Taigun 1.0L to see more demand than 1.5L: VW India’s Ashish Gupta

With less than a month to go for the Volkswagen Taigun’s official launch on September 23, the German carmaker is readying the marketplace for its first product under the India 2.0 project. On August 18, Volkswagen India commenced series production of the midsize SUV at its Chakan plant in Pune and also opened pre-bookings.

The powertrain options on the Volkswagen Taigun are identical to that of the Skoda Kushaq – two turbo-petrol engines – a 115hp, 1.0-litre three-cylinder and a 150hp, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder unit. Both engines will come with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, with the 1.0 TSI getting a 6-speed torque converter automatic option and the 1.5 TSI getting a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Volkswagen India expects the Taigun’s 1.0-litre variant to witness more demand. According to Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, the 1.5L variant will be preferred by consumers who seek more power in their cars. “It all comes down to individual choices. Our market analysis says that 80% will be for the 1.0L and the remaining 20% will be for the 1.5L,” he said.

Speaking at a product preview in Chennai, the brand director added that, “The choices in this segment are mainly dominated by two players. This segment will grow further in the coming years. Currently, we are at around 1% of market share and we hope to sell 4,000-5,000 cars a month. That should help us in doubling our share in the Indian market.”

Chennai is the second city after Bengaluru for the Taigun preview, and will be followed by Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Chandigarh over the upcoming weekends. Speaking about the sales split between states for the company in India, Gupta mentioned that the southern part of India has been a major market for its diesel cars.

“We have two regions: India One (Northern India, Gujarat and North East) and India Two which basically covers the South. So far, the share has been 65% for India two and 35% for India one. With the Taigun, the percentage is expected to change as this segment and the product suits the India One region more,” he stated.

While the Taigun and the Skoda Kushaq are based on the same MQB A0 IN  platform, the VW SUV has its own identity. The front face gets single-piece headlights, two-slat chrome grille and chrome inserts on the lower part of the bumper. At the rear, the tail-light cluster runs across the width of the tailgate distinguishing the Taigun from the Kushaq. Top-spec variants of the SUV will get a 10-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and the My Volkswagen connect app, automatic climate control, USB Type-C ports, wireless charging pad and more. It will also come with six airbags, ESC (standard across all trims), tyre pressure deflation warning, and ISOFIX child seat mounts.