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Filling the gap in Volkswagen's SUV range between the Tiguan and the Touareg, the Tayron is a much more convincing seven-seat family crossover than its Tiguan Allspace predecessor. And brings a premium feel to the mainstream brand seven-seat crossover segment.
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Detailed ratings
Large-Sized Family Hatch-Based SUVs
Driving experience
One area where the Tayron couldn't be any different from its Tiguan stablemate was in terms of engineering. The drivetrains, all paired of course to DSG auto transmission, are pretty much exactly as you'll find them in that sister model - and very similar to those in that Volkswagen's Skoda Kodiaq close cousin. That means a defiant diesel offering - or if you really want to move on from that, the latest in Plug-in Hybrid tech. But like its VW Group stablemates, the Tayron lacks the self-charging full-Hybrid tech that you'd find in this sector with rivals from Kia, Hyundai, Peugeot and Toyota.
Your dealer might tell you that the entry-level 150PS 48V mild hybrid 1.5 eTSI petrol-powered Tayron model offers much the same sort of thing, but it doesn't, as an efficiency figure comparison will demonstrate. We'd prefer the 2.0 TDI 150PS diesel - a unit also available in 193PS form with 4MOTION 4WD. 4MOTION is standard too on the 2.0 TSI petrol variant. All Tayron 4MOTION models are designed for maximum trailer weights of up to 2,500kg. 4MOTION can't be had on the PHEVs, which pair a 1.5-litre petrol engine to a 19.7kWh battery and offer a choice of 204PS or 272PS outputs, with a range of around 62 miles. The PHEV Kodiaq has a slightly higher range because it uses a significantly larger 25.7kWh battery.
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Design and build
Unlike its Tiguan Allspace predecessor, the Tayron shares nothing visually with the Tiguan it's based on. At 4,770mm in length, it's significantly bigger too, though still a size smaller than the Touareg. The overall look is very recognisably Volkswagen, with sharp LED lighting front and rear and a full-width illuminating bar across the tailgate. Predictably, the big black plastic- clad wheel arches house large rims - of up to 20-inches in size. Plus there are subtle roof rails and the upper glasshouse trim flows into interesting silver fin on the D-pillar. Top 'R Line' trim gives a much sportier look.
Indoors, you might be expecting a dashboard carried over from the Tiguan or maybe customised from the Kodiaq but refreshingly it's neither, bespoke to the Tayron. There's a curved wing feature under the usual Volkswagen black panel dashboard, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display and a single knob on the lower centre console for the control of everything from audio volume to interior lighting and drive modes. There's a huge 15-inch centre touchscreen with of course the latest much improved VW Group operating system and ChatGTP integration built into the voice command functioning, plus wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'.
Rear seat space in the sliding and reclining second row is generous and there's a choice of five or seven-seat models. With the third row fitted, there's a one-touch sliding feature for access to the very back of the car. Once there, you're find that space in the very rear-most pews is child-friendly but tight for adults - as usual in this class. The PHEV version can't be had with seven seats, despite use of a much smaller battery than features on the equivalent Kodiaq iV.
As for boot space, well in the seven-seat model with all seats up, there's 345-litres - or 850-litres with the third row folded. The five-seat model has an 885-litre boot. All these figures are slightly up on the equivalent Kodiaq.
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Market and model
Expect pricing to sit start from around £38,000 and most Tayrons to be sold in the £40,000-£45,000 bracket, which is pretty par for the course when it comes to upwardly mobile mid-sized seven-seat SUVs these days. Expect the usual trim choice of 'Life', 'Elegance' and 'R Line' specs.
Even base 'Life' trim gets you 18-inch alloy wheels, an illuminated Volkswagen logo at the front and rear, 3D tail light clusters, sun blinds in the rear doors, nine airbags, a three-zone automatic air conditioner, 10-colour background lighting, a multi-functional driving experience controller, digital instruments and LED headlights including automatic main beam control. The centre infotainment screen measures 32 centimetres across the diagonal with an activatable navigation function and App-Connect Wireless for 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'.
The Tayron 'Life' model's standard assist systems include adaptive cruise control, an oncoming vehicle braking when turning function, a lane change system (Side Assist), a lane keeping system (Lane Assist), an automatic emergency braking system including pedestrian and cyclist monitoring (Front Assist), Park Assist Plus, a rear view camera system, dynamic road sign display and an exit warning system. As an extension of the lane change system, the latter can - within the system limits - prevent one of the doors from being opened if another road user approaches from behind.
Optional highlights include adaptive chassis control, IQ.LIGHT HD matrix headlights with interactive lighting functions and Travel Assist for assisted longitudinal and lateral guidance. You might also want a tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof, a 700-watt sound system from Harman-Kardon, leather upholstery with electrically adjustable seats including a massage and ventilation function, plus an electrically activated child safety lock for the rear.
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Cost of ownership
The economy figures aren't too much different from those of a Tiguan. Which means that if you opt for the base eTSI petrol 1.5-litre petrol variants, you're looking at about 45mpg on the combined cycle and about 140g/km of CO2. The base 2.0 TDI diesel improves that to around 55mpg and around 135g/km. As we told you in our 'Driving' section, the eHybrid PHEV models are capable of around 62 miles of range before you need to use fossil fuel. Volkswagen reckons that will allow many families to use this car as an EV, given German market research suggesting that 95% of journeys are less than 31 miles long and 99% are shorter than 62 miles.
As for servicing across the range, well as usual with Volkswagen models, there's a choice of either 'Fixed' or 'Flexible' maintenance packages. You'll choose the 'Fixed' approach if you cover less than 10,000 miles a year and with this, the car will typically be looked at every twelve months. If your daily commute is more than 25 miles and your Tayron will regularly be driven on longer distance journeys, you'll be able to work with a 'Flexible' regime that can see you travelling up to 18,000 miles between garage visits - or every two years, whichever is sooner. And warranties? Well the standard package is three years and 60,000 miles.
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Summary
Don't expect the Tayron to be a common sight on our roads, but there are grounds for Volkswagen to hope that it will do rather better than its quickly forgotten Tiguan Allspace predecessor. For a start, unlike that old car you don't have to have a third seating row for this model to make sense - though customers are probably going to mostly want it. If you've ever wished you could have the posh premium feel of, say, a BMW X3, an Audi Q5 or Mercedes GLC but with the added convenience of seven seats, the Tayron could well be your car.
It's efficient to run, easy to live with and practical to own. Other segment alternatives make similar claims, but after trying them following a Tayron test drive, you might end up feeling you'd be prepared to pay just a touch more for Volkswagen ownership. And we'd understand it if you did.
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