Volkswagen launched its two new products in India today. The new TAIGUN and Facelift TIGUAN.
Volkswagen Taigun:-
Volkswagen Taigun
Volkswagen has been into the news these days due to its controversial "name change". The company changed its name from Volkswagen of America to Voltswagen of America. Many of them are thinking that this might be an April Fool trick played by the company.
Volkswagen Taigun: exterior
The Taigun is the first VW product to come out of India 2.0 and embodies the German automaker’s new approach to the Indian market. The Taigun is a car conceived with Indian values but built on a proven global platform. In the development of the Taigun, it was the company’s India team telling Wolfsburg what needs to be done and not the other way around. The result is an all-new SUV built with 95 percent local content and engineered to suit Indian tastes and pockets.
Based on the VW Group’s MQB-A0-IN platform the IN prefix sums up the extraordinarily high (for VW) level of indigenization the Taigun is born with but there’s no mistaking this SUV for anything other than a Volkswagen.
The Taigun is a well-proportioned, clean-cut design with understated lines and like most VWs will stand the test of time. Cars like the Polo and Vento don’t look like the decade-plus old cars they are and similarly, the Taigun has been designed with the same timeless pen. Except that this time, round VW has spiced things up keeping Indian tastes in mind from the get-go. And this is most obvious in the front. Whilst the thick horizontal grille bears resemblance to other VW SUVs the ‘masala’ in the recipe is a big dollop of chrome. In fact, the Taigun has more chrome than you’ll see in any other VW, to entice Indian buyers. Chunky chrome wedges atop the horizontal bars that run the length of the grille look appropriately flashy but it’s the massive chrome bit surrounding the fog lamps that add serious bling. Other SUV elements like a large air intake below the bumper and a tough-looking skid plate are all there and the Taigun with its muscular bonnet looks imposing if a tad conventional from the front. It’s not as radically styled as the Creta or even the Kushaq for that matter which sports a split headlight cluster that looks sleeker than the Taigun’s. But the Taigun has that all-important road presence
Volkswagen Taigun
Volkswagen Taigun: interior
The Taigun’s interior is just as spacious as the Kushaq’s which is to say there’s an abundance of legroom both in the front and rear and the headroom too is quite decent. The seats too are very supportive with generous bolstering all around and you can expect a high level of comfort in the cabin. the front seats get a ventilation function too. The only downside is a lack of width which makes sitting three abreast at the rear a bit of a squeeze.
The Taigun’s dashboard is clean and uncluttered with the 10-inch touchscreen neatly integrated into the dash. The infotainment system has crisp, high-definition graphics and is expected to set new standards for ease of use. It has a full suite of connected features bundled in. Apple Car Play, Android Auto, and a bespoke My Volkswagen connect appare all there whilst Type C charging points hint at the future readiness of the Taigun.
Again, all this kit is available in the Kushaq too but where the Taigun outsmarts its Czech sibling is with a fully digital instrument panel. This ‘virtual cockpit’ which is highly configurable makes the analog instrument cluster of the Kushaq look out of date and undoubtedly, VW will be using this feature as one of the key points of differentiation with the Kushaq.
Volkswagen Taigun InteriorVolkswagen Taigun: engines
The Taigun will get the same pair of 1.0 and 1.5 TSI engines and gearboxes as the Kushaq and our experience with the Skoda SUV tells us that the powertrain will be one of the Taigun’s strengths as well.
The mainstay will be the 115 hp 1.0 TSI engine which VW invested heavily to locally assemble it in India. It’s a smooth, feisty engine that punches above its weight and mated to a six-speed manual and six-speed torque converter auto that has a wide enough appeal to fulfill most needs. Of course, the 150hp 1.5 TSI mated to a smooth and fast-shifting 7-speed DSG auto will enhance the driving experience to a different level and is clearly the enthusiast’s choice.
And it’s the enthusiasts, those looking for driving pleasure in a tough, well-built, and practical SUV that the Taigun will appeal to most. The price too is expected to be very appealing and though the company is tight-lipped on it, expect it to be land in the band between Rs. 10-17 lakh when it goes on sale this August.
0 Comments