Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) may have completely fallen through on their promise to introduce the new Polo, but rumour has it that they’ve got something else up their sleeves.
We’ve heard from inside sources that the India-made Volkswagen Taigun crossover will be introduced in its place. The Taigun is a long-wheelbase derivative of the Volkswagen T-Cross, their smallest SUV. It is also closely related to the Skoda Kushaq.
In terms of size and pricing, the Taigun slots below the Volkswagen T-ROC, which in turn slots below the Tiguan – the only car mentioned so far that is available in Malaysia.
The Taigun is built on a variant of the MQB platform called the MQB A0 IN. This variant is said to be made specifically with the Indian market in mind.
By that, Volkswagen means that it will meet Indian emission and safety requirements, up to 95% of localisation of parts, and that it will be “cost competitive”. No actual technical details were shared that describe how the MQB A0 IN compares versus the standard MQB chassis.
Two petrol engines are planned for the Taigun – a 1.0L 3-cylinder TSI or a 1.5L 4-cylinder TSI. The 1.0 TSI produces 115bhp and 175Nm of torque. The 1.5 TSI produces 150bhp and 250Nm of torque.
India, a 6-speed manual will be available for both engines. However, the smaller engine gets the option fo a 6-speed conventional automatic while the 4-cylinder gets a 7-speed DSG.
In India, features that will be on the Taigun include:
- LED headlamps
- 17″ dual-tone alloy wheels
- continuous LED tail light strip
- ventilated leather front seats
- ambient lighting
- electric sunroof
- digital instrument cluster
- leather-wrapped steering wheel with multi-functional buttons
- 10″ infotainment screen
- My Volkswagen Connect
- Apple Carplay
- Android Auto
- Type C USB Charging port
- Electronic Stability Control
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
- Rear Parking Sensors
- Hild Hold assist
- 6 airbags
| Wheelbase | 2,651 mm |
|---|---|
| Length | 4,200 mm |
| Width | 1,760 mm |
That’s really all the solid information that’s out on the Volkswagen Taigun. No colour options, launch date or price tag has been set as of yet. However, indications are that the launch is just days away in India.
For Malaysia, we’re even more unsure of the final price, launch date and equipment list. Our guess is that it will be positioned to fight off either the Perodua Ativa or Proton X50 and likely be priced between the two. You have to remember that even though this is a crossover, it’s literally an entry point into the brand.
It also doesn’t seem like Volkswagen has equipped the Taigun with any active safety equipment. However, if those systems from the T-Cross can be fitted onto the Malaysian version of the Taigun, then it might stand a better chance at competing against Proton and Perodua’s little crossovers.
