It is expected that German manufacturer Volkswagen could also be in the process of making a new compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) for the Indian auto market. This vehicle is named as Taigun and could be the first vehicle to be created on the existing Up! New Small Family (NSF) platform. It made a debut at the Sao Paulo International Motor Show during October 2012 and could be seen in India by 2016.
The length of this vehicle is 3859 mm, which allows it to qualify for the excise duty rules on small cars below the length of 4000 mm. Experts believe that the Volkswagen Taigun would be fitted with a 1.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine that would generate a maximum power of 108 bhp. Though the engine bay of this compact SUV is not big enough to accommodate a 4-cylinder engine, it may just be modified to be fitted with a new 1.5 litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine, which is being made by Volkswagen for India. Interestingly, a different possibility was pointed out by Volkswagen's R&D boss Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, who said, “A future three-cylinder 1.4-litre diesel is a possibility for the Taigun and we are looking at it.”
In the new Taigun, it is expected that no 4-wheel drive will be available, as the NSF platform has designed specially for using front wheel drive system. However, this compact SUV might come fitted with an Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Though the concept car weighs only at 985 kg, it is anticipated that the production version would be heavier. It is much more simplistic as compared to the soon-to-be-launched Ford EcoSport and has been created with an idea to offend none. Though Taigun is first being developed for the South American market, it is expected to hit Indian market by 2016.
When the Taigun is launched in India, it will compete against other compact SUVs Renault Duster, Mahindra Quanto and Premier Rio. The design of this compact SUV is much more sophisticated as compared to rivals in this segment. In order to draw sales volumes for the market, the company would try to make to make this vehicle into a winning product.
