The sub-compact SUV space may be the most trending SUV segment in India currently, but manufacturers quite haven't forgotten the mid-size SUV space. 2019 and Q1 of 2020 saw a huge influx of new mid-size SUVs in the form of the Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Kia Seltos and of course, the new-gen Hyundai Creta. Skoda and Volkswagen too naturally wanted a piece of the pie in this very lucrative segment. Both the brands thus showcased their own mid-size SUV concepts ahead of the 2020 Auto Expo earlier this year. Now, we finally have a timeline about when we could be seeing the Skoda and Volkswagen mid-size SUV on our roads.
Just yesterday, Skoda revealed that they will announce the name of the production-spec Vision IN in the first week of January and that the launch was slated for mid-2021. Now, Volkswagen has revealed that they too will launch the production-spec Taigun around mid-2021. Although both the SUVs are slated for a launch around the same time, it will be production-spec Skoda Vision IN that will be reaching the showrooms first, with Volkswagen following up with the Taigun pretty soon.
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With the Vision IN and Taigun, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India can finally begin to set their pieces in motion for their India 2.0 strategy. As both the brands look towards changing their fortunes in India, these made-in-India SUVs will be key to their success. Owning to localization, you can expect them to priced at par with the segment and given that they are SUVs with a premium badge at a reasonable price, they should do quite well in the market. Although the competition is quite tough, both the SUVs will be well kitted out with features to take the competition up to the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos.
Just like the Hyundai-Kia duo, the Volkswagen Taigun and the Skoda Vision IN will be underpinned by the same MQB-AO-IN platform. They will however be completely different in terms of styling. While Volkswagen showcased the Taigun in close-to-production form earlier this year, the Skoda Vision IN was still very much a concept. Patent images of the Vision IN however do suggest that the production-spec model will be pretty close to the concept.
Under the hood, both the SUVs will have two turbo-petrol engine options - the 1.0L TSI engine from the Vento/Rapid and larger 1.5L TSI engine from the T-Roc/Karoq. The 1.0L engine produces 110hp and 175Nm of torque while the 1.5L engine produces 150hp and 250Nm of torque. The 1.0L TSI engine is likely to be offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 6-speed torque converter transmission while the 1.5L TSI engine is likely to come with a 7-speed DSG as standard. We expect both the SUVs to be priced from around INR 10 lakh and that's quite competitive already. Expect a very closely fought battle in the mid-size SUV segment very soon.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Skoda and Volkswagen updates and other four-wheeler news.
