Volkswagen Taigun

The Taigun SUV is a rival to popular models such as the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, MG Astor and Skoda Kushaq. It is offered only with turbo-petrol engine options and with front-wheel drive. While the Taigun is a well-rounded family car it is also a great choice for those who want a car that delivers punchy performance and driving fun.

Interior

The Taigun looks unmistakably like a VW, especially from the front. The wide grille is flanked by the attractive all LED headlamps along with the squared off front edges of the bonnet helps the Taigun look quite butch and in-your-face. In profile, the strong shoulder line looks purposeful and the dual-tone 17-inch alloys look quite sporty.

But our favourite angle is the rear. It is dominated by a massive connected tail lamp unit which not only helps it stand out from the crowd, but it also makes the Taigun look wider.

The Taigun has the longest wheelbase in its class. This helps with the interior space, but when you look at the dimensions of this car as compared to its competition, it is quite a bit smaller. This becomes even more apparent when you look at it in profile, where the lack of height makes it look more like a jacked-up hatchback than an SUV.

Overall, the dash design of the Taigun is uncluttered and smart. There are some elements that help it look premium too. The steering is beautifully finished and the leather feels of high quality. Even the plastic graining around the smart new VW logo on the steering looks rich. Then there is the square design pattern on the dash panel, a simple touch that goes a long way in lifting the overall ambience of the cabin. 

The front seats on the Taigun are really comfortable and you also get loads of adjustment. The steering adjusts for height as well as reach and combined with the long range of adjustment for the front seat makes finding an ideal driving position very easy. The rear seats on the Taigun are well contoured because of which you get great back and under thigh support which makes this car really comfortable even over long journeys. In terms of back seat space, you have more than enough knee room, and there is just about enough headroom for tall passengers. Overall for four adults, the Taigun proves to be very comfortable.

The Taigun comes across as practical too. Up front, you get two cup holders with rubberised bottom to help keep your drinks in place, big front door pockets, a storage space under the centre armrest, a decently sized cooled glovebox and a centre console cubby which houses the wireless charging pad. Rear passengers get seat back pockets, centre armrest with two cup holders and big door pockets.

On paper, the boot space on the Taigun may not be class leading (385 litres), but in reality it is quite well shaped and deep, so you can carry quite a bit of luggage in here, more so than even alternatives like the Creta (433 litres) that offer more boot space on paper. You also get 60:40 split folding rear seats, but unfortunately once you fold them you have a massive ridge because of which sliding heavy bags up front can be difficult. 

There will be a lot of current Polo GT owners looking to upgrade to the Taigun but will it feel like an upgrade? It surely does in terms of cabin design, and even the overall quality seems consistent enough but there are some bits that will disappoint them. For example, the lock and unlock switch doesn't feel of high quality and even the power window buttons don’t feel as tactile as the Polo’s. Existing Polo owners will also miss out on one touch up and down function for all four windows on the Taigun. You do get a reversing camera, but the feed quality is not good as it looks pixelated and grainy. Then there is the roof lining which, just like in the Kushaq, feels loose and quite cheap, especially in the sunroof variant!

Another side effect of being smaller is the lack of cabin width, especially at the back. The combination of the heavily contoured rear bench and lack of shoulder room results in a car that is strictly a four seater. You can squeeze in three people in the back, but all of them will feel uncomfortable even over short trips. Up front, too, the Taigun doesn't give you the sense of width offered by its Korean rivals.

Technology

VW have never been known to give truckloads of features, but with the Taigun they have taken a step in the right direction! This top GT 1.5-litre variant comes with automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, tilt and telescopic adjustment for the steering, push button engine start, a  wireless charging pad and a lot more. You also get sporty red ambient lighting on the GT and cool white on the normal car.

At first, the automatic climate control system might come across as a bit fiddly to use because of the touch-sensitive buttons. But once you get used to it, you will realize they are actually quite easy to use. Frequently used functions like fan speed and temperature adjustment areas have a well defined ridge, because of which you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to operate them.

The highlight of the features list, though, is the 10-inch infotainment system. The high-resolution display looks premium and the graphics, fonts and touch response is top drawer. It also comes with handy features like wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and combined with the wireless charging pad you can do without any phone charging cables in the Taigun.  

Safety

Volkswagen has been stressing on how safe the Taigun is, and looking at the features list it seems to be true. You get ESP as standard from the base variant, and up to 6 airbags. Other than that, the GT line gets a tyre pressure loss warning, reverse camera with parking sensors and hill hold control. In the back seat all three passengers get adjustable headrests and three-point seat belts, and for your child's safety you get two ISOFIX child seat anchorages. Importantly, the Volkswagen Taigun has scored 5/5 stars for crash safety in Global NCAP’s crash tests.

Performance

The Taigun comes with two petrol engine options. The base is a 1-litre turbocharged engine which makes a healthy 115PS of power and 178Nm of torque and is either mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. In the GT line you get the bigger 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged motor that makes a class-leading 150PS and 250Nm. It is a high-tech unit too, and features cylinder deactivation tech which basically shuts down two cylinders while cruising on highways to aid fuel efficiency. This engine comes with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.

The 1-litre TSI petrol engine is the more affordable and popular engine option. This engine offers enough performance for city commuting as well as highway drives. While it is an enjoyable engine to use, newer drivers may find its power delivery a little jerky and owing to it being a 3-cylinder engine, it also can some noticeable vibrations and sound a little gruff.

Let's start with the 1.5-litre manual. At first the clutch does feel a bit on the heavier side which can prove to be an issue especially in stop-and-go traffic. On the positive side, the 1.5 motor has loads of torque from as low as 1200rpm, because of which you don't have to shift a lot to make quick progress. As a result, despite the slightly heavy clutch, the manual transmission works well for city commutes . Even out on the highway, the Taigun cruises nicely. This is also thanks to the tall sixth gear, as the engine is kept at a comfortable rpm even at 100kmph. Even when you want to make a quick overtake, you don't necessarily have to downshift. All you need to do is flex your right foot and use the abundance of torque on offer.

We have also driven the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. In the city, this engine and gearbox combo feels ideal because the shifts are smooth and jerk free. Thanks to the torquey motor, this gearbox doesn't really have to work that hard as shifts are kept to a minimum. Even when it has to work, it does a wonderful job. It upshifts and downshifts quickly, as a result of which you are never left wanting for more power. Out on the highway too, this automatic gearbox finds the right gear at the right time and because it is a quick shifting unit, executing quick overtakes is easy too. You also get paddle shifters to change gears manually if you want to.

Ride & Handling

The ride quality on the Taigun is actually quite good. It does feel a bit firm especially at low speeds and it doesn't seem to have the rough road ability of the Kushaq. So you do have to slow down a bit more in the rough stuff. But does it feel uncomfortable? No it doesn't! The suspension, for instance, works silently, and save for some body movement at low speeds, it proves to be comfortable enough. Out on the highway, however, this car really shines. It feels stable and even over uneven surfaces there is minimal body movement. This makes the Taigun a great highway cruiser.

Considering this car wears a GT badge, it should be fun to drive and it is! In corners, the Taigun doesn't feel like an SUV, but rather like a hatchback in the way it changes direction. It feels willing, agile and so much fun around corners. Then there's the engine, it's got so much torque and power you can shoot out of the corners with a wide grin on your face. This motor also revs quite well, but it doesn't really enjoy being near the red line as it sounds a little strained.

Verdict

Existing Polo/Vento or Skoda Rapid owners might feel that the Taigun isn't stepping up in terms of fit and finish, and although they will be delighted with all the kneeroom on offer, rear seat width is still an issue as fitting three people in the back will be a squeeze. But if you look past this, the Volkswagen delivers, and how!

It has a good amount of features, safety feature wise too it feels sorted right from the base variant. The ride is comfortable enough and more importantly is fun to drive!