Volkswagen Taigun Gets A Nip And Tuck

On similar lines to the 2026 Skoda Kushaq, the facelifted Volkswagen Taigun gets modest visual changes, additional kit and a key mechanical change

Story: Team Car India

It was only a matter of time until the Volkswagen Taigun would get a proper midlife refresh since its cousin the Skoda Kushaq recently got it. That time is now. The refreshed mid-size SUV has been revealed and like its cousin there are modest changes inside and out.

Starting with the exterior changes, much of the overall elegant silhouette remains the same, but up front there’s a sleeker grille moving more in line with its larger member of the family the Tiguan R-Line. That’s complimented by a tweaked air dam and a connected LED DRL strip with an illuminated logo.

On the sides, the only change is a new set of alloy wheels. In similar fashion to the front, the rear gets a redesigned LED tail-light connected by a LED DRL strip with an illuminated Volkswagen badge at its centre. These are surrounded by a gloss black housing with horizontal linear grooves connecting both ends. Overall, the changes are subtle yet significant enough to keep things fresh.

Step inside and in a similar fashion to the Kushaq, the facelifted Volkswagen Taigun gets a different theme and larger 10.25-inch instrument cluster with more modern graphics. There’s also an updated 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with a Google AI assistant, as well as the crowd-favourite panoramic sunroof, and dual-colour ambient lighting.

These are incremental additions to an already decent features list like wireless smartphone connectivity, Type-C charging ports, rear AC vents, automatic climate control, as well as six-way powered and ventilated front seats. On the safety front you get six airbags, parking camera with sensors, electronic stability control, hill hold assist, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Mechanically, it carries on with the tried and trusted 115-hp 1.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol and the 150-hp 1.5-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine options. The main change here is the 1.0 TSI getting a new eight-speed automatic (AQ300) alongside the six-speed manual, replacing the AQ250 six-speed torque converter automatic unit. The 1.5 TSI comes mated exclusively to a seven-speed DSG.

Spread across seven trims, the new Volkswagen Taigun will feature trim-specific upholstery, with the range spanning from Comfortline to GT Plus Sport.

The facelifted Volkswagen Taigun will rekindle its rivalry against its cousin the Skoda Kushaq as well as the Renault Duster, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Tata Sierra, Honda Elevate, Maruti Suzuki Victoris and Grand Vitara, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder and the MG Astor. It will be available in a total of nine colours including two new Avocado Pearl and Steel grey options.