Volkswagen has announced to reveal the pictures and other details of the production-ready Volkswagen Taigun mid-sized SUV on March 31, 2021. It is the brand’s first made-in-India and made-for-India mid-sized SUV, which is based on VW Group’s MQB AO IN platform. This is the same platform that underpins the Skoda Kushaq mid-sized SUV.
Volkswagen Group has announced to launch a total of 4 new products – Taigun, Kushaq, new Virtus mid-sized sedan and a new Skoda notchback – on the MQB AO IN platform. The Volkswagen Taigun will be launched in the market by mid-2021, shortly after the introduction of the Kushaq. The MQB AO IN is basically the heavily localised version of the VW Group’s MQB AO platform, which underpins the international-spec Polo, Virtus, T-Cross, Skoda Kamiq and the VW Nivus.
The VW Taigun shares the engine and gearbox options with the Skoda Kushaq. It will be offered with two engine options – a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol and a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol. While the former is good for 113bhp and 175Nm of torque, the 1.5L TSI unit produces 147bhp and 250Nm of torque.
A six-speed manual gearbox driving the power to the front wheels will come as standard. The SUV will also get a 6-speed torque convertor automatic with 1.0L engine and a 7-speed DSG automatic with 1.5L engine.
First unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo in pre-production avatar, the Volkswagen Taigun will be positioned against the likes of the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and the Nissan Kicks. The SUV will also rival the Skoda Kushaq and the upcoming MG Astor. The new model will ride on 2,651mm wheelbase, which is around 90-100mm longer than the European T-Cross wheelbase. It will measure around 4.21 meters in length, and will ride on higher ground clearance to suit the Indian road conditions.
In terms of styling, the production-ready VW Taigun will look identical to the pre-production concept. The company has also teased the front design on its official website. It gets an upright front section with chrome highlight on the grille. There is a chrome bar above the lower air dam, which runs across the width and surrounds the fog lamp enclosure. The grille and air-intakes are designed in honeycomb pattern, while the silver skid is added lower on the bumper. The SUV gets LED headlamps with LED DRLs, sculpted bonnet and black plastic cladding.
The rear will have single-bar LED brake lamp, roof-integrated spoiler, faux diffusers and dual-tone bumper. Other design highlights will include musculine wheel arches, multi-spoke alloy wheels, roof rails and dual-tone ORVMs.
Volkswagen Taigun’s interior is inspired by the global Polo and the T-Cross. It will have clutter free dashboard with minimalistic use of buttons. There will be an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, digital instrument console, an automatic AC, multi-functional steering wheel, auto dimming IRVM, electrically adjustable ORVMs, etc. While the Skoda Kushaq has standard sunroof, the Taigun could get electric panoramic sunroof.
The new VW Taigun will also receive high-end safety and security features such as multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, traction control, tire pressure monitoring system, hill hold and hill descent control, reverse camera and others.
