The German carmaker is currently focusing on its upcoming SUV Taigun which will rival the Koreans – Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos
The craze for SUVs is unlikely to fade anytime soon in India and Volkswagen has aptly realised it. In line with that, the German carmaker showcased its line of SUVs for the Indian market at a recent media event. The event was marked by a presentation headed by Ashish Gupta, Brand Head, VW India
At the event, Volkswagen India revealed more details regarding their Project 2.0 for India. Christened as SARV2.0TTAM (Hindi word Sarvottam meaning The Best), the highlight was the launch of 2 new SUVs for India this year.
Sarvottam – The Best
Part of this new plan is to focus more on their customers. The keyword being – Accessibility. Volkswagen wants to become an ‘Accessible’ brand in India. From their cars, to spare parts to service everything will be more accessible to customers in India.
They also showed a teaser with 4 SUVs. While two of them (Tiguan All-Space and T-Roc) are already on sale in India, its upcoming crossover Taigun has been teased by the automaker on multiple occasions. However, the surprising part is the fourth product which was secretly kept under wraps.
Rumours suggest that this SUV might be introduced even before the launch of the highly anticipated Taigun. This new crossover might arrive in India as early as March this year. While there is still ambiguity regarding what exactly this product is going to be, industry experts believe this new car could be Atlas Cross Sport which is on sale in selected international markets including the Middle East, USA and China.
Altas Cross Sport Design & Features
Atlas Cross Sport is a five-seater coupe-style crossover which measures just under 5 metres in length and is essentially a sleeker and better looking version of the standard Atlas (sold as Teramont in China). While it measures similar in length, wheelbase and width, it is shorter by 71mm and sits 58mm closer to the ground in comparison to the standard Atlas. It features sleeker LED taillamps, a redesigned rear bumper and traces of chrome spread across its panels.
When it comes to features, being a flagship product it receives a fair share of tech gizmos. These include heated/ventilated front seats and steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging, 12-speaker Fender Premium Audio system, rear sunshades, contrast stitching on door inserts and seats and connected car technology. It also receives a fair share of electronic aids such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Jam Assist and Lane Keep Assist to name a few.
Powertrain Options
In the American market, it is available with two engine options- a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated V6 engine and a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine. The former generates 276 bhp and 361 Nm of peak torque while the latter kicks out 235 bhp and 363 Nm of peak torque. Both units are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission as standard. This gearbox can send power to all four wheels via a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. However, we still have to wait for more details to be furnished.
Focus still on Taigun
At the moment, focus lies on Taigun since it is one of the prime products coming out of the India 2.0 Project of Volkswagen India Group. Taigu has been specifically designed for the Indian market and will be based on the India-centric MQB A0 IN platform which will also underpin Skoda’s version of this SUV named Kushaq.