Both the Taigun and Virtus are now available in the 'GT Edge Limited Collection' priced from Rs 17.09 lakh (ex-showroom).

Volkswagen has launched new entry-level 'GT' variants of the Taigun and Virtus. The carmaker has also announced prices for the 'GT Edge Limited Collection'.

The Taigun is now available in new GT Plus MT and GT DSG variants priced at Rs 17.79 lakh and 16.79 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively. The former comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox, while the latter gets a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The VW Virtus also gets a new entry-level GT Plus trim equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The GT Plus MT trim is priced at Rs 16.89 lakh (ex-showroom).

Both the Taigun and Virtus are now available in the 'GT Edge Limited Collection'. Prices start at Rs 17.99 lakh for the Taigun and Rs 17.09 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Virtus.

The Taigun comes in Deep Black Pearl and Carbon Steel Grey Matte shades, while the Virtus is offered in Deep Black Pearl colour option. Customers opting for the GT Edge version can also choose from a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DSG.

Volkswagen GT Edge Limited Collection ex-showroom prices:

Taigun

• GT Plus MT Deep Black Pearl – Rs 17.99 lakh
• GT Plus MT Carbon Steel Grey Matte – Rs 18.19 lakh
• GT Plus DSG Deep Black Pearl – Rs 19.25 lakh
• GT Plus DSG Carbon Steel Grey Matte – Rs 19.45 lakh

Virtus

• GT Plus MT Deep Black Pearl – Rs 17.09 lakh
• GT Plus DSG Deep Black Pearl – Rs 18.76 lakh

OBDEleven seems to offer almost as much customisation as VCDS, key word being almost.

BHPian thirdmainroad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Though there is a thread similar to this, it’s essentially a VCDS thread and there’s a lot of information in that thread, but mixed up with OBDEleven. Therefore I thought a thread exclusively dedicated to OBDEleven will make sense, and I hope the mods agree.

OBDEleven seems to offer almost as much customisation as VCDS, key word being almost.

Here’s a list of features I unlocked with OBDeleven device and Pro subscription on my Taigun 1.5 GT plus.

• Speed warning chimes - off

• Enabled AC control on Head Unit (HU)

• Enabled another rev meter.

• Enabled sport view on HU

• Enabled tank refill - shows how many liters the tank will take to full.

• Enabled wheel direction in dash view.

• Enabled show fan speed while in auto

• Changed AC tuning to more cooling and less air. * can change to more cooling and more air but the difference between the two options is the air speed in auto setting. * changed this back to default mode as this setting was getting me to freeze in the cabin.

Here’s a video of some off the “unlocked features”

Please note the video has me touching higher than allowed speeds and I did so only for a few seconds for the sake of testing. High speeds as we well know should be avoided and I do not condone high speed driving in anyway.

Do anyone know how to enable Off Road Mode view in the HU? I’ve broken my head in trying to do so.

I have managed to unlock “Lower rear view mirrors while reversing” option under settings > Car > wipers. But I haven’t been able to get them to work. Has anyone managed to get it to work?

Please post any other customisations you have made with an OBDEleven Device!

While most of these features are .. gimmicky, there are some features that can be termed useful if not essential, like the secondary rev meter, Ac controls in HU, and a few more. Since these features are already there and simply set off - why do they do so? Why not enable them in the first place? Anyone know why car manufactures do this!

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

When they topped up the engine oil in front of me, the car took 800 ML of it. Now this clearly shows that they had not checked / refilled the engine oil when the vehicle had come in for periodic maintenance.

BHPian thirdmainroad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have had a couple of Hondas, and each time I went to Kun Honda for service, I would always come back with a bad taste. They would either over charge me, or any repair would not be carried out to acceptable levels.. This had happened quite a few times, and I had found that Sundaram Honda seemed to be much more ethical in their work + billing. I had thus, sworn never to go to Kun Honda.

I have recently got a Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 GT plus. 2.5 months after delivery around the 10th of March, I had hit 7500km and the vehicle was due for a service checkup. Thinking anyway its just a check up, and nothing major, I left the car with KUN Volkswagen Madras South, OMR, Chennai. I wasn't happy when I received the vehicle - it was not cleaned properly, a job I had wanted had not been carried out . . I just shook my head then, told myself I should have stuck to avoiding KUN. The service advisor told me that parameters had been checked, engine oil filled up, and all was ok.

About a month after this 7500 service, on April 15th, I had by now clocked an additional 3500 km, and had about 11,000 km on the odo - the check engine oil light came up. Being close to the KUN service center I went there. When they topped up the engine oil in front of me, the car took 800 ML of it. Now this clearly shows that they had not checked / refilled the engine oil when the vehicle had come in for periodic maintenance. When I asked them how the car could have consumed 800 ml oil if it had been filled just 3500 km / 1 month ago, they said "oh but you have clocked 3500 km, so it can happen." Liars, obviously.

This again shows how unethical KUN is, and KUN VW is no different from Kun Honda. KUN as brand seems to be unethical and just downright bad. If they fail to check the most basic yet very important thing such as Engine Oil levels on a brand new car, and lie saying they have, and show it on the invoice - imagine what all they really can do!

Have sent a stinker email to VW regarding this and demanding a refund of Rs 750 KUN charged me for the "extra oil" lets see what comes off it.

Nevertheless, after years of repeated bad experiences with KUN, I urge all of you to stay away from them and find better authorised workshops!

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I wouldn't pass a blanket statement saying they are cheating. The VW-Skoda TSI motors can gulp oil. Don't know about the 1.5L, but the larger motors do. Based on recommendations, I roam around with an extra 2 liters of oil in the Superb 2.0 TSI's boot. The older 1.8 TSI had a heavy oil drinking habit.

Here's what BHPian kosfactor had to say on the matter:

Check the oil level after you park the vehicle for a few hours, its possible that at this time it maybe overfilled.

Why would a check engine oil light come up after 3500 km if they had reset the service reminder during the previous service? perhaps they had forgotten to do it.

Here's what BHPian ajmat had to say on the matter:

VW petrol engines have a thirst for oil for the initial 10000km. Keep topping up and it will subside once it has bedded in overall. It the consumption continues, you might have an issue

Here's what BHPian dheer4 had to say on the matter:

This is fairly common in 1.5 TSI engines to take extra 800ml - 1L in the first 10,000 Kms. My Kushaq 1.5 TSI also had the same where I had to top up additional 1L at 11,000 Kms. I've observed this with Virtus and Slavia as well in my group. I've done over 22,000 Kms and there has been no change in oil consumption post 15k service.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Taigun GT Edge Limited Collection will be available from June 2023.

Volkswagen has delisted the Taigun Anniversary Edition from its official website. The move comes following the introduction of the Taigun GT Limited Collection.

The Taigun Anniversary Edition was launched in September last year to celebrate the model's first anniversary in India. The SUV was based on the Topline variant and came equipped with fog lamps, body-coloured door trim, aluminium pedals, door-edge protectors, window visors, blacked-out rood and ORVMs and '1st Anniversary Edition' badges.

The Taigun Anniversary Edition was offered with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine. This unit develops 114 BHP and 178 Nm and is offered with either a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission.

The Taigun GT Edge Limited Collection will be available from June 2023. The car comes with special exterior colours, including Carbon Steel Grey – Matte with red accents and Deep Pearl Black. It gets special badges, aluminium pedals, Wild Cherry Red interior stitching and red ambient lighting.

The notification disappears after a while when the interior cools down.

Thanks to Dr. Bhaswanth Dhoorjati for sending this query in via this Team-BHP share page!

I purchased a Volkswagen Taigun Comfortline manual in October 2022. I have driven it for 10,000 km so far.

The only issue with it is that a "System overheated started" notification pops up on the infotainment system when the car is parked in the hot sun. The notification disappears after a while when the interior cools down.

I am sending some pictures to aid you in the diagnosis. I would be really grateful if I could get your opinion on this issue.

Thank you.

Here's what BHPian thanixravindran had to say on the matter:

Is this for the infotainment system? Forget about the real issue, why can't at least they write it in proper English? Product management and engineering team who specified and developed this should be roasted in the same heat

Any idea on which region it is to know the temperature (edit - saw 36deg) and whether this notification came during switching on the car (did the screen just froze or infotainment system didn't started up). This seems the 8 inch infotainment system which was changed due to chip shortage (aka cost cutting). So they didn't tested enough as we are not even fully into Indian summer yet.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

A little off topic even though related.

In the summer of 2018 we spent a lot of time sightseeing in Italy. I mainly use my iPhone camera for all photography. I used to use my iPhone XS Max at the time. At least on 3 or 4 separate occasions in different places, the phone would overheat and then stop working. And after placing it inside my carry all back pack amongst a few bottles of cold water etc for maybe 10 mins, it would get back to normal.

I think this ‘system overheating’ issue can happen to any and all electronic things. Especially if there is prolonged exposure to the hot sun. So in my book there is nothing abnormal at all. Best to park in shade.

Or if you have to park in the sun, reduce the time and keep the windows open a slit so that some air movement can happen.

Here's what BHPian audioholic had to say on the matter:

This isn't the 8 inch Panasonic head unit. It is the HU that comes with the entry level variants and seems to be India specific. Hence the poor implementation wrt English messages. The Panasonic HU is an EU spec unit and would have been tested far more rigorously.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

We can expect Volkswagen to introduce similar updates on the Taigun in India.

The Volkswagen Taigun facelift is currently undergoing road trials in Brazil. Earlier, we had shared spy images of a camouflaged test mule, but now the car has been caught completely undisguised.

The latest spy images suggest that the Taigun will receive minor design updates, especially around the front fascia. The car has a redesigned grille and reworked headlamps. The air dam area and the fog lamp housing have also been tweaked.

The rear of the updated Taigun looks similar to the current model. It has wraparound LED tail lamps with an LED light bar. The complete unit has a smoked effect.

The Taigun facelift is expected to carry forward the same set of engines, though. At present, the car is offered with 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engines, with a choice of manual and dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Source: Carwale

The side bolsters of the seats keep you in place, the cushioning is spot on. Driving 300-400 kms in a stretch is never an issue. Although i could use a little under thigh support.

BHPian omranga98 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took my Taigun 1.5 DSG on a 1650 km road trip ft. mini review/7000 km update:

But first, here is a little back story on why I got the Taigun over the others.

So in short, i really wanted to get a FAST turbo petrol before the whole EV scene. Generally we keep our cars for 7-10 years so 2022 seemed like the perfect time.

The price segment i was looking at (18-22 Lakhs) had/has a lot of options but here is why the others did not make it to my garage.

Tata Harrier/Safari:

Reasons for not getting either:

• Too big.
• Did not want a diesel.
• It is a Tata, so it is given that it comes with a few free add-ons like poor QC, everything in the car feeling unfinished and the horror ASS stories on the forum itself.

MG Hector:

Reasons for not getting this:

• Too big.
• Soft suspension setup = a very comfy ride. Sometimes i crave this in Taigun but then again, i was not looking for this.
• Petrol being underpowered and pretty fuel inefficient.

Hyundai Creta/Seltos:

• Reasons for not getting this:
• Did not like both the cars. Creta stills looks odd (borderline ugly), Seltos just did not feel like the car i would want to drive as my last non-electric car (probably).

MG Astor:

Reasons for not getting this:

• Even though i loved the interior and the red colour scheme, 1.3 Felt unpowered. The car generally did not feel that good to drive and that robot thingy on the dash kept staring and intrupting me like a kid wanting your phone at a family function.

Virtus/Slavia:

Reasons for not getting this:

• Was not launched yet.
• From what i had heard, it was supposed to be reaaally long. Which could be a problem.

Skoda Kushaq:

Reasons for not getting this:

• No virtual cockpit. After driving the Taigun, i really wanted this.
• The interior quality was more creeky than Taigun and felt a level below.
• Boring rear end.

VW Taigun:

Seemed like the perfect choice. Here are some pros and cons after driving for about 7k kms:

Pros:

• 1.5 TSI Evo engine paired with DSG is a gem to drive. Be it at city speeds or out on the highway. It never fails to bring a smile on my face!
• My car is manufactured in April 2022. It was the first batch where they improved the headliner, removed the red inserts in the dash from the silver colour and got the folding ORVM back!

Here is a interior picture:

• ACT or active cylinder technology works like a charm. It switches from 2 cylinder to 4 and back to 2 without a hint. The only way you know the switch is when the virtual cockpit indicates it. ACT makes the 1.5 more fuel efficient than the 1.0 TSI. At city/highway speeds when the car feels it can do with half the engine at work, it switches seemlessly.
• Fuel economy: Not a very important point for me but for people who are curious here: In city moving traffic, the car gives about 12-15 kmpl. In bumper to bumper situation, i have seen it drop to as low at 8-10 kmpl. Out on the highway with cruise control, you can very easily get 18-20 kmpl out of this.
• Paint quality is great IMO. I had initially booked white but changed to silver after i saw it in flesh. I think it looks lovely and really helps pop out the creases and design lines. GT plus comes with black roof.

• Comfortable seats: The side bolsters keep you in place, the cushioning is spot on. Driving 300-400 kms in a stretch is never an issue. Although i could use a little under thigh support.
• The interior lights: GT Plus comes with red interior ambient light across the dash while all the buttons are backlit with white LEDs. One of the coolest moment for me after puchase was finding out that there were small LEDs inside the interior door handle. None of the reviews had mentioned this. The interior looks so good at night!.

Interior shot at night:

The light inside the door handle:

• Big enough interior space. Although i have never been driven around while sitting at the back, my parents and friends appreciate the leg space and the comfortable seats.

The list can go on and on but let us keep it to this much for now.

Cons:

• The interior quality could be a lot better: For a car that costs upwards of 20L, the interior plastics creak. Whenever i take the car out, for the first one or two bumps, you can hear the dash and the AC controls area creak but then it stops. It almost feels like the plastics expand and come loose (?) and needs a bump or two to fall back in place? I don't know if this makes sense.
• I guess you have already read/heard about this but only the driver side window gets auto up/down power windows and almost everyone has the issue of the window rolling back mid way when the auto up or down is triggered. You then have to half press the button so as to not trigger the auto function to put the windows up or down. From what i have heard, this issue has been fixed via a software update that i am get to get (7500 km service is due).
• And of course, the three magical ̶w̶o̶r̶d̶s̶ letters: DSG. Taigun comes with DQ200 gearbox It is a dry type gearbox that has left a lot of the owners dry out in the middle of the road. Now i gently brush off this when talking about, i smile a little but deep inside it haunts me to a point where if i have decided to start an SIP or an FD as a contingency fund to cancel out the expense that might arise (read: will arise) over the course of years. And yes, i did take the extended warranty!
• Plastics on the rear light bar: Although the light bar looks great at night, the plastics surrounding can get scratched very easily. The car is 11 months old and i have gotten the thing detailed twice but keeps getting micro scratches. Planning to get PPF done on this.
• Slightly stiff suspension and narrow sidewalls: GT Plus comes with 17 inch alloys. This makes the ride sort of stiff and a lot of bumps can make its way into the cabin.
• Low Speed + DSG = mildly annoying: As you list off the foot from the brake pedal, the car takes a good 1 second to start moving. This lag is something that i am used to now but it used to be very annoying. Also the gearbox does get a little jerky at low speeds.

With that said: The car has now done about 7.2k Kms and i am quite happy with it. I recently did a 1650 km long road trip with my childhood friend in the Taigun where we drove from Kolkata to Puri and fairly deep into the eastern ghats! The car was lovely to drive!

I will make a detailed post regarding the road trip perhaps later but adding a few shots from the road trip here:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Volkswagen also showcased two new concepts based on the Taigun called the Trail and Sport.

Volkswagen has launched two new variants of the Taigun and one new trim of the Virtus in India. These will be available from June 2023 onwards.

The Taigun is available in GT Plus MT and GT DSG trims. The carmaker has also introduced two new exterior colours: 'Carbon Steel Grey' in a matte finish on the GT Plus MT and 'Deep Black Pearl' on the GT Plus DSG variant.

Volkswagen also showcased two new concepts based on the Taigun. The Taigun Trail Concept is based on the GT MT variant and gets special graphics, while the Taigun Sport Concept is based on the GT Plus variant and comes with a 'TSI powered' badge at the rear in addition to special decals.

The Volkswagen Virtus gets a new GT Plus MT variant. It is available in the newly introduced Lava Blue exterior colour, while the Virtus GT Plus DSG variant will be available in the 'Deep Black Pearl' shade.

The variants finished in the special exterior colours are part of Volkswagen's new 'GT Edge Limited Collection'. As the name suggests, this will be available in limited volumes.

Fuel efficiency in the city will go down to as low as 7 km/l in heavy traffic, otherwise around the 9 km/l mark in moderate traffic.

BHPian thirdmainroad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My previous car was a Honda WRV 1.5 Dtec, and I liked it. I found it to be peppy enough on the highway, liked the way it handled, and was most impressed with its mileage, and I've juiced well over 30 km/l over 100 km many times, though I usually would get 19+ on the highway - I drive 90% on highways.

Every 3/4 years I get the itch to upgrade, and I had done over 80k Km in 4 years on the WR-V but was still very happy with it, and I had spared no expense to make sure it was in tip-top shape.

But come a Sunday in December, I was bored at home and with no thoughts of upgrading, I waltzed into a Skoda showroom, really to kill the afternoon and I test-drove the Kushaq 1.5. Man, I loved that car instantly and had to have it then and there. My wife was dead against an upgrade, but I argued that since we take long drives all the time, it'd be good if we have a bigger auto that she could also drive - she drives an Ignis AMT, and though I would have liked to get the Kushaq in the manual, I knew that would be the ONLY way I'd get her to agree. So I paid the advance amount and came back home to research more on the car.

What I did feel even on the initial test drive is that the Kushaq has a very soft suspension which is great for sitting in the car, but not for driving. After reading a bit and calling a few of my friends, I decided to check out the Volkswagen Taigun. It did come with a stiffer suspension and offered much better driving dynamics. Its handling felt much better, it braked much better. But my wife preferred the softness and ride comfort of the Kushaq, and after a few arguments, I called the Skoda showroom to cancel my booking.

They were aghast. They couldn't believe I was going for the Taigun instead of the Kushaq. They thought me to be mad and said everyone prefers the Kushaq over the Taigun, that it's a bit cheaper, and that it has better everything, and begged me to take the Kushaq on a long test drive. I agreed and test-drove it on a long stretch of the highway. And I felt the same again - a soft suspension that was good for comfort but not driving. This leads to the car shuddering when one brakes hard at high speeds and it did not seem to corner and handle as well as the Taigun.

The Skoda guys were shocked and had the regional manager call me. He swore that the suspension set-up was the same on the Taigun and Skoda, but I certainly felt a difference and told him so. The manager then requested I wait a day and that he'd like to check the Kushaq test car I had driven. The next day, they got 2 Kushaqs for me to drive, the same old one I had driven - they had changed the tires, wheel balanced and aligned, and they also got a Kushaq which had done less than 100 km, which was to be their test drive car. Took both the cars for a long test drive again, and felt the same and told them so. They were convinced I was mad and left rather disappointed. I started thinking that perhaps I was a bit mad (I mean I know I am a little cuckoo for sure, and was wondering if I was imagining things) and I asked the VW guys to come back for a test drive. Told them what Skoda had done and that I was quite impressed with their pre-sales push and that I would like a long test drive to which they agreed.

So took the VW Taigun on a 100+ km test drive on the ECR off Chennai. I no longer had any doubt. The Taigun did have a harder suspension setup, which leads to a stiffer and bumpier ride but which affords much better driving, braking and handling dynamics.

And that was it, I booked the 1.5 DSG and I had the car delivered to me about a week after booking.

Once I got the car, man, I was and am obsessed with the way it handles. I had to get the 1000 km run-in (which the manual specifies that one should do) ASAP so that I could unleash the car. I spent the 2 days after getting the car running it in on the ECR, spending the whole day going up and down and up and down. 3 days after I had got delivery, the 1000 kms was done, and it was due for an inspection service + I had reversed it into my wife's Ignis, which had led to the rear bumper of the Taigun cracking - but not a SCRATCH on the Ignis much to her amusement. It's weird how the force works upon impact.

The car took a week for it to come back as I opted for insurance to replace the bumper, and have since been finding all the possible excuses to drive it on long trips.

I live in Chennai and I've driven to Coorg two times. I had to, of course, check how the car performs on hard ghat sections so did a separate trip to Masinagudi where I spent a day going up and down the Kalhatti ghat below Ooty. I can't stop whizzing about the Mysore - Bangalore expressway - such a good road that and only going to get better once they ban autos and motorbikes - set to happen on the 12th of March when it's officially inaugurated. Now clocked 7300 km in just over 2 months (with the car staying in the workshop for a week + me having to go visit the in-laws in Rajasthan for 10 days - I of course wanted to drive, but the wife argued she couldn't take 4-5 extra days off work so had given in and fly)

The car has gone for its 7500 km service today - the guys at VW were rather astonished that it was in this early and asked me if there was an error on when I had taken delivery. I am to go on a drive either to Thekkady or to Aqua Outback in Tuticorin - the gulf of Mannar tomorrow. (Have any of you been there? I live like right NEXT to the sea, and I am not too sure of going on a beach vacation, but I thought I'd learn to angle fish there but I am not sure it's worth the 11k per night they charge.)

This trip is going to add another 1k + km on the odo and I thought I'd give it in for inspection service 200 km earlier rather than 1000 km later.

So here are my observations

One of the major reasons I upgraded was safety. I always thought Honda will do well on the safety front, but with the WRV getting the dismal safety stars in the recent NCAP tests, scoring just a tad better than the Marutis, I had to let that car go.

The Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 GT DSG is a FANTASTIC car to drive. Though I thought I'd miss the manual, the DSG does a great job at shifts. The car handles exceptionally well at high speeds and on ghat sections, corners great, has no body roll and is just a dream to drive. The engine is very peppy, and does prefer a tad bit of linear acceleration, but does well on sudden and hard accelerations too.

The car LOVES to be driven hard and hates city traffic. You can feel the car PLEAD to not be driven in city traffic.

This is not a car you want to get if you drive in the city much, or are mileage conscious. Mileage in the city will go down to as low as 7 km/l in heavy traffic, otherwise around the 9 km/l mark in moderate traffic. I wouldn't be surprised if people in Bangalore get 4-5 km/l. On highways, you can juice 20 + easily, but have to be sedate, which if you like driving you'll find very, very difficult to be in this car. When you floor it, expect around 12-14 km/l returns.

Pro Tip: Sign up with the Indian Oil rewards program, and get some rebates when you book a gas cylinder or such. I got Rs 523 off a Gas cylinder recharge for spending 1750 Indian Oil points I had accrued filling in XP 95 over the last two months!

Note: The car does perform better - power and mileage on XP 95. Haven't checked out Speed 97 yet. Been toying with trying XP 100, but it's like Rs 50 more than XP 95 at Rs 160 a litre

You hardly ever need to use the paddle shifts. Sports mode is great for quick overturns and bursts of acceleration. The car of course handles and drives much better in sports mode on the ghats.

Niggles

Hated the delivery experience of Sundaram Volkswagen. They deliver new cars in a used car showroom of theirs, and it's a very off-putting experience to get a brand new car in a used car showroom. Wrote a stinker to VW on this.

The auto start and stop are very sensitive and will kick in even when slowing down, not having to halt. In bumper-to-bumper traffic, it kicks in all the time. I wonder if it's ok for the car's engine to start and stop as much as it will in heavy traffic and if that increases wear and tear on the engine + battery + decreases mileage when the engine fires up often. My friend argues that VW would have kept that in mind when designing the function and that it is a made-for-India car. I avoid city drives as much as possible, so I am not going to look this up too much.

I hate the fact that the car came with Ceats. My other choice was MRFs, and I hate them even more. This car needs to have come with better tyres. I can't wait to get on Michelins but was/am cash crunched with this impulsive and unplanned buy, and also spending on constant road trips. I figure I'll wait till I cross 15k kms and switch to Michelins. Yes, I am a total Michelin fanboy!

I wonder if it would have been better for the car to have rear discs. The car does have a lot of power and will hit triple-digit speeds very easily. The car's brakes are more than sufficient and it does hold nicely, but I still do wonder. I test-drove the XUV 700 as well before booking the Taigun, and it comes with rear discs and brakes PIN POINT! But I disliked everything else about it so wasn't an option I must say the braking on that thing did make me think twice about if I should pick it up.

I do not like the music system at all. The head unit is great - much better than the 60k Pioneer I had on my WRV, but the speakers to me suck. But that's probably just me. I love Hi-FI Audio, and for the setups that I like, it costs 5-7 lakhs for cars. Have to wait a bit for me to get that cash, and I'll be making a beeline to Speedfreaks in Chennai to get an Audio upgrade, hopefully very soon.

I found the 125 + KMPH sound chime driving me mad. The car comes with a chime at 80 km/h which is once every minute, which is good as you cannot feel the speed in the car, and the chime is unobtrusive. It then has a 120+ km/h chime, which of course is constant, but cross 125 km/h, it gets LOUD and maddening. 5 minutes and Rs 2000 at Vagmaster, Velacherry, Chennai had the 120+ km/h chime be history.

Essentials

• Sun films. I drove the car for a few days without Sun films, and it was horrible. too much glare, and too much stress on the AC even though it was early January. I have come to learn that Sun Films are THE MOST important investment on a car and choose the best and most expensive - Solar Shields Nanoceramics. More here.
• Screen Guard for the infotainment system. Found a very good and high-quality one on Amazon.
• Petrol Sticker. Found a very good and high-quality one on Amazon which goes well with the GT badging.
• Jumper Cables - With the car's auto on/off kicking in as much as it does, I am sure the battery won't last long. And even though you have the option to switch off auto on/off, and I don't drive in the city much, AND I have dealt with dead batteries in the part, I picked up a Jumper Cable.
• A Tow Rope. A friend in a Nexon and I found a way through a forest onto the banks of the Cauvery and we drove right to the river rather foolishly and got ourselves stuck in the slush. I managed to get unstuck - with more power than the Nexon and with Traction off, but the Nexon was stuck hard. But luckily while we were dealing with this - it was a late night, another Nexon popped up and did exactly what we did and got stuck exactly how we were about half a KM from where we were, and they called in a Bolero to pull them out and they pulled my friends Nexon out as well. That prompted me to get a tow rope.
• ProKlear Wiper Wash - Been using this for a while and find it to be very good.
• 3M Rodent Spray - I've had wires in cars chewed on by rats and know the damage they cause. I have been diligently using 3M rodent spray once every 3/4 months and have never had a rodent issue after. Much cheaper on Amazon than elsewhere.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I knew that as soon as I got the car, I had to get a high quality sun film installed - the heat and glare was rather uncomfortable.

BHPian thirdmainroad recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After spending a bomb on accessories and audio upgrades in most of my previous cars, I've come to realise that high quality Sun Film is THE most important investment a car owner can make on his vehicle as an after mod. Initially sceptical about Sun Film on the wind shield, I learnt after previously installing 3M's CR 90 on my WRV its a very worthy investment. Cuts heat and glare considerably and does not interfere with vision, in fact it aids it.

I just got myself a Volkswagon Taigun 1.5 GT, and just can't stop driving it. I've clocked 4000 km in less than 2 weeks, driving it just for the sake of hitting various types of roads. It sure is a FUN car to drive!

I knew that as soon as I got the car, I had to get a high quality sun film installed - the heat and glare was rather uncomfortable, especially coming from driving a car with CR 90s and CR 40s installed. You don't know what you are missing unless you know what you are missing!

I was skeptical about going back to 3M, being royally cheated once. But I had experienced 3Ms CR series, and really liked it. More on that here.

I had since found SpeedFreaks, where I had a really, really good audio install done. Thread here

I had by now come to trust Speed Freaks, and was back to them for the Taigun's Sun Film installation, but wanted to them to install 3Ms CR series. I also not wanted CR 40s on the doors, for I had been stopped in Bangalore once too many times for having tinted windows.

Karthik of Speedfreaks cautioned me against 3Ms CR series. He said that supply of the original film has become very erratic, and we couldn't be assured of quality and perhaps even originality, even with his direct contacts in 3M. I wanted the very best with the highest heat rejection and also clear film. He then suggested I go with SolarShields Platinum Teal 70 Nano Ceramic film, which has the highest heat rejection of 62% and a 99+% UV rejection. I was a little worried of going for 70 against the 90 for the windshield, thinking it would hamper vision, but Karthik brushed my fears off, and said it would fare far better. Trusting this chap, I agreed. The price would be Rs 45,000, but having worked with Karthik before, he gave be a discount of Rs 5000, and set the final cost at Rs 40,000.

Knowing Speedfreaks calibre, I agreed, knowing I'd get the best work, the best film at the best price. No need to haggle here at SpeedFreaks as experience had thought me!

Unlike other installers who'd stick your film in an hour or so, Karthik wanted the car to be left over night. He does a very precise job, and pays at most attention to quality, and wanted the car over night to make sure no issues crop up post installation. I do hate going back to get work done set right, and Speedfreaks is close to 1.5 hours in traffic each way from where I live in Chennai (possibly 1.5 days if it was Bangalore!)

And so, I was back the next day to pick up my car. As promised, the installation was perfect. They have a special sealed cell at their shop to install sun film, to make sure no dust is present. Needless to say, the car is cleaned thoroughly post and pre installation.

The effects of the Sun Film were felt immediately and drastically. As promised the 70s did not in anyway hamper vision on the windshield, but in fact aided it quite substantially both during night and day. The film does an EXCELLENT job at cutting glare out, and vision becomes much clearer during the day as well as night! The heat rejection can be felt immediately and is fantastic. The 70's have a higher heat rejection percentage than darker tints, and you really can feel the difference.

They do make the glasses feel ever so lightly tinted, but you can for sure see through them. Gives the glass a light slivery, bluey very classy tinge! I think this is a little more enhanced on my car as it's white, and I am now rather keen on taking off to Bangalore to see if cops there will attack my car. They are rather fond of TN registered cars in Bangalore and hey, i've got a new excuse for one more long drive!

And thus, high quality sun film on windshield, windows and rear - highly, highly recommended and I can't say enough on what a great investment they are in your car!

And I can't sing praises enough on SpeedFreaks. They really are the best not only for audio, but for everything your car needs, provided you want the best of the best! I noticed a lot of KA - Bangalore registered cars this time. Nice to know that good work is being appreciated, even from Bangaloreans who have better options when it comes to high quality mods than Chennai! Do mention that you are from Team Bhp if you visit Speedfreaks. Karthik did tell me he likes to work with people from here as he feels us lot are well informed and know what quality work is!

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