Compact SUVs are in big demand in India but there are very few options for buyers. Although many automakers are working on compact SUVs, you can only buy the Renault Duster/Nissan Terrano or Ford EcoSport as the Mahindra Quanto and Premier Rio don’t feel competent enough in front of the aforementioned cars. Maruti Suzuki will launch its compact SUV in 2015 while GM is considering the launch of the Chevrolet Trax and Honda is working on a Brio based SUV. Volkswagen already has the Taigun compact SUV which was unveiled in concept guise in Brazil only last year.
The Taigun utilises the Up! platform and has been highly awaited. However Volkswagen will only launch the Taigun in India in 2016 as the company has to extensively localise components to achieve a competitive price point. The Volkswagen Taigun will be showcased at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo which will enable Volkswagen to take feedback from customers on the vehicle. This seems quite early considering Volkswagen is yet to unveil the production spec model. The Taigun is mainly aimed at emerging markets like Indian and Brazil.
The Volkswagen Taigun is quite light, weighing under a tonne. The concept model featured a 1.0-litre TSI engine which outputs 110 PS and 175 Nm, returning a claimed fuel economy of 22 km/l. The Volkswagen Taigun 1.0 TSI can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/hr in just 9.2 seconds while the top speed is 186 km/hr. In India, the Taigun will be powered by 1.2-litre TSI and 1.5-litre TDI engines. The car is 3859 mm in length and thus it ticks the sub 4-metre requirement, thereby classifying itself as a small car in the Indian market. Expect prices to start from Rs. 7.75 lakhs.
