- We drove the Volkswagen Taigun GT in various conditions to find out what fuel economy it delivers.
Back in 2021, Volkswagen launched the Taigun in the Indian market. It was a part of Volkswagen’s India 2.0 plan and it can be said that the manufacturer has found success with the new SUV. Volkswagen offers the Taigun with two petrol engine options. There is a 1.0 TSI and a 1.5 EVO. We have already done a fuel efficiency test of the 1.0 TSI AT so this time we decided to take the 1.5 EVO DCT.
As a refresher, the 1.5 EVO is one of the most powerful engines in its segment. It puts out 148 bhp of max power at 5,000 – 6,000 rpm and a peak torque output of 250 Nm at 1,600 – 3,500 rpm. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 7-speed DSG gearbox with paddle shifters.
Because we tested the 1.0 TSI with the automatic transmission, it made more sense to compare it to the 1.5 EVO with the DSG gearbox. We drove the Taigun in various conditions such as bumper-to-bumper traffic and on highways.
The worst we could manage was between 8 kmpl and 9 kmpl, when it was being driven in bumper-to-bumper traffic. However, as you gather up some speed and the traffic opens up, the fuel efficiency starts increasing. For us, the fuel economy was hovering between the 11 and 13 kmpl mark.
This is where ACT or Active Cylinder Technology comes into play. It basically shuts off two cylinders out of four when the engine is running on less load and during coasting. The instrument cluster shows an ‘Eco’ indicator and a ‘2-cylinder’ mode when the ACT is activated.
Also Read : Volkswagen Taigun 1.0 TSI AT: Fuel efficiency tested in city & on highway
Then we took the Taigun out on the highways, where it could manage a fuel efficiency of upwards of 15 kmpl very easily. In fact, while maintaining speed limits on the highways, we were able to achieve fuel efficiency figures of around 18 kmpl. This is also where ACT comes into play and helps in extracting more fuel efficiency.
Another thing that aids in fuel economy is the idle auto start/stop system. It shuts off the engine when the engine is idling and restarts it when the driver lets off the brake pedal. However, it can be a bit too sensitive sometimes. Also, the fact that the 1.5 EVO is a torquey engine, it does not need to downshift for quick overtakes which also helps in increasing the fuel efficiency.
First Published Date: 22 Feb 2024, 09:31 AM IST
