Volkswagen Taigun long term review, 11,400km report

It’s frankly a difficult question to answer. “What’s the one thing that stands out?” asks a close friend. Hmm. I’ve just recommended the feisty Taigun, and he wants me to distil it down to one word. Arriving at the right answer isn’t exactly easy. I want to tell him about the strong performance, the slick gearbox, the comfortable seats, how well the cabin is put together, the confidence-inspiring steering, the 5-star safety rating; a whole host of things. But eventually, I boil it down to just one word – quality. Now yes, Volkswagen has stepped quality down and, in places, the use of the cost accountant’s scalpel is visible. Still, the one word that sums up the Volkswagen Taigun experience best is quality. And it is quality you can see, quality you can feel and quality you experience.

Where do I begin? How about the seats? They have just the right cushioning, they are superbly supportive, and what adds to comfort is that they are both long and large. The part-textile part-leather seats are beautifully built and running my hand along them is a tactile experience I enjoy. The rear seats, placed higher than the front seats, are also very good. Visibility is great, thigh and back support are first rate and the use of vertical space also makes up for the Taigun’s relative lack of length.

Then there’s the plastic quality. The fit, the finish, the grain all impart an overriding ‘made-with-care’ impression. Yes, plastics lower down in the cabin are not as sophisticated or well-built, and the headliner is also ordinary. But these apart, there are several other areas that stand out: the material quality of the pillars, the manner in which the seats ratchet home with a solid clack, the German door shut and the rubber mats with their smart upturned edges that keep dirt in. Settling down behind the wheel, I quickly remember the sumptuous and tactile feel of the leather-lined steering wheel. I love the easy-to-read-at-a-glance dials and even the windscreen stands out for clarity – the distortion-free curvature and a near-perfect tint. 

Performance is so strong and effortless, I often chose this car for recce runs. And it was here, chasing the Rajdhani from Nashik to Mumbai or scooting around from Colaba in Mumbai to Mandwa, across the harbour, where I enjoyed some of my most fun drives in the Taigun GT. The grip and balance of the chassis, the manner in which it thrives at speed rather than ‘fall apart,’ and the fact that you all but forget how high off the ground it is, all stand out. This is clearly the midsize SUV to go for if you like to drive yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s the 1.0 TSI, 1.5 TSI, manual or automatic, they all drive really well.  

The fact that I had to take the key out of my pocket every time was a bit of a pain and the red on the dash got me seeing red. But now that the Taigun is going, I’ll miss the sheer depth of engineering, the sharp focus on quality and VW’s fundamentally different approach, where it engineers every car to be better and not just cheaper. 

Also see: 

Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 TSI GT long term review, 11,000km report

Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 TSI GT long term review, 10,000km report

Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 TSI GT long term review, 7,300km report