The pair of the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq are two of the most important new launches coming up this year. While Skoda has already announced the launch date for the Kushaq in the Indian market, Volkswagen is yet to announce the same for the Taigun. Both the Taigun and the Kushaq are underpinned by the heavily localized MQB-A0-IN platform and will be the very first products under Volkswagen's India 2.0 strategy. While the Kushaq is all set to hit showrooms next month, VW continues testing uncamouflaged test mules of the Taigun on our roads before hitting full-scale production.
Here's a video of the Volkswagen Taigun spotted testing in and around the streets of Pune. This video gives us a good glimpse of how the Kushaq will look like in flesh on our roads. Now, both the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq are identical in terms of dimensions. However, both SUVs are styled very uniquely. While the Kushaq has a distinct sporty persona, the Taigun, in typical Volkswagen fashion, is understated and yet looks elegant and premium. While most body panels feature clean and mature lines typical to Volkswagen, the front and rear bumpers make the SUV stand out with a healthy dose of chrome and black body cladding.
Also Read : Skoda Kushaq - Trims, Colors, Features and Specs Detailed
The front fascia of the SUV gets twin-pod LED headlights with LED DRLs. This video also gives us a glimpse at lower trims of the Taigun, which will feature a different design for the headlamps with halogen bulbs and LED DRLs positioned in the lower half. The face is characterized by plenty of chrome on the grille and bumper, which may come across as excessively blingy to some. The Taigun perhaps looks the most appealing from the rear with its LED tail lamps connected by a seamless LED light bar.
It must be mentioned here that the Taigun shares its doors, glass area and roof with the Kushaq, and they are identical in both SUVs. Their uniqueness in design comes from the front and rear end styling. A roof mounted spoiler, roof rails and faux skid plates on the bumpers complete the SUV look for the Taigun. In terms of size, the Volkswagen Taigun, as well as the Skoda Kushaq, will be slightly smaller than the duo of Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta. However, they still have the longest wheelbase in class of 2.6 meters.
On the inside, the Taigun will be a little better equipped than the Kushaq, with a major highlight being VW's virtual instrument cluster, which the latter misses out on. Under the hood, the Volkswagen Taigun will have two engine options - there will be the 115PS/175Nm 1.0L TSI turbo-petrol engine, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission. There will also be a larger 150hp/250Nm 1.5L TSI engine, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Taigun is expected to be launched in August this year, with prices likely to range between INR 12-18 lakh (ex-showroom).
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Volkswagen updates and other four-wheeler news.
