Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq in a drag race: Which one is quicker?

The arrival of Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq in the premium compact SUV segment has only spiced up the competition, which has been witnessing the leadership of the Korean duo of Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos. Both Taigun and Kushaq have set up new benchmarks in performance and driving appeal with their best-in-class 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine options, thus making them the new top favourites of driving enthusiasts. So, finding which one is the quicker SUV to drive is a question that has popped in several minds, given that both of them are essentially the same vehicles under the skin.

A YouTube video uploaded by ‘Aayush SSM’ gives a glimpse of the comparison of 0-100 km/h sprints of Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq, with their range-topping variants compared head-on. Both the SUVs here get the same heart under the bonnet, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Even the maximum power output of 150 PS and the maximum torque output of 250 Nm is the same in both the SUVs.

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Which one wins the race?

The drag race till they reach the speed of 100 km/h between Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq consisted of multiple rounds with two different drivers in the SUVs. In the first set of rounds, the Taigun surprisingly seemed to have a clear lead over the Kushaq every single time. However, for the second round of the drag race, the drivers switched between the SUVs. And this time, the Kushaq managed to maintain a clear lead over the Taigun.

Why did this happen?

Despite having the same engine and transmission combination, the test results were different in both rounds, due to only one reason. Rather than showing which SUV is the better one over the other in terms of acceleration, it ended up being a comparison of the driving skills of both the drivers. Aayush, who first drove the Taigun in the first rounds and the Kushaq in the second stage of the drag race and was the winner in both the rounds had a better launching technique compared to Amit, who first drove the Kushaq and then Taigun.

This video clearly shows that if two vehicles have identical chassis and powertrain setups, it is the skill of the driver, which matters the most. For quicker acceleration, it is important to have more optimum control over the accelerator, brake and the engagement of the right gear. It is why both the SUVs won in consecutive but the same rounds with the same driver on the board in the winning SUV.

Apart from the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, both the Taigun and Kushaq are also available with the 1.5-litre TSI engine coupled to a 6-speed manual gearbox, thus giving a more varied choice to driving enthusiasts. In addition, the SUVs are also available with a less powerful but exciting 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which makes 115 PS of power and 175 Nm of torque and comes with the transmission choices of a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic.

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