Comfy Rear Seats, Safety & Thunk Build.
Low-speed Ride, In-city Mileage
SO I GRABBED THE KEYS BACK OF OUR LONG-TERM TAIGUN WHEN offered to swap with the Grand Vitara! Despite this having the manual box (as I can go on about my love for modern automatics), the Vitara was a practical city runabout but it’s heart was never it’s gem, nor it’s driving manners. So the TSi with its fun ride quotient wasn’t a hard choice and I am happy to report - this thunk and the dose of funk styling is simply this car’s biggest draw!
During this short stint, let me first admit my dislikes that I cannot make peace with! First with it’s single digit mileage within chockablock in-city commutes (I haven’t seen it average over 6.5kmpl) for a manual 1.0L engine! Second , those power window motors must be the noisiest in a car under 20L, and third - the rear’s gloss plastic connected light bar still feels tacky at best. But beyond these minor inferences, the rewards outweigh the negatives. Being chauffeured around, my folks and myself included - found the rear seat of the Taigun to be better cushioned and better bolstered than the J75L new GLC! That says a lot about the Made-for-India German mission. Sharp handling, an air of refinement and its fun to drive nature remain its other strengths, and to put it simply, after spending considerable time with this Taigun, it simply is the enthusiast’s choice with added practicality of its SUV looks and ground clearance. Hopefully the next iteration can improve upon its overall interior space!
