The Volkswagen Taigun finally gets a new gearbox and a new face, but how does that change the game? We find that out.
Photography – VW India and Sanjay Raikar
Contesting in the hottest segment in the Indian automotive space is not child’s play, and when you are a German company, everything becomes quite serious, just like the Volkswagen Taigun, which has received a mild cosmetic update. The talking point of this mid-size SUV is its new eight-speed automatic gearbox. We drove the new VW Taigun from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dholavira to the City of Lakes, Udaipur, in the unforgiving Indian summer. The drive took a toll on us, but how did the Taigun fare? Read on to find out.
Volkswagen cars are known for their robust build, strong performance, tractable engines, agile handling, and, most importantly, incredible stability. The 2026 VW Taigun has all the aforementioned attributes. Still, the latest mechanical change, the eight-speed torque converter from Aisin, became the talking point of the entire conversation ever since VW announced it on 9 April 2026.
However, before I get to that juicy bit, here are the cosmetic changes. The Taigun gets a new face that is more in line with the Tayron R Line, giving it a more premium look. The silhouette remains the same as before, but it gets new 17-inch alloys that look pretty good. Another change, available only on the 1.5-litre TSI variants, is the addition of rear disc brakes. Talking of the rear, things remain similar to the earlier Taigun, with a chunky, connected tail-lamp featuring a revised design. And for 2026, the Taigun gets illuminated monograms at both ends.
VW has updated the cabin with a new silver trim on the dashboard and a new 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system that runs refreshed software and remains quite intuitive and easy to use. It has also updated the air-conditioning system, which is powered by a variable-displacement compressor for improved cooling, and I must report that it worked quite well in the 45-degree Celsius heat of Gujarat and Rajasthan. However, the sunroof, which is a new addition, doesn’t really make sense in a hot country like ours.
Coming to the main character of the new VW Taigun, the eight-speed torque-converter automatic is quite interesting. But, before that, the new Taigun is based on the same MQB-A0-IN platform as before, and it also retains the 1.0-litre TSI and 1.5-litre TSI turbo-petrol engine options. It is the 1.0 TSI that gets the new eight-speed torque converter. Earlier, the six-speed torque converter was often criticised for its thirstiness. VW has addressed that issue, and the new automatic transmission, in conjunction with the 1.0 TSI, promises to deliver 19.54 km/l.
On paper, it looks good, but we can only confirm it after a proper road test. What we can confirm at this juncture is that this gearbox has been tuned to make life a lot easier than before, thanks to two extra cogs that allow the engine to relax throughout the rev-range. In the city, this new gearbox shifts quietly from cog to cog, keeping the revs low even at 30-40 km/h. In fact, when you wish to engage the throttle for an overtake, the eight-speed torque-converter kicks down rapidly to provide enough grunt to pass any vehicle on the road.
I mean, the 115 hp is delivered between 5,000 and 5,500 rpm, but the 178 Nm is available between 1,850 and 4,000 rpm. Combine this with the new eight-speed automatic transmission, and you have a smooth and effortless drive even at slower city speeds. And, yes, there is turbo lag; however, it is kept to a minimum. I hardly felt it throughout our 200-kilometre-long road trip in the 1.0 TSI eight-speed Taigun. However, where the gearbox shines is at high cruising speeds. For most of the drive, we stuck to the highways of Gujarat and Rajasthan, where the average speed was around 80-100 km/h, and it was here that I noticed the gearbox working its magic. The engine was barely turning over at 2,000 rpm, keeping it stress-free and smooth.
So, I let some enthusiasm out and pushed it to 125 km/h, and it stayed smooth, with the tachometer hardly moving beyond 2,300 rpm. This shows how good the eight-speed torque converter is. This AQ300 from Aisin may seem like a small change to the average customer, but it changes the efficiency game for the Taigun, which might work wonders for VW in the mid-size SUV game. Plus, the automatic variant now starts at Rs 13.80 lakh (ex-showroom), which is quite competitive. However, the missing ADAS, 360-degree camera, and a few comfort features may not work in the Taigun’s favour.
Still, if you are looking for a solid product backed by quality engineering, five-star safety, amazing drivability, and near-perfect handling, then the VW Taigun provides better value for money than some of its peers.
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