VW Taigun GT

Good news! With two GT variants, Volkswagen are set to make the 1.5 TSI motor even more accessible to us enthusiasts

- Sirish Chandran

NOW HERE’S A PLEASANT surprise. We all know the 1-litre TSI is going to be the mainstay of the Skoda-VW range — it is heavily localised, cheaper to make, more efficient, mated to the more affordable torque converter transmission, and will push out at least 80 per cent, if not more, of the overall volume. But Volkswagen are serious about the 1.5 TSI. They’re also serious about maintaining their hard-won ‘premium’ brand positioning. And they are banking on the reputation of the GT badge to enable both.

There’s smart product planning at work here. The GT has always sat at the top of the range, has always been desirable, has always been expensive and that should temper the enthusiasm of keyboard warriors to scream at what will be premium pricing for the Taigun GT. The 1.5 TSI motor is after all assembled not manufactured in India. And we all know that DSG gearboxes are expensive. But, unlike the Polo where the GT was only offered with the automatic, the Taigun will have two GT trims. GT Plus is the all-bells-and-whistles variant with the DSG but the surprise package is the GT whose affordability will not only be aided by the manual but also enhanced by the deletion of kit. It’s for enthu cutlets who’d rather pay for performance than frippery such as a sunroof.