Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus Sport first drive review

The Volkswagen Taigun GT hasn’t gotten a facelift. Yes, it has a new name. Volkswagen has gone and rejigged the variant lineup for the Taigun – no longer is the GT badge restricted to the 1.5 TSI. Now, the 1.0 gets the GT Line badge, while the 1.5 has been elevated to GT Plus Sport. What’s new with these variants is the black treatment inside and out, emphasising the sporty nature of the Taigun and adding a bit of flair.

Let’s start with the styling. The Taigun has always been handsome, but the chrome wasn’t to everyone’s taste. Now, with the bling gone, there’s a bit more playfulness to the design. It looks appealing while building on the sporty stance of the SUV. You get black roof rails, B- and C-pillar garnishes, and ORVMs. You also get smoked LED lamps, a carbon steel roof, and other minor bits and bobs on the exterior. These are contrasted by red GT badges all over the body. The 17-inch rims are also blacked out with the calipers contrasting in red paint.

Stepping inside, the black treatment continues. The seats, headliner, grab handles and sun visors come in black, while there is contrasting red stitching on the wheel, seats, and armrest. You get the same equipment as before – a 10-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cooled and electrically adjustable seats, a digital cluster, connectivity features, and a sunroof. The (cooled) seats are comfortable and offer good bolstering. The steering is adjustable for rake and reach. The long wheelbase means there’s good leg and headroom, and most importantly, five-star crash safety.

The powertrain remains unchanged – a 1.5-litre TSI (148bhp/250Nm) mated to either a 7-speed DSG or a 6-speed MT. We had the former on the test. The engine is a peach – it pulls strongly off the line and picks up speed very rapidly. It is also rather refined, with a sweet sound accompanying the acceleration. The DSG just adds to the party with its snappy shifts. But in case you need even quicker shifts, you can just tap the gear knob back to engage Sport mode. For manual control, slide it to the right and tap up/down or use the paddle shifters behind the ’wheel.

The Taigun is quick around the city, making overtakes a breeze, and is also comfortable cruising. It sits comfortably at 100-120kmph, and should you need to make a pass, you’ve got paddles to throw in a few downshifts and pick up the pace.

The ride quality is equally brilliant. The suspension deals with undulations well and surprisingly gets more compliant as you speed up. Around a corner, you can bet on the Taigun to be the most confidence-inspiring of its mid-size SUV brethren. It turns when you want it, where you want it, and in most cases, as fast as you want it. That said, the low-speed ride isn’t the best and you do feel the road more than you would in some of its rivals. The noisy suspension doesn’t do it any favours. High-speed ride is exceptional though, and the planted nature of the Taigun is what you want when you’re driving down the highway. One thing that I would complain about is the steering. It is a bit light, and while that is helpful rolling around town, you do need some heft if you are going to push a car hard.

So what’s the verdict on the Taigun GT Plus Sport? This update lends a new lease on life to this SUV until it gets a facelift. The Taigun still may not appeal to a buyer looking for outright plushness, but that’s not what the GT Sport stands for. The GT Sport leans into the Taigun’s sporty mannerisms, embracing a sporty look to go with its driving characteristics. And with that, it remains the most exciting driver’s SUV in the segment today.