STILL PLAYING THE LONG GAME

2026 VOLKSWAGEN TAIGUN FACELIFT

- Saneet Dalvi Photography: Nirmeet Patil

FOR Still one of the most rewarding SUVs to drive in its segment.

AGAINST Misses out on key features and the immediate appeal that rivals offer.

IT IS WORTH ASKING A SIMPLE QUESTION at the start. What do most SUVs today try to do? They try to impress. Quickly!

Within the first few minutes, you are expected to notice the large screens, the feature list, the ride’s softness, and the ease with which the car goes about its job. It is all designed to make a strong first impression, because in this segment, that matters. The Taigun has never really played that game. And honestly, with this new facelift, it still doesn’t.

At first glance, not much has changed. There are visual updates, yes—a light band across the grille, illuminated logos, updated LED signatures and a slightly refreshed stance. Inside, there is a larger digital cockpit, a panoramic sunroof and a more modern interface. It feels fresher, more current, more aligned with what buyers now expect. But spend a little time with it, and you realise that the real changes are not immediately visible. Because this is still very much the same Taigun underneath, and that is both its strength and its challenge.

WHERE IT STILL GETS IT RIGHT

We drove it across a mix of terrain from Bhuj to Dholavira and further on towards Udaipur. Long, open highways, broken patches, uneven surfaces and stretches that demand more from the car than a typical urban commute ever would. Roads like these don’t take long to show you what a car is really like. And within a few kilometres, the Taigun begins to make sense again.