Volkswagen Taigun will likely be sold with a 1.0-litre turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo petrol with manual and automatic transmission options
Volkswagen’s India division showcased the close-to-production Taigun at the 2020 Auto Expo and the road-going version had already been displayed in India. The Taigun will enter production on August 18, 2021 and its prices will be revealed in the coming months. The mid-size SUV is based on the same MQB A0 IN architecture as the recently launched Skoda Kushaq.
Thus, it will also be heavily localised. It is the first model from Volkswagen under the India 2.0 strategy that saw a hefty investment of more than one billion euros over the last three years. It will compete against Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Harrier, Nissan Kicks, MG Hector and others in the highly competitive space upon arrival.
Despite being underpinned by the same platform, the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq have plenty of differences. The Taigun comprises a sleek front fascia with the presence of sharp headlamps and integrated LED Daytime Running Lights, horizontal chrome slats with hexagonal grille inserts, and a busy front bumper with thick chrome trim surrounding the fog lamps.
Other highlights are wide central air inlet, 17-inch ‘Manila’ alloy wheels, black wheel arch cladding, prominent shoulder line, grey roof rails, wraparound C-shaped LED tail lamps connected by a LED light bar with VW badge in the middle, chromed embellished rear bumper with skid plate, blackened pillars, raked front windshield, and so on.
As for the interior, it will have an upmarket finish and boasts features such as a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, ventilated front seats, in-car connectivity based features, electric sunroof, steering mounted controls, touch-based climate control system, six airbags, ESC, reverse parking camera, etc.
Under the bonnet, it will be equipped with the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol and 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol. The former produces a maximum power output of 115 PS and 175 Nm while the latter kicks out 150 PS and 250 Nm. Both will be paired with a six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter AT in the smaller petrol and a seven-speed DSG in the 1.5L mill.