Volkswagen has launched the facelifted Taigun at a starting price of Rs 11 lakh (ex-showroom) while introducing an assured buyback programme to enhance ownership appeal. The company is offering a guaranteed residual value of 75 per cent of the ex-showroom price under the scheme, valid for up to three years or 30,000 km. The benefit applies to bookings made on or before May 31, 2026.

At the entry level, the Taigun facelift is priced about Rs 31,000 higher than its mechanically similar sibling, the Skoda Kushaq facelift. It is also costlier than the recently launched Renault Duster (Rs 10.49 lakh–Rs 18.49 lakh). Other competitors include the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Honda Elevate, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, Tata Sierra and Maruti Victoris, placing the Taigun in a crowded and price-sensitive mid-size SUV space.

Decoding the update

Mechanically, the update retains the existing turbo-petrol engine lineup — a 1.0-litre TSI producing 115 hp and a 1.5-litre TSI delivering 150 hp. Fuel efficiency figures have seen marginal gains, with the 1.0 TSI MT rated at 19.98 kpl, the 1.0 TSI AT at 19.54 kpl, and the 1.5 TSI DCT at 18.85 kpl. Higher variants also introduce rear disc brakes, addressing a long-standing customer demand, dealers tell us.

However, despite some feature additions, the Taigun misses out on certain elements offered by its Skoda counterpart, notably a rear-seat massage function, which could impact its value proposition against closely matched rivals. The Taigun launch will follow introduction of the updated Virtus and another lot of the GTI sports hatch. The brand will enter the compact SUV segment next year with an all-new model.