Volkswagen Taigun review, first drive: Is it still the enthusiasts choice?

Five years after redefining what an enthusiast-friendly compact SUV could be, the facelifted Volkswagen Taigun returns with refreshed styling, added features and updated tech, while promising to retain its signature driving appeal.

Volkswagen is synonymous with making cars that have absolutely redeeming quality, driving dynamics. So when the Taigun came out, there were doubts whether an SUV would be able to maintain that streak of handling and adrenaline rush. But the Taigun proved everyone wrong, and while it may have never topped the sales charts, or be the best at anything that most comfort or practicality-oriented customers want, the SUV gave the masses an option to have a sizeable car, with numerous features without compromising on how it handles. And now five years later, the Taigun has gone through its first major upgrade and VW planned an elaborate drive from Dholavira in Gujarat to Srinagar in Kashmir, and we got to experience the SUV in perhaps the best part of it all, driving from Katra to Srinagar.

Before we get into how the Taigun drives, because yes, that is the big selling point of this car, VW has also made it look a bit different. This is a facelift hence most of the body panels are the same as before, but the front fascia has been revised. It looks less boxy than before, and features a minimalist grille that has a light strip running across it. Also, the VW logo in the middle lights up, like the premium offerings from the German maker. The headlamps are not boxy anymore, and feature a strip LED DRL, as well as the foglamps integrated into the same housing, which looks pretty upmarket. Kudos to the designers for sticking to their design ethos and not turning up with a split headlamp or bottom-placed headlamp situation.

The Taigun continues with the same silhouette as before, but it does get a new design for the alloy wheels, which on the top-spec car we drove came in black. The roof rails are also new and finished in black. The rear feels a bit disappointing though, because it has sort of used the same look as before, while using a much more intricate setup with a 3D-looking full-LED strip, as well as wraparound elements. The illuminated VW logo does look pretty cool though. Overall, the Taigun looks fresh, but the designers could have taken more liberties with the design, considering that even polarising-looking cars have done really well in our market, but one can’t blame them for playing it safe.

Inside, the Taigun feels familiar and one has to really pay attention to spot the differences, but there are plenty. The dash layout is the same as before, but now it comes with slightly better plastics, also not in the red that felt a bit childish. The infotainment is 10.1-inch as before but gets an updated UI, that feels snappier. And the inbuilt data readouts are fun, the off-road display tells you the altitude or the angle of the car, while the performance screen tells you the turboboost pressure. The 10.25-inch instrumentation is lovely, it is crisp, and the ‘analogue’ dials look very good, plus the added benefit of customisation. This display may be one of the most configurable displays in the segment and I for one, loved the acceleration and the altitude readouts right there.

The space is as before, and while it feels sufficient, it does fall short of what other competitors offer in 2026, but there is now the benefit of a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, and the fact that there are separate switches to open the sun blind and the glass pane is just the kind of the German attention to detail that makes the Taigun endearing. Features are plenty on the Taigun, including automatic climate control, ambient lighting, wireless charger, and the fact that it gets powered and ventilated seats for both the driver and the co-driver. VW also claims that the aircon compressor has been improved, but considering the sub-15 degree conditions in the mountains, we didn’t get a chance to experience this, however the climate control panel is the same old touch-based unit, and this was a really needed change. Accidental touches happen often and the panel isn’t glare-friendly.

As before, there are two engine options – the 1.0 TSI with 115bhp on tap and the enthusiast favorite 1.5-TSI. The smaller motor does get a new gearbox with this update, an 8-speed unit instead of the older 6, and it does feel a bit different. In city conditions, the gearbox is slightly confused, nothing glaring, but one expects a better engine/gearbox tuning from VW. On the highways though, the torque converter behaves much better, it lets the motor breathe easily, and if you do decide to floor it, a mild hesitation later it kicks down, and it also gets manual control, but it isn’t very quick, so it's just better to keep it in sport mode. The extra gears do mean that 100kmph or higher cruising speeds will mean fuel sipping instead of guzzling.

We got to drive on beautiful winding roads, fast ones, and the Taigun takes the cake in being the handler, the steering is an absolute dream, minor corrections, or fast lane switches, the chassis can handle it all, also because the 1.0 TSI is a smaller motor, it feels a bit more nimble and lighter compared to the 1.5, and for a lot of people this setup would easily suffice.

For those who want the top-end grunt, the 1.5 TSI continues to be a party. It is lively, the power delivery is punchy and the DCT is extremely quick. Pushing the 1.0 is fun, but pushing the 1.5 becomes a challenge, because the car is capable of a lot more than the driving skills of yours truly. The Taigun is so well built, that hitting apexes is not complicated, especially with the communicative steering, it manages body roll nicely too. And this peak of dynamics doesn’t make the Taigun any less capable for bad roads, in fact the chassis along with the suspension has been tuned to near perfection, it handles bad roads nicely, and without any alarming noises, sure it is not as capable on bad patches as some more family-friendly options, but it feels absolutely at home, whether it be great tarmac or broken patches.

Verdict

The Taigun update is important for Volkswagen to gain some momentum back, and what is important is how it has grown with its looks and more premium kit without losing out on what the Taigun stood for since day one – performance. The SUV is still the pick of the pack, and yes, the new Skoda Kushaq is almost the same, but the Taigun looks a bit better, and while the new Duster packs a punch in dynamics as well as handling our roads, the Taigun does carry the badge of German-engineering with itself.

Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine

- Ends