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The vibrancy of Pondicherry connects all the dots of the hustle mode for the all-new Volkswagen Taigun. Ever since Taigun was launched, it has gotten immense love from every part of the country. Its straight-line design, DSG gearbox, legroom and overall cabin ambience are as vibrant as the city’s Pondicherry. The quiet town by the beach with colourful building facades will take you back years ago when it used to be a french colony. Even the street names are still reminiscent of the colonial hangover, and you will come across many streets starting with RUE, for example, RUE DAMAS, RUE SURCOUF etc. In Essence, a real European feels like the Volkswagen Taigun. We made it strike a pose in its Curcuma yellow colour against various shades of yellow street facades that Pondicherry offers. The Taigun, with its perfect proportions and size, can easily navigate itself along the narrow lanes carrying comfortably four adults with plenty of boot space [ 385 litres]. It’s also a head-turner wherever you take it. Playful yet disciplined. Whether it’s cruising the 150 km drive from Chennai to Pondicherry at top speeds with complete stability, even when the occasional holy cow appears on the street, the braking is always on point.
Taigun will respond to all your driving needs and will stay in complete harmony with your throttle response. The drive is further amplified with lush greenery all around the roads, and the music belting out of the six speakers will keep you entertained, mystical and awake. The drive-in Taigun will be so much fun that there is simply no stoppage required, and you can merely dash on the highway without any leg-stretch breaks required.

McPherson’s suspension and stabiliser bar absorbed all the shocks thrown at it without you even realising it would be the highlight of the drive. Even if it is an off-road stretch, especially when you take a detour and go towards Auroville farms, roads in that stretch can be treacherous. Still, the all-new Volkswagen Taigun not only glides through those mud stretches but also corners the narrow turns and bends skillfully without a wrinkle on its skin. Pondicherry is famous for its numerous cafes; all have a certain vibe that will resonate with the vibe which Taigun brings to the table. Coffee table rather. The satisfaction of a well-brewed coffee going down your throat is the same as reviving and pushing the rpm needle up towards the redline, 1.5-litre engine producing 250 NM of torque with 150 PS of power mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox is what it comes with. And if you like your coffee with any other shade of black, there is also a manual 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine with 113 bhp and 175 Nm, which is as playful as the other variant.

For any driver, the cabin environment can make or break the experience, and that’s where Taigun really bowls you over with its clean approach, having electronic stability across all variants with 6 airbags as standard plus an electronic differential and brake disc wiping; in the top-spec variant, it comes with side and curtain airbags. Having a single pane sunroof when you are moving around a city like Pondicherry with those french architecture peeping at you is an experience in itself. Wireless charging, auto headlights, push-button start, climate control, cruise control, and other features make these long drives a breeze. Whether it’s relaxed cruising or gentle driving, the engine activates cylinder-on-demand technology, which shuts off two cylinders to reduce fuel consumption. The technology and system work flawlessly, and a simple glance at the MID will tell you if it’s running on two cylinders. Once you decide to be playful, then simply prodding the accelerator pedal a bit harder gets all cylinders firing.

When you utter the word Pondicherry, your mind will have flashes of a beautiful beach and the colourful buildings, which are still in the character of its role when it was a French colony. Just like that, the new Volkswagen Taigun is a character you buy into. Playful and always husting, which will remain by your side, like a faithful companion. Even in tight corners, the tyres, steering, and roads are in perfect harmony. At lower RPMs and revs, the two-cylinder cuts off, and you can see the sign on the instrument cluster, and when that happens, it drinks less petrol which is cruising over the Rs 100 mark these days. It comes strapped with 40 safety features like ABS with EBD, hill-hold control, ISOFIX mounts ESP, six airbags, along with electronic differential lock and multi-collision brakes, making the proposition even better.

Whether you are driving with hustle mode or just relaxed mode on, Taigun, with its precise German engineering, will be your true companion.

2021 Volkswagen Taigun | The Land Of Taigun | First Drive Review

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