|
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
![]() |
Search this Thread | ![]() 3,219,247 views |
![]() | #1711 | ||
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 62
Thanked: 344 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
That is a LOT! isn't it? I have always maintained 32psi on all my cars. Only when I have around 5 passenger with a full load of luggage, I keep it around 36. Quote:
I believe that's also a lot for a single occupant. How do you feel about your ride quality? Are you ok with it? There is a thread about why manufacturers are recommending higher tyre pressures on this forum. I have not been able to locate it. Last edited by casnov : 12th January 2023 at 10:36. | ||
![]() | ![]() |
|
![]() | #1712 |
BHPian Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: KA01/KL13
Posts: 138
Thanked: 416 Times
| Thank you, dear admins and mods, for granting me membership to this esteemed forum! I have been an avid reader for the past year, ever since I caught the bug for a new car. Allow me to introduce myself and share a review of my beloved "Helios", our VW Taigun 1.0 Topline AT. For most of my life, I was a bike guy, even though I had my driver's license for nearly a decade. But then, the pandemic struck and I found myself back in my hometown of Kannur, Kerala, after spending the last 12 years in Bengaluru. As I began to venture out in my trusty Tiago, I started with short trips and gradually worked up to 200+ km drives. This was partly because my usual ride, Jasper, a 2014 Royal Enfield Classic 350, was stranded in Bengaluru and I had to get it shipped and repaired (a story for another time). I spend my daytime as Product Owner for a Petro-chemical Major's IT wing and nights as a wannabe poet. I enjoy good food - some of our future trips will thus be food tasting I wish, literature and talking, apart from biking and being on the road. A couple of accidents (was hit by a bike that did not have the headlight on while crossing the road at night, another time an Uber car jumped the signal at a 4-way crossroad and T'd me and Jasper all the while the traffic cop has stopped the traffic from that end and it was a Go for me) and covid had slowed me down. I'm a newbie car owner/driver, and hardly have got my hands dirty, I trust the service centers / FNGs to get this done, but I compensate for the lack of such expertise by being a super careful and sedate driver on road. Often, I'm the last driver to pass through a congested road or in traffic. Fast forward to 2022, when I asked my best friend to marry me - out of nowhere, our lives changed! We were set to tie the knot in September, which meant it was time for me to return to Bengaluru. Until then, I had been on the fence about getting a new car, opting instead for the convenience of ride-sharing services like Ola and Uber. But after several frustrating experiences trying to book a cab, combined with the exorbitant wait times and prices, I knew it was time for a change. My then fiancé, now partner ("D") and I love going out and taking midnight drives, and as the biker in me evolved to prioritize safety on long trips with a partner, we decided it was time to upgrade. We would end up gifting ourselves a wild cherry red Taigun 1.0 AT in August 2022. The selection process, but first the demands in no order:
Our usage Pattern: The cars at our respective homes are only used for short city drive and occasional visit to relatives, hospitals and mostly cover 5-8K kms a year. With the new car, we do not foresee a lot of city drive but quite a lot of outstation drives. in the Last few months we have perhaps driven around 500kms in Bengaluru city and the remaining 6K kms are all outstation trips. we are anticipating a monthly usage of 1000-2000 kms, with a few vacation / road trip plans already in the pipeline. The car remains parked during the week days unless we decide to take a late/mid night drive. We do not drive for work. Cars, TD experiences and why we chose a Taigun: Tata Nexon: I had initially considered the Nexon as my first choice for a new car. I had a positive experience with the Tata Tiago and believed the Nexon would offer similar value for money and good build quality. However, my experience with Tata service centers (TASS) had been hit and miss in the past. Despite this, I had built connections with the local dealership and service center and knew the issues would be resolved. I also knew a few local mechanics / FNGs who could fix any problems with the car. The Nexon also has an AMT transmission, which my friend had recently purchased and seemed to enjoy. In addition, the Nexon had received positive safety ratings and I felt confident in its build quality. Despite not having test driven the Nexon, I almost convinced my partner to book one. Other Cars: My brother, who is a better driver and knowledgeable about cars, convinced me to test drive other vehicles in the SUV segment to get a feel for them on the road. This ended up being a great decision as it helped me make an informed choice.
Cars not considered :
Shortlisted car: Taigun or wait for 5/6 months to get Seltos and borrow our family car until then The Deciding call : Since my brother and I had been the ones test driving the cars, D and I decided to take a second test drive together to ensure she was also comfortable with the car we chose. We were unsure between the Kia Seltos and the Volkswagen Taigun AT, but ultimately chose the Taigun. There were both emotional and logical reasons for this decision. On an emotional level, the car felt good to drive and instilled confidence in me as a less experienced driver. We were also confident in its safety ratings. The dealership and salesperson's attitude were also important factors in our decision. The salesperson, Ashish, was patient and listened to our demands and concerns, and even brought the car to D's home for a test drive after reports of AC issues emerged. Overall, the way we were treated at the PPS Richmond Road showroom and Ashish's positive attitude sealed the deal for us. The logical reasons though defied our initial budget and we ended up paying upward to 20+L for "Helios", are listed towards the end. The booking & delivery experience: We walked in to the showroom on a day that seemed relaxed for them. We were greated by the gentleman who also became our SA and handled all the affairs from our initial visit to multiple TDs to delivery. We stated that we were looking for. The SA made a suggestion to select the 1.0 AT and not the DSG version after listening to our requirement and driving style. We complied. We wanted the Carbon Steel Grey color but was recommended to go with the Wild Cherry Red. We were informed that the Grey color fades after couple of years. The Wild Cherry Red was appealing as well, so we complied with this recommendation as well. Thanks to the various threads in this forum, I was very direct with my timeline and delivery requirements stating if it cannot be delivered before Sept 2022, we would walk out of the deal. If we cannot do a PDI before payment was initiated/settled, we would walk out of the deal. The SA complied and promised delivery by August 2022, and he came around it. Got the car delivered in the last week of July 2022. We did the PDI twice - at their Yard before disbursement of the payments and on the day of delivery. We were driven to the yard by the SA and given enough time to look at the car. The ODO was at 65 kms when we took delivery, I do not remember what it was when we checked the car out at their yard. There were no offers running in May/June 2022 so we negotiated on the insurance and they matched my external quote without any changes to what was covered. We did not also purchase the essential kit priced at 10K, but instead placed an immediate order at the service center in Kannur for few items that we wanted - specifically the mud flaps, read window blinds, car cover, and a dual horn. Collected and fixed them during the "Swagat" service. We did not spend much time there as this was more of a checkup and not a service. I will have to wait for the next service to comment on the service experience in detail, this one was trouble free. We asked for the 7D door mats to be installed and paid a discounted price for it before taking delivery. Again, did not negotiate hard. I had seen a few models in amazon and the price was matched. We were slightly disappointed at the way the car was presented even though when asked, I sought no special arrangements. I did ask that all plastics items (seat covering etc.) be removed. There were a few hand marks, dirt etc., which were cleaned promptly. We had carried sweets for the showroom staff and a small gift for our SA. We were kept updated all throughout the waiting period. I continue to have a cordial relationship with Ashish though he moved jobs.
Short Summary of the Car Specs & Observations on them
What we liked and considered as pros :
What we wish were better in this car:
Ownership experience until now: The car continues to be a pleasure and we have driven over 6500kms now across South India. The engine noise gets into the cabin. I did not notice this until a while ago. But this is a sweet note, and I have come to enjoy it, especially when we accelerate a bit more. We always have music playing in the car, so it helps to mask this to an extend as well. We have a few more trips planned for 2023 and hopefully will make them come true. We got almost all the chrome parts wrapped in matt black. I'm considering painting them black after a few months, D disagrees on spending unnecessarily on Helios. We are trying to use the cruise control as much as we can in highway drives. The average mileage in Bengaluru hovers around 10-11kmpl in bumper-to-bumper traffic with the lowest so far being 7. Otherwise, we get around 12-13. On highways, without CC we clock around 14-15 and with CC 15-17. We drive with the AC on all the time. We do let my brother and cousin drive Helios occasionally with the mileage dropping to 12-14kmpl on highways. Clearly, the car responds to how you floor the pedal. Unforeseen issues faced so far:
What next for Helios:
Wishlist: I'm not a fan of aftermarket customization of physical parts. I try to run everything as they come. We opted for an XZ+ Tiago for the parents because of this. Opted for Topline AT for the same reason. But I do want to make a second exception for an aftermarket headlight unit that gets rid of the empty barrel. This is the only time I wish if we had opted for the Highline Variant and swapped the units to aftermarket solution. But the other features were on the no compromise list, so we stuck with Topline. Where I need help/guidance from the forum/other owners :
![]() ![]() ![]() Thanks. |
![]() | ![]() |
The following 49 BHPians Thank drive.helios for this useful post: | ags82, androdev, antriksh, Axe77, batterylow, CarWorld, Cayman360, CEF_Beasts, Crazy_cars_guy, dheer4, Djay, Evyas, FlashMustang, fluidicjoy, GaryTSI, GTO, Hayek, hemya, high_soldier, InControl, Jangra, jcr0711, jono213, livewire13, lovetorque, McLaren_P1, MDED, NarediAni7518, nighthawk117, Nrulz, Old_Salt, Omkar, omranga98, OnePM, pannags, PearlJam, Petronius, Rambo-RS, sanjayrozario, Shyam96, SmartCat, SRISRI_90, subie_socal, sunsetorange, sups, TechnoBloop, Torque123, Turbohead, yesyeswe |
![]() | #1713 | ||
BHPian Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Chennai
Posts: 341
Thanked: 1,067 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
For single occupant, 36 psi offers a balance between a slightly bumpier ride vs a lower risk of damage by the infinite potholes, deep gashes on the roads. Yes, I thought I had bookmarked a thread where an expert from the tyre industry (who is also a member here) had posted on guidelines for pressures for tyres based on whether they are cold or hot. They had also mentioned that it is always better to have a higher tyre pressure on bad roads to avoid damage to the wheels. If someone has that thread bookmark handy, would appreciate it if they can post it here. Quote:
Please do let us know if you get the fix during your service and if the AC Auto performance improved. Last edited by asmr : 12th January 2023 at 18:31. | ||
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #1714 | |
BHPian Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: KA01/KL13
Posts: 138
Thanked: 416 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
![]() I'm currently at 6.6k kms and have a couple of 200kms drives planned this weekend and the next. I'll be sending Helios for a service after this and I'll update the thread. I've not explicitly checked this with the ASC yet as I'm not sure if I'd service it in Kannur or in Bengaluru. I'm going use the official word when I walk in if there is a counter argument presented and ask for clarity. Slightly OT - the problem with making an ask on email or twitter is they they get logged in as a complaint in the system and VW redirects it to the dealer. Noticed the same with Tata as well this week. | |
![]() | ![]() |
The following BHPian Thanks drive.helios for this useful post: | asmr |
![]() | #1715 |
BHPian Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: KA01/KL13
Posts: 138
Thanked: 416 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #1716 | |
BHPian Join Date: Jan 2022 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 83
Thanked: 193 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
![]() Can anyone give a comparison between the CEAT Securadrives/Conti UC6/Michelin Primacy/Yokohama Earth One? This would be helpful for other folks with a similar concern as mine. Cheers. | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #1717 | |
BHPian Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: New Delhi
Posts: 77
Thanked: 278 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
I own a Virtus 1.0 Topline MT in Delhi and have had this left pull issue since delivery. The service centre simply refused to acknowledge the issue and mentioned such minor misalignments are normal and okay. However, I'm sure it's not the ideal way the steering should be positioned for going straight. Have read other people facing the same issue and getting it resolved through alignment and/or steering recalibration. Have you or anybody got an accurate solution for this ? I will be going for alignment at VW ASC soon. Thanks! | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #1718 | |
BHPian Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 122
Thanked: 541 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
The following BHPian Thanks kaushiksudra for this useful post: | asmr |
![]() | #1719 | |
BHPian Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Chennai
Posts: 341
Thanked: 1,067 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
I need to take it to a reputed tyre store in Chennai (Lal's or Padmavathi or MRF) and see if they can get the alignment done correctly + take it back to the ASC to recalibrate the steering sensor angle (as given in this post (Volkswagen Taigun Review)). Haven't had the time to do it since it's a bit busier than usual at work. | |
![]() | ![]() |
The following BHPian Thanks asmr for this useful post: | RaiAnish |
![]() | #1720 |
BHPian ![]() | Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review A well written review, the diesel incident seems like a harrowing experience to go through, hopefully no more issues pop up. About the ppf/ceramic coating, opt for ppf and only do high-impact likely surfaces, like the front and rear bumpers, sideview mirrors and the bonnet (optional). Cheers ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
The following BHPian Thanks jono213 for this useful post: | drive.helios |
![]() | #1721 | |
BHPian Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: KA01/KL13
Posts: 138
Thanked: 416 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
Thanks for the suggestions. Did check at a local shop here in kannur and found out that they are using the Chinese exports and quoting above 850/sqft for PPF. I'll find some time to do it properly in BLR than to let this happen. Makes sense to do the impact zones alone. | |
![]() | ![]() |
|
![]() | #1722 |
BHPian Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 109
Thanked: 143 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Hello Everyone, i have booked Taigun 1.0 Highline AT. Just want to know if the stock halogen headlights of Highline are enough on highway? If no then whats the best suggestion for bulb upgrade? Have seen some videos were people installing Autobahn 120W (60w Each) Led in Low Beam. Do you guys recommend it. I am bit skeptical abut light spread and most importantly 60W Wattage will put some load on stock wiring.Do share if anyone have upgraded their Halogen Headlights. |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | #1723 | |
BHPian ![]() Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Pune
Posts: 782
Thanked: 2,175 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review Quote:
| |
![]() | ![]() |
The following BHPian Thanks yesyeswe for this useful post: | aashikf1 |
![]() | #1724 |
BHPian Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Chennai
Posts: 341
Thanked: 1,067 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review
I don't know whether the stock halogens are good, but my Topline's LEDs are not up to the mark on highways unless there is no oncoming vehicles. When there is heavy oncoming traffic without medians, the performance is very mediocre. |
![]() | ![]() |
The following 2 BHPians Thank asmr for this useful post: | al90, sahiltodankar |
![]() | #1725 |
BHPian Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: KA01/KL13
Posts: 138
Thanked: 416 Times
| Re: Volkswagen Taigun Review
I would say they are just bad, and not mediocre. If I can upgrade / make changes I'd. |
![]() | ![]() |
The following 2 BHPians Thank drive.helios for this useful post: | asmr, sahiltodankar |
![]() |