Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus variant launched with ventilated seats

The German automotive giant Volkswagen India recently announced that it will be offering its popular mid-size SUV Taigun’s GT Plus variant with the luxury feature of ventilated seats. Earlier in a bid to keep the prices of the top-end GT Plus variant low, the company did not offer the ventilated seat option in the top-spec variant. The company also announced that those who do not require the ventilated seats can also get the GT Plus variant without it. The premium for the GT Plus variant with ventilated seats will be Rs 25,000. With this bump, the price of the GT Plus variant will become Rs 18.96 lakh.

Earlier in September of last year, to commemorate the occasion of the first anniversary of the model, the carmaker launched the Anniversary Edition of the Taigun. The Anniversary Edition model is based on the Dynamic Line, the top-of-the-line variant of the model which is available on the 1.0 TSI MT & AT.

The model offered some minor aesthetic improvements. The Taigun’s exterior and interior featured “1st” anniversary badges to give it a sportier appearance. A total of 11 specifically created components made up the Taigun First Anniversary Edition, including high-lux fog lights, body-colored door garnish, black C-pillar graphics, black roof foil, door-edge guard, black ORVM caps, window visors, and aluminum pedals.

Also read: Kia launches 6-seater version of Carnival MPV in India

With the new First Anniversary Taigun Edition, there are three exterior colour options: Rising Blue, Curcuma Yellow, and Wild Cherry Red. It also continues to come standard with the full array of 40+ safety features, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), up to 6 airbags, multi-collision brakes, a rearview camera, ISOFIX, and a tyre pressure deflation warning system. For the protection of the rear passengers, it also incorporates three adjustable headrests and three-point seat belts.

As for the drivetrain options, the limited edition of the model received the same two engine options. These options include a 1.0L TSI engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 6-speed automatic transmission option. These engines provide a maximum power of 115PS (85 kW) between 5000 and 5500 rpm and a maximum torque of 178Nm between 1750 and 4500 rpm, respectively. While the 1.5L TSI EVO engine has a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DSG gearbox option, it produces a maximum of 250Nm of torque at 1600-3500 rpm and 150PS of power at 5000–6000 rpm. The Active Cylinder Technology (ACT) and engine idle start/stop technologies are also included with the 1.5L TSI EVO engine.

In other related news, last year in October it was reported that the Volkswagen Taigun and its cousin the Skoda Kushaq both SUVs scored a 5-star safety rating. Both vehicles have received the rating under the new crash test protocols of Global NCAP. Both the cars scored 29.64 points out of 34 for adult safety protection and 42 points out of 49 for child safety. Both the cars come with front airbags and ESC as standard, which helped the cars get the highest ratings.

Both cars provided adequate head and neck protection for the driver and passenger, according to Global NCAP. Both the driver’s and the passenger’s chests displayed acceptable and good protection, respectively. The knees of the driver and passenger displayed decent protection. The tibias of the driver exhibited just marginally acceptable protection, while those of the passenger showed considerable protection.

Also read: 10 DC Design cars & how they look in the REAL world: Maruti Swift to Mahindra XUV500