Volkswagen Taigun Sales Cross 1 Lakh Mark: What Makes It So Popular?
Volkswagen has achieved a significant milestone by selling 100,000 units of the Taigun in the Indian and overseas markets, within three years of launch. The midsize SUV was launched in September 2021. As per numbers released by SIAM, 67,140 Taiguns were sold in India by the end of August 2024, and 32,742 units were exported, taking the total count to 99,882 units. By the first few days of September, the manufacturer hit the significant 100,000-unit mark.
VW Taigun saw its highest domestic sales in FY23- of 21,736 units, although sales have slowed slightly since. On the export front, the peak was 12,621 units in FY24. So Why is this SUV so popular? Here are five good reasons:
1. Safety And Build Quality
One of the most important things people love about the Taigun is its safety and crashworthiness. The SUV looks and feels solid. In the Global NCAP crash tests, it managed to secure a full five-star safety rating for both child and adult protection. What makes this achievement even more impressive is that the Taigun secured this top rating with just dual frontal airbags in some variants at the time of testing. More recently, VW equipped all variants of the Taigun with six airbags as standard.
2. Signature VW Design – Looks Good
The Taigun has an elegant and simple styling. Unlike its Skoda cousin- the Kushaq, the Taigun doesn’t have edgy lines or chiselled surfaces. It is based on the manufacturer’s modern design philosophy and gets 17-inch alloy wheels, smoked-out LED headlamps, Chromed grille etc. VW enthusiasts and people who admire handsome cars will both fall for Taigun’s design.
3. It Is Practical
Volkswagen Taigun is a very practical urban SUV. It has a ground clearance of 188mm, great for most road and rough road scenarios. Driving this vehicle on bad patches, tackling deep potholes, or confronting speed breakers will not scrape the underbody. This is something that’s not so common on German cars. Thanks be to the tweaks that have gone into the MQB A0 IN platform. The folks at Volkswagen have raised it significantly, to make the chassis India-friendly.
4. Gets Two ‘Different’ Engines
The Volkswagen Taigun gets two petrol engines- 1.0L TSI and 1.5L TSI. These differ sharply with their characters. The 1.0L unit produces 115hp and 175Nm while the larger engine lets out 150 hp and 250 Nm. Both get manual and automatic transmissions.
The 1.0L TSI will feel comfortable on open roads and highways that are not congested. In the city buzz, it feels uncomfortable and leaves the driver wishing for more oomph and refinement. It also falls sub-par in fuel efficiency when compared to those of rivals.
The 1.5 TSI is quite a sweet engine. It packs ample oomph and feels fun to drive in both cities and on highways. It gets cylinder deactivation technology that smartly shuts off two cylinders when the vehicle starts coasting. This adds to the fuel efficiency. This engine doesn’t fall too back in city mileage, when compared to the 1.0 TSI and on the highways, it delivers as much if not more than the smaller petrol.
A torque converter automatic comes with the 1.0L petrol while the 7-speed DSG is available only with the larger motor. The good thing here is that VW offers the right engine-transmission combos for the right set of buyers. This diversity is being loved by many.
5. Ride And Handling
The Taigun handles almost like a German car. The suspension has a controlled nature and performs well around corners and in high-speed scenarios. On rough roads, it feels slightly on the firmer side- like you would expect from a German car. People including us seem to love these dynamics.