Volkswagen Taigun launch timeline confirmed

Skoda has launched their mid-size SUV, Kushaq in the Indian market and now it is time for Volkswagen to launch their Taigun. In an interview with Express Drives, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India revealed that the launch and the price announcement of the Taigun will happen in the third week of September. The deliveries will also commence around the same time. A proper date is still not announced by the manufacturer.

Ashish said that both the covid waves have not affected the development of the Taigun and it is going as earlier planned. The media drives of the Taigun will happen in the first week of August. Then the SUV will enter the production stage at Volkswagen’s Pune plant in mid-August. At the same time, the bookings for the Taigun will also be opened.

He also revealed that Volkswagen has planned the variant packaging in a very smart way. They have taken inputs from the customer feedback for this. He also pointed out that the exterior of the Kushaq and Taigun is very different. Also, the cabin layout and the materials being used will also be different.

Also read: Citroen”s 3 new cars for India DETAILED

Another difference between the SUVs will be the feature list. Ashish did not share any details regarding the features on offer. However, we do know that Volkswagen will offer a digital instrument cluster for the driver which they call the digital cockpit.

Underpinnings shared with Skoda Kushaq

Volkswagen Taigun shares its underpinnings with the Skoda Kushaq as Volkswagen is the parent company. The Taigun will be based on the same MQB A0 IN platform that has been specifically made for India. This means that the wheelbase will also be the same, it measures 2,651 mm. The localization level has been set to 95 percent so that the prices of the Taigun can be lowered.

The engine and transmission will be shared with the Kushaq. So, there will be a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI. There will be a manual gearbox as well as an automatic transmission on offer. The 1.0-litre TSI will get a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox while the 1.5-litre TSI will get a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The 1.0-litre will be the more affordable engine. It produces 115 PS of max power and a peak torque output of 178 Nm. The 1.5-litre TSI is the more powerful one as it produces 150 PS of max power and 250 Nm of peak torque.

Competitors

Volkswagen Taigun will be competing against Skoda Kushaq, Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Kia Seltos, Renault Duster, Nissan Kicks. Also, because of its pricing, the Taigun will also lock its horns with Tata Harrier and MG Hector.

Tiguan launch postponed

Ashish also revealed that Volkswagen has postponed the launch of Tiguan which is a 5-seater SUV that sits above Taigun. The SUV was supposed to launch before Taigun but because of the second wave of coronavirus, they could not launch the SUV. So, now they will be launching the Tiguan after Taigun as Taigun is a more important product right now. Also, they did not want the consumers to get confused by launching two new SUVs so close to each other.

Source

Also read: Skoda Kushaq SUV”s official launch & price announcement timeline revealed officially