Volkswagen Taigun Launched In India; Prices Start At Rs. 10.50 Lakh

The much-anticipated Volkswagen Taigun is finally on sale in India. The compact SUV has been launched at a starting ex-showroom price of Rs. 10.50 lakh for the base Comfort Line 1.0 TSI variant which prices go up to Rs. 17.50 lakh for the GT Plus 1.5 TSI top-end trip. Yes! You read that right, Volkswagen has axed-down the base Trend Line variant for the Taigun and comes in a new fully-loaded range-topping Topline variant in the 1.0-litre Dynamic Line Taigun. Now this is part of Volkswagen's new model positioning strategy in its India 2.0 game plan, as the German brand feels that its customers aspire for a decently equipped and upmarket offering even at the base level. And so the stripped-down base variant is not on offer.

Prices for the @volkswagenindia #Taigun are out! Starts at Rs. 10.5 lakh and goes up to Rs. 17.5 lakh (ex-showroom). pic.twitter.com/RX3RuAIFqK

— carandbike (@carandbike) September 23, 2021

The Volkswagen Taigun is underpinned by the heavily localised MQB-A0-IN platform.

Also Read: Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 GT TSI Review

Briefing the new strategy to Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Editor-In-Chief, carandbike on the latest Freewheeling With SVP webisode, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director- Volkswagen India said, "Right from the start one thing was very clear that the customers were expecting a standard equipment from Volkswagen, no stripped down car. Customers were very clear that for Volkswagen they were willing to pay a premium and we have an expectation of at least some standard to be followed in Volkswagen. So it was very important for us to actually stay true to those expectations. When we develop the car. That's why the Line structure you saw today is based on that feedback. We have the Dynamic Line with the 1.0-litre TSI engine and the Performance Line with the GT variants (1.5-Litre TSI). In the Dynamic Line we have actually followed customers' feedback starting from the Comfort Line now, so no more Trend Line. Even in the Polo and Vento the entry-level variants have the lowest traction. So customers have moved up in the value chain. We move the traditional highline where we have the automatic and manual option and then we have introduced a nee Topline which is fully loaded with all the features you can think of. Moving to the Performance Line which is the 1.5-Litre we have the GT with the manual transmission and then we move to the fully-loaded GT Plus which you all have seen and loved." So the 1.0 TSI Dynamic Line iteration is available in Comfort Line, Highline and Topline variant where the automatic transmission is offered only on the latter two trims. The 1.5 TSI GT Line iteration has GT Line and GT Line Plus variants where the automatic is available only in the range-topping GT Line Plus trim.

The Tiguan with the 1.5-litre engine gets the cylinder deactivation system which cuts off two cylinders when you are coasting.

Also Read: Volkswagen Virtus Review: 1.0 TSI And 1.5 TSI Automatics Driven

Also Read: Compact SUV Wars: Newbie VW Taigun vs Market Leader Hyundai Creta

After the Skoda Kushaq, the Volkswagen Taigun is second model coming off the localised MQB-A0-IN platform empowering the brand to achieve 93 per cent of localisation level for new models in India. It aids both brands- Skoda and Volkswagen with aggressive pricing and in-turn taking on the dominating Korean duo- the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos that have taken the market by storm. Having said that, getting the right price was a challenge for Volkswagen India as the Taigun had to meet certain global standards, being at par with expectations its customers have from the brand. "The positioning between the brands is very clear which stays true to the global positioning between the brands. Volkswagen is positioned as a more premium brand and so our line-up and pricing stays true to that. That's been the endeavour and I won't say that it was a pressure since you have certain benchmarks. At the same time we have kept in mind what goes into the heart of the market and if you see our prices today you can clearly understand what are we targeting. With the Highline and the Topline we sitting right where our customers want us to be and that's where the volume is. With this pricing we have managed to keep us both Marketing and Finance sides happy. We had good support from the headquarter as well. In fact, I had some moments where I actually had proposed higher prices but the feedback I got was that headquarter felt that it (Taigun) is better at a lower price than this, and that was a good change for me," Gupta added.

The most anticipated SUVW of 2021 is here.

Watch the eagerly awaited launch of the bold, dynamic, German-engineered SUVW, the New Volkswagen Taigun. #NewVolkswagenTaigun #HustleModeOn #VolkswagenIndia #Volkswagen https://t.co/QTDwTg1tGj

— Volkswagen India (@volkswagenindia) September 22, 2021

Also Read: 2022 World Car Awards: Volkswagen Taigun SUV Nominated In 2 Categories

The Volkswagen Taigun looks an upmarket and stylish model with handsome SUV stance.

So with the Taigun the Idea was to come up with a compact SUV that looks stylish and upmarket, and is well-loaded with latest creature comforts without compromising on the performance and dynamics of the car. Well! We already have spent some quality time with the Taigun and can safely say that the German has stood straight on its benchmarks. The Volkswagen Taigun is in line with the carmaker's latest design language having sharp edges and bold character lines further accentuated with generous use of chrome, especially on the top-spec GT variant. You also see premium elements like LED headlights, LED daytime running lamps (DRLs), 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, conjoined LED taillight with sporty black elements, beefy cladding with chrome inserts, and faux skid plates, giving it that SUV stance.

Also Read: Volkswagen Taigun Tech Check: Impressive All Rounder

The cabin gets a virtual instrument cluster, a three-spoke steering wheel, 10-inch touchscreen and red ambient lighting.

The cabin is finished in dual-tone black and grey, featuring a 10-inch touchscreen display, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and a fully digital instrument cluster on the Topline and GT variants. VW also offers optional body-coloured dash panelling, along with other features like wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charger, electric sunroof and rear AC vents among others. On the safety front, the SUV comes with three-point seat belts for all passengers, ISOFIX mounts, rear parking camera, ABS, and six airbags among others.

Also Read: Volkswagen Taigun Exterior, Interior, Features, Engines, Specifications: Highlights

The Taigun gets a 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, wireless charger, rear AC vent, electric sunroof and more

Under the hood, the Volkswagen Taigun is offered with two turbocharged petrol engine options - the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder TSI motor in the Dynamic Line variants and the 1.5-litre, four-litre TSI engine in the GT Line trims. The 1.0-litre TSI belts out 113 bhp and 175 Nm of torque while comes mated to a six-speed manual as standard and an optional six-speed torque converter automatic transmission in the Highline and Topline variants.

The Volkswagen Taigun has 93 per cent of localisation level.

The 1.5-litre, four-cylinder TSI unit churns out 148 bhp and 250 Nm of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard while the seven-Speed DSG automatic transmission is optional on the GT Plus variant. The Tiguan with the 1.5-litre engine gets the cylinder deactivation system which cuts off two cylinders when you are coasting.