Volkswagen Taigun: What to expect from the upcoming SUV
After the Skoda Kushaq, the second SUV to be launched under the India 2.0 project will be the Volkswagen Taigun. There could be major platform as well as the drivetrain sharing among the two
By Aditya Jadhav
After the Skoda Kushaq, the second SUV to be launched under the India 2.0 project will be the Volkswagen Taigun. There will be major platform as well as the drivetrain sharing among the two
Volkswagen Group’s, Skoda Auto India has been leading the project dubbed ‘India-2.0’. A project where the German carmaker will prioritze the doesmectic (Indian) carmarket and develop products after a thorough market study. The Skoda Kushaq that was unveiled recently, is the first car under Volkswagen-Skoda India’s, ‘India-2.0 Project’. Similarly, the second car is likely to be from the Volkswagen brand - Taigun. While the Skoda Kushaq is based on Skoda’s Vision IN concept, Volkswagen India showcased the Taigun concept at the same time - which we expect to follow the Kushaq’s launch. The Taigun will be positioned alongside the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in the India market - just as the Kushaq. While the key difference will be in terms of styling and minor tweaks in the feature list, the Taigun and Kushaq will exhibit a few similarites as well.
Platform
Skoda Auto India has highly Indianised the MQB A0 platform and the new iteration has been dubbed the MQB A0 IN. That underpins the new Kushaq. It has been confirmed that the plaform will also underpin the upcoming sedan for the Indian market. The MQB A0 IN platform will also underpin the Volkswagen Taigun as a part of platform sharing.
Drivetrain
The Skoda Kushaq has two engine options and each of them will come with a choice of a standard manual and an optional automatic transmission. The Taigun will benefit from the same engine and transmission options. A 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit. Both the engines are turbocharged petrol powered units.
Features
The Kushaq offers a feature list at par with the main rivals - Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos. You can read a feature comparison here. The Volkswagen Taigun might benefit from the same feature list as the Karoq. LED headlamp, similar sized touch-operated infotainment system with car-connected features and ventilated seats, could be on offer with the Volkswagen Taigun.
Pricing
The prices of the Skoda Kushaq will be announced by June, 2021 and the Taigun is expected to follow in the coming months. Expect the Kushaq to be positioned between Rs 10-16 lakh ex-showroom as the 95 per cent of the Kushaq has been locally produced. Similar treatment could be expected with the Volkswagen Taigun. Most likely the Volkswagen Taigun could under-cut the Skoda Kushaq and see a price tag of Rs 10-15 lakh ex-showroom across variants.
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