Volkswagen Taigun SUV turns into a pickup truck, and its clumsiness is as

Developed and built in India as part of a student car project, the Volkswagen Taigun is a subcompact SUV that has been completely transformed into a pickup truck. This bizarre creation blends the Taigun’s five-passenger cabin with an unusually elongated rear overhang to make room for an exposed cargo hold. It’s not the kind of mashup you see every day, and the result is both strange and questionable.

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Unlike most SUV-to-truck conversions that involve modifying the body of the car, this one retains the original greenhouse and exterior panels. The rear hatch has been unceremoniously ditched in favor of a custom bed that feels like an afterthought. The exaggerated length of the rear gives the pickup very odd proportions—making you wonder what happens to the balance when you throw cargo in the back.

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In a parts bin raid, the taillights and rear bumper were borrowed from the Volkswagen Virtus sedan, which rides on the same MQB A0 IN platform as the Taigun. While much of the project looks DIY, the 3D-printed components and snazzy paint job help mask any rough edges from the build process.

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To top it off, the team added some off-road bits to make the little pickup look even more rugged. Things like underbody protection, beefy wheels and chunky tires, and oversized fender extensions. Add in roof-mounted LED lights, an antenna, a snorkel, and extra mounting points, and you have a vehicle that looks ready to tackle some serious terrain—even if it’s just pretending.

There is no information on performance modifications yet, but the Taigun is only available in front-wheel drive versions. The most powerful version of this SUV is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline engine with 148 hp (110 kW / 150 PS), which sounds good enough for a small pickup truck.

The one-of-a-kind truck was built by a team of mechatronics students, guided by technical experts from Škoda Auto Volkswagen India, the Pune-based company that manages Volkswagen Group’s brands in India and has extensive R&D expertise.

The conversion took nine months and included market analysis, research and development, sourcing, packaging and final vehicle testing. The aim was to allow the students to gain valuable skills and experience under the government-backed Skill India programme.

This isn’t the first time the project has come up with something a little offbeat. Last year, the same team unveiled a Skoda Rapid four-door convertible. Apparently, they like things that are a little different.

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Skoda Auto Volkswagen India