Long Term Review: Highway report

With the Volkswagen Taigun’s city report done last time, it was time to hit the highways. The highways are where the Taigun feels completely at home. The excellent chassis, stiff-ish suspension set-up and lovely steering mean the Taigun is one of the better SUVs to enjoy driving. We planned a nice almost 400km trip, and the Taigun was running at almost full capacity; basically, four people and their luggage.

The one-litre TSI engine might not have the big horsepower numbers of the 1.5-litre but drive within its limits, and it never feels underpowered. That said, there is no replacement for displacement and the 1.5-litre engine is still the pick of the lot, offering a more exciting drive and easier overtakes.

Even with an almost full load, the engine is peppy, and thanks to the paddle shifters, one can keep the engine on the boil for short bursts of acceleration and quick overtakes. When driven normally, the engine also feels relaxed and extremely refined, chugging along at 120kmph.

The engine apart, the Taigun is also extremely well set up on the suspension front. While in the city it feels stiff, out on the highways, that stiff suspension set-up gives it immense composure and stability. The steering is also fantastic, and when you do hit the twists and turns, the Taigun just eggs you on to push harder. It grips hard and the body roll is very minimal for an SUV, which inspires a lot of confidence.

Now the Taigun isn’t as spacious as some of its rivals, but four passengers and their luggage were not an issue for it at all. Legroom and headroom are available in plenty, and the well-cushioned seats mean the rear passengers can sit for long hours without any fatigue. The aircon also works well, and the passengers never really complained about cooling. So for a family of four, the Taigun makes for an ideal family car.

Now talking about the fuel efficiency, the Taigun struggled in the high tens in town but went up in the high twelves on the highway. All throughout the drive, the Taigun managed a decent 12.8kmpl with an almost full load, with the occasional ghat climbs and some enthusiastic driving thrown in.

Next, we will be talking about the most useful features in the Taigun and some features that it lacks.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi