With high levels of localization, VW will price the Taigun very aggressively and we expect the prices to be around Rs 10 lakh and Rs 18 lakh ex-showroom range.
