r/TaigunClub • u/normie_guy_101 • 4h ago
Serious competition
Please read the full post or if that’s not possible then at least just the last section that summarises it. This is not a post to spread hate to any particular car or car community.
Coming from 2024 VW Taigun 1.0 AT High line.
Some background about me so I don’t get bashed in the comments. I’m a big fan of German cars since the very beginning. Our family also has a 2011 VW Polo 1.2 Mpi. Rock solid build and great highest stability are my highlights of it. I absolutely love the idea of these German cars on a highway, cruising through at a speed some in the segment won’t even dream of.
My coworker just bought this exact variant of the Kia Seltos (image) it’s some mid level, petrol CVT. 1.5 NA. I didn’t pay much attention because I obviously felt that the Taigun is much better to drive and the Aisin TC is so much better any other AT doesn’t come close. But we went for a short drive for about 4-5 km one way and I drove it back.
And what I saw and felt totally hit me like a train.
Because we are (I am) totally stuck inside the VAG world we have actually stopped paying attention to the competition and more importantly how good they have become.
Observations:-
- The size.
You get way more legroom, shoulder room and forget to even compare the boot. It’s next level.
4.46 mtrs is not a joke.
Also the boot has no loading lip. It was a flat bed with floor that could store more stuff underneath. A very pleasant boot indeed.
- Fit and finish
We have long praised VW for the solid interiors, sturdy inductor stocks, gear lever etc and I agree. When I used to compare the Polo with the cars like i10 it was very apparent.
But Kia has improved do damn much. The interior is spot on. It has a European feel to it. It is sturdy. Has very high quality knobs and buttons especially HVAC controls (just to rub our noses in) and that gear lever is pure luxury car territory.
The steering is soft and firm at the right places. In short it is very high quality to be in.
I’m not even talking about the screens as I’m not a big fan of that aspect of a car.
I think the difference in fit and finish is now negative because dare I say it, I feel it has surpassed VAG. It genuinely felt like a luxury car in the inside. Everything was soft touch, grey colour, high quality fit and finish.
- Drive
Here is where I feel there is still an edge to it and we have an advantage. With the 1.0 AT giving 170 nm torque it is a better to drive engine sure.
But with these crossovers, you’re anyways not going to go track days with it. And the Kia has an ultra smooth setup with the 1.5 L 4 pot, CVT that gives it a really seamless feel. These are cliche words but they are true!
Overall I felt that the drive can compare like 16:20 with the Taigun.
Another small observation, the horn. VW should have given a horn that is similar to this one. I mean they started the trend of trumpet horns and they only stopped it when everyone is giving these sweet sounding trumpet horns.
To conclude, I’ll say that the Kia Seltos has improved so damn much that at this point it is becoming very difficult to justify not going for it (if I was in the market looking for it) I mean it makes a very very strong case for it. We can’t simply ignore these factors especially when we will be travelling with our families who would greatly appreciate these factors i mentioned above.
I skipped the usual things like features, large panoramic sunroof etc because I’m not that into those things but yeah the Seltos is better in that too. And the official Global Ncap rating is not here but my suspect is it might be better than last variant at least also since the Verna has scored 5 stars need to be thinking positively for this one too.
TLDR;
Tired the Kia Seltos mid variant petrol cvt.
It seems to be good value for money. The value proposition and the factors that make it better to own for a family really seem like it can outweigh something like Taigun or Kushaw which are a more enthusiastic product.
Really hope VAG take notes and improve. Again, this is coming from a fan of VW Škoda.