Volkswagen Taigun 1-litre Review

It was a month ago that we drove the 1.5-litre version of the all-new Volkswagen Taigun, And we told you then that it was a great car to drive. But while that car was aimed at the enthusiast, the 1-litre version is the one that will be the best-selling of the two. So we got our hands on the 1-litre manual transmission option, to see how it would perform.

Also Read: Volkswagen Taigun SUV Launched In India

While the dimensions and the look of the car doesn't change, there are subtle changes that differentiate the 1.5-litre and the 1-litre. On the outside, the misses out on the GT badges that cars with the 1.5 engine get, but it does not miss out on the oodles of chrome present on the front grille, door handles and the rear bumper. It gets LED headlights which not only look good but also have a good light beam throw and 17-inch alloys which fill up its wheel arches well.

Also Read: Volkswagen Taigun 1.5-litre Turbo Petrol Review

The Taigun with the 1-litre engine does not get the GT badging 

The one that we have with us is the Top Line variant with the manual transmission and you get a sunroof, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen which supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wireless charging and an 8-inch digital instrument cluster.

You also get leatherette seats with cooling function and that's only available on this variant in the entire range.

The Top-Line variant of the VW Taigun 1-litre gets ventilated seats up front 

On the safety front too, Volkswagen has all the bases covered. While ABS with EBD, ESC Brake Assist, Multi-collision brakes, Anti slip regulation dual front airbags among others are part of standard equipment. This top-spec model comes with front side airbags, curtain airbags at the rear, hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring system and a lot more.

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

You do miss out on certain features like a panoramic sunroof, an air purifier and even a 360 degree camera, but frankly, with the amount of features it already has, you don't miss it. Alright then, Let's get to the point. How does it drive?

The 1-litre engine punches out 114 bhp and returns a fuel economy figure of 18.10 kmpl 

The Taigun with the 1-litre engine pushes out 114 bhp, now that's enough for a car this size. It maybe 34 bhp less than the 1.5-litre but the enthusiasm remains. It's still eager to go and though the real powerband is between 2000-4500 rpm, it's the initial punch that it lacks. The gearbox works seamlessly. The 6-speed manual is great because the throws are short and the clutch travel is less. Now, the clutch is light too and that makes it extremely easy to drive in traffic or highway conditions. Having said that it retains a fuel economy figure of 18.10 kmpl and that's fantastic for a car this size.

The 1-litre engine develops 34 bhp less than the 1.5-litre version

The steering is nice and light too and that means driving in city traffic conditions is made simpler. Yes, there's a hint of body roll, but that's due to the softer dampers but the ride quality is absolutely spot on.

The Taigun 1-litre is priced from Rs. 10.50 lakh going all the way up to Rs. 15.91 lakh and that makes it more expensive than cars like the Kia Seltos and even the Hyundai Creta. It is more or less at par on price with the Skoda Kushaq... but the Top line Manual of the Taigun is Rs. 7000 rupees more expensive than the Kushaq while the Automatic costs more by Rs. 10,000 rupees. But remember the Taigun gets the digital instrument cluster which goes missing in the top variants of the Kushaq.

We feel the price of the 1-litre version of the Taigun should have been more competitive 

It's a closely fought battle then, but the Taigun brings a lot to the table and the 1-litre engine is fun to drive. However, given that the engine and the car are highly localised a more competitive pricing would have sealed the deal for those looking for a compact SUV in the market.