Volkswagen Tayron review

It has a fresh new name but the Volkswagen Tayron is a car many buyers will be familiar with once they look beyond the badge on the back.

That’s because the Tayron (pronounced "Tie-ron") replaces the Tiguan Allspace, and like that car it's available as a seven seat SUV to rival the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq.

Underneath, the Tayron shares its basic underpinnings with the latest VW Tiguan and comes with the same interior and tech found in that stablemate, as well as a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) engines.

VW Tayron video reveal

In keeping with its predecessor, if you simply fancy a Tiguan with a bigger boot you can get the Tayron as a five-seater. In fact, if you pick one of the PHEVs you can only have five seats.

So how does the VW Tayron compare with the best family SUVs and seven-seaters? Read on to find out how we rate it for performance, comfort, practicality and running costs...

The VW Tayron’s engine range kicks off with the 148bhp 1.5-litre eTSI petrol. It comes with mild hybrid tech to bolster performance and fuel economy, but it needs to be worked hard to get up to motorway speeds, even with just two occupants on board (the same is true of the equivalent Skoda Kodiaq).

That said, a 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds makes it quicker than a Peugeot 5008 Hybrid. Plus, the automatic gearbox changes down eagerly when you need a burst of acceleration – especially when if you switch from D (Drive) mode to S (Sport).

Meanwhile, the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine gives the Tayron more low-down grunt, making it feel more effortless to drive when fully loaded up.

There are two more 2.0-litre petrols, producing 201bhp and 261bhp. The most powerful version (with an official 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds) doesn’t feel quick, but you get to enjoy its smooth power delivery and healthy spread of mid-range punch.

It’s worth noting that those two are the only Tayron engines that come with four-wheel drive. They also get Snow and Off-road drive modes, and a stability-improving Trailer driving mode can be added as an option.

Finally, there are two petrol PHEVs – badged eHybrid – each with a 19.7kWh usable capacity battery, giving an officially electric range of 76 miles. They produce either 201bhp or 268bhp, and the 201bhp version probably has all the performance you'll need, with a 0-62mph time of 8.6 seconds.

The electric motor has enough punch to drive up to motorway speeds, and in Hybrid mode there’s not as much hesitation as in other PHEVs when it calls on the petrol engine for help.

So far, we’ve tried the Tayron with adaptive suspension, which comes as standard on the PHEVs and with the 2.0-litre petrol engines. It’s an option with other engines as part of the Dynamic Driving Package, but only with certain trims.

The adaptive set-up allows you to soften or firm up the suspension by selecting different drive modes. In its softer Comfort setting, the Tayron has a slightly firmer ride than a Nissan X-Trail or Peugeot 5008 but it still remains forgiving enough to prevent occupants from being jostled around in their seats.

The upside is that the Tayron controls its vertical body movements better than those cars, with less pitching under braking, and settles down sooner when dealing with speed bumps.

The Tayron also contains body lean better than a 5008 when cornering. Combined with its high levels of grip and precise, well-weighted steering, that means the Tayron inspires a higher level of confidence when you're driving on country roads. The heavier PHEV versions don’t feel as agile but remain composed.

Compared with the other petrol engines, the 1.5-litre unit is a little more vocal and sounds slightly coarse when worked hard. Even so, it’s not too intrusive and fades into the background when cruising.

The Tayron suffers from less vibration through the floor and seats than its VW Tiguan stablemate, so it’s a slightly smoother drive. There’s not much wind noise and less road noise than in a Kodiaq.

With R-Line trim, you can cut out wind noise even further by opting for the optional laminated front windows (available as part of the Black Styling Pack).

“I like the effortless low-down grunt of the 2.0-litre engines, but if you don’t regularly carry a car full of passengers, the 1.5-litre will suit plenty of buyers.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Getting comfortable in the VW Tayron is easy, thanks to plenty of adjustment from the seat and steering wheel. You get electrically adjustable lumbar support for the front seats on all trim levels, but if you want full electric adjustment you'll need to add it as an option as part of a pack. Elegance and R-Line trims have massaging seats.

Thanks to slim front pillars and a clear view over the bonnet, forward visibility in the Tayron is great, while large side windows and relatively slim rear pillars help provide a clear view when looking over your shoulder. All versions come with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a rear-view camera to help out with parking.

All Tayrons get a 10.3in digital driver’s display that looks sharp and offers more lay-outs than in a Peugeot 5008. It’s also less susceptible to being obscured by the steering wheel than that rival because you view it through the wheel, rather than above it.

The sharp-looking 12.9in infotainment touchscreen is reasonably responsive, and while certain functions are difficult to locate in sub-menus, you can at least customise up to five shortcut icons at the top of the screen to take you to them directly.

On Life trim and above, the screen can be upgraded to a huge 15in version as part of the optional Infotainment Package Plus, which also includes ChatGPT AI voice integration that understands a broader range of natural speech. On all versions, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity is standard. The optional 700-watt Harman Kardon sound system on our test car sounded clear and delivered plenty of punch.

Most of the Tayron’s controls are integrated into the touchscreen, including the ventilation controls. You’ll need to use touchpads to adjust the temperature or delve into a menu to alter any other setting. The physical rotary dials in the Skoda Kodiaq are much more convenient to use.

At least a rotary dial on the lower centre console allows you to adjust the stereo volume easily, but you do have to look down at the integrated OLED display when you use it to scroll through the drive modes.

The Tayron’s interior offers plenty of soft leather-like materials on the doors and dashboard, while faux-wood and silver trim finishers add a bit of visual flair. There are some hard, scratchy plastics, but the Tayron makes more of an effort to hide them lower down on the dashboard. Even the rougher materials feel plusher than those in a Kodiaq, while the fit and finish feels more robust.

“I’ve started to get used to the touchpads for the climate control, but the rotary dials in the Skoda Kodiaq are so much more intuitive.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

There’s plenty of head and leg room going spare in the front seats of the VW Tayron, even for a pair of six-footers. Storage space is equally generous, with big door pockets that can hold more than a fairly large bottle, a cubby below the centre armrest, two cupholders and space for a pair of phones below the centre air vents.

With the bench slid all the way back, there’s plenty of leg room to stretch out in the middle row. There’s also space for feet underneath the front seats and a healthy amount of clearance from the roof lining above a six-footer’s head (the optional panoramic roof doesn’t eat into the head room).

Meanwhile, the backrest reclines by a small amount in a 60/40 split to boost comfort. A middle passenger will have to sit on a raised section of the bench, while their legs will have to straddle a small hump on the floor, but they should be fine for short journeys.

Passengers sitting on the outer seats can fold down a central armrest, which includes two cupholders and somewhere to hold your phone upright for watching videos. Elsewhere, the door bins are large and the backs of the front seats have pockets for phones and larger items.

On seven-seat versions, some will find the middle row bench doesn’t slide forwards enough to make it easy to clamber into the third row of seats, but the rear doors do open reasonably wide.

The fact that you can't get seven seats on the PHEV versions means that if you want that combination you'll have to look elsewhere – at the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento or Peugeot 5008 for example. (The Skoda Kodiaq PHEVs are restricted to five seats too.)

Once inside, the seat base is mounted very close to the floor, which means teenagers and adults will sit with their knees raised. The same is true of a lot of seven-seaters.

Our tester's average-height frame was just about able to fit in the third row of seats once the middle row bench had been slid forwards slightly. Do so, and there’s still enough leg room for an adult to sit comfortably in the middle row ahead. 

Anyone nearing 6ft tall will need to slouch a bit back there, because head room is fairly limited. The 5008 is more generous in this area, while the Santa Fe is more spacious overall and requires less juggling with the middle row occupants to free up leg room.

There are no air vents, cupholders, USB chargers or Isofix child seat mounts in the Tayron's third row. 

The boot is huge, and closely mirrors the cavernous Kodiaq. There’s 345 litres of space available with all seven seats up in place, and 850 litres (up to parcel shelf height) when the third-row seats are folded down. The five-seat only PHEV model's boot space is smaller, at 705 litres, due to the battery under the floor. Even so, all Tayrons should have little trouble swallowing a couple of pushchairs or two large suitcases.

The two third-row seats fold down independently while the middle row backrest folds in a 40/20/40 split. Handily, there are levers integrated into the boot that you can pull to fold them remotely.

The load area is a good uniform shape and there’s a storage area underneath to stow the parcel shelf out the way.

“I can squeeze into the Tayron’s third-row seats, but I’d be comfier sitting in the more spacious Hyundai Santa Fe, which also provides air vents and cup holders.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

The entry-level VW Tayron in Life trim costs slightly more than a Peugeot 5008 and an equivalent Skoda Kodiaq. It’s worth noting the Kodiaq is also available as an even cheaper five-seat version. An equivalent Kia Sorento diesel or PHEV costs about the same, while a Hyundai Santa Fe costs significantly more.

The entry-level 1.5 eTSI Life is the only Tayron that costs less than £40,000, so it avoids the luxury car tax (provided you don’t add any optional extras).

Five trim levels are available, although some of them limit which engines you can have with them.

Entry-level Life trim comes with adaptive cruise control, three-zone climate control, LED headlights and ambient lighting.

Match Trim adds keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate.

Elegance is more luxurious, with 19in wheels, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and open-pore wood trims.

Higher spec R-Line has 20in wheels and a sportier look and feel, while R-Line Edition has a larger panoramic roof. 

With official fuel economy figures of around 44mpg and CO2 output at around 146g/km for the 1.5-litre petrol, the Tayron should cost a similar amount to run to the Kodiaq. The Sorento and Santa Fe are available in regular hybrid versions, but they're pricier to buy and will take a lot of miles to recoup the extra cost in fuel savings.

Company car drivers will find themselves drawn to the eHybrid plug-in hybrids because their electric-only ranges and low CO2 emissions place them in the lowest BIK tax bracket. The eHybrids have a maximum charging speed of up to 11kW from a home EV charger or up to 40kW from a public charger. With the latter a 10-80% charge can take as little as 26 minutes.

The Tayron has not featured in our What Car? Reliability Survey yet, but in the 2024 survey, Volkswagen finished quite far down the league table, in 18th place out of 31 manufacturers. That’s below Skoda and Hyundai, but one place above Peugeot.

Volkswagen’s three-year, 60,000-miles warranty is par for the course, matching the cover you get from Skoda, but is less than the five years you get from Hyundai or the seven years from Kia.

The Tayron hasn’t been crash tested for safety by Euro NCAP but all versions come with automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance, as well as traffic-sign recognition and a system that monitors driver fatigue. You also get blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert to warn of approaching vehicles behind you.

“If you’re keeping an eye on running costs, I think it's worth knowing that the entry-level 1.5 eTSI Life is the only Tayron that avoids the luxury car VED tax.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

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