Volkswagen launched the Taigun and Virtus within the past couple of years. The Taigun takes on the compact SUV league whereas the Virtus faces off with mid-size sedans in India. Both gained a good response from the market. Considering the market demand, VW has introduced more variants of the Taigun and Virtus in India.
The VW 1.5L TSi trims get a Manual Gearbox
Earlier, the 1.5L TSi variants of Virtus and Taigun were only available with a 7-Speed DSG gearbox. Although, this variant had a decent response yet the audience demanded a 6-Speed Manual Gearbox. Recently, the new Hyundai Verna was launched with a 1.5L Turbo petrol engine and a manual transmission combo.
To keep up its rivalry, Volkswagen has introduced more variants in the Taigun and Virtus. The brand has introduced a new top variant for both cars known as GT Plus. The GT Plus is available with the option of a Manual and DSG gearbox. VW Taigun also gets a new GT DSG variant which is a lower variant with a DSG gearbox.
Addition of Colour Options
Volkswagen has added more colour options to cater to a wider audience. The brand has launched the new GT Limited Collection for both cars which are limited to a few numbers. The Virtus GT Limited Collection is painted in a deep Black Pearl finish while the Taigun gets options of ‘Deep Black Pearl’ and ‘Carbon Steel Matt finishes.
The GT Plus variants of Volkswagen Taigun are available with a new Matte Carbon Steel Grey finish.
The brand will introduce the new ‘Sport’ and ‘Trail’ variants in Taigun as a part of the GT Limited collection. The GT Limited Collection is slated for launch in June 2023. The standard GT Plus variants of Taigun and Virtus also get a new ’Deep Black Pearl’ finish paint job. Meanwhile, the standard GT Plus variants of Taigun are also available with a Matte Steel Grey finish paint job. And, Volkswagen has introduced the Lava Blue colour option for all variants of Taigun and Virtus
Safety and Powertrain Options
Recently, Global NCAP has conducted a crash test of Volkswagen Taigun and Virtus. This crash test was conducted under the safer cars for India program following the latest protocols. Both cars have performed well with a 5-star safety rating. This sets a benchmark of safety in their respective segments.
Both the Virtus and Taigun are available with 2 engine options. The base engine is a 1.0L 3-cylinder TSi turbo petrol engine. This engine makes 115ps of power and 178nm of torque. The 1.0L TSi engine is available with either a 6-Speed Manual Transmission or a 6-Speed Automatic Transmission.
However, the real show stealer is the 1.5L 4-cylinder TSi turbo petrol engine. It churns out a whopping 150ps of power and 250nm of torque. Earlier, this engine was only available with a 7-Speed DSG Transmission. Now, Volkswagen is offering a 6-Speed Manual Transmission as well. The 1.5L TSi trims feature the Active Cylinder Technology which shuts down its 2-cylinders. This results in exceptional fuel efficiency and minimizes fuel consumption.
Official Statement
Speaking on the introduction of the new variants across the Taigun & Virtus carlines, Mr Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, said, “At Volkswagen, accessibility and customer centricity is the focus of our brand. Taking customer feedback on board, we have democratized the GT badge by enhancing the variant offerings on our Performance Line. We have introduced three new variants, Virtus GT Plus manual, Taigun GT Plus manual and Taigun GT DSG, giving our customers a host of variants to choose from. Along with introducing the new Lava Blue colour across the Taigun and Virtus line-up, we have also introduced a marquee ‘GT Limited Collection’ which will comprise carlines with the GT Badge in limited volumes. The ‘GT Limited collection’ will comprise of the Virtus GT Plus (DSG and Manual) in an exclusive ‘Deep Black Pearl’ finish and the Taigun GT Plus (DSG and Manual) in ‘Deep Black Pearl and ‘Carbon Steel Grey Matte finish. Market introductions of these new variants will commence from June 2023 onwards.”