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First Drive Review: New Volkswagen Tayron
The replacement to VW’s popular 7-seater Tiguan AllSpace, the new VW Tayron is positioned under the Touareg and above the Tiguan as the only seven-seater in the Volkswagen passenger car line-up. It’s not quite an extended Tiguan but rather a new model that offers more practicality, more luxury features and even the choice of the same body style in a five-seat configuration.
Let’s start with the name shall we?
Volkswagen South Africa was quite adamant that we got the pronunciation of the name correctly, and of course, asked us to ensure we communicated this to our readers. That’s you. It’s not Tay-Ron which was your immediate assumption. It must be pronounced in the same way you pronounce Thailand. Thai-Ron or Tie-Ron if you will. The name, whilst all new in our local market, isn’t all-new. It is the name that China has been using for the past eight years as the name plate on their version of the Tiguan. Instead of continuing with the AllSpace naming, VWSA has opted to adopt this name instead, and after spending time at the local launch, it’s clear why they’d want to do that.
It’s not simply a Tiguan with two extra seats
The new VW Tayron (how did you pronounce that?) is built on an extended version of Volkswagen’s MQB Evo platform, yes the very same platform as the new Tiguan but with more wheelbase length. That allows for a larger body length which then accommodates the increase in space and practical usability. The new Tayron offers a body style that is indeed longer by 230mm with a sizeable increase in interior space.
In its three-row configuration, VW claims that 345-litres of boot space is available which is quite impressive considering its predecessor offered 115-litres less space. Fold away the third row and the boot space opens up to offer 755 - 850 litres of boot space. That’s more than one gets in a VW Touareg. Fold the second row down and that increases interior space to over 2 000-litres. Even in 5-seat configuration, the Tayron is far larger than its predecessor and makes a very practical alternative to the Tiguan if space is high on the priority list.
Note that with passengers aboard, the third row is still best suited to smaller people or younger children, with the floor still being quite high and will require the second row to be pushed further forward which compromises knee room for the second row occupants.
What model lines are available on the new Tayron?
There are three model lines. Namely, the Tayron Base; the Tayron Life and the Tayron R-Line. The Tayron base model is the five-seater derivative with a loaded list of standard kit including adaptive cruise control, 12.9-inch infotainment, park assistance and 18-inch wheels among a few others.
The Life adds extra airbags and safety features, a 10-colour ambient lighting suite, the ability to add driver profiles as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay through VW’s App-Connect system. Digital Driver’s Display and illuminated ‘VW’ emblem on the front grille and rear lighting strip adds a touch of modern presence. The adaptive cruise control in the Life model is enhanced with features like lane change assistance, automatic emergency braking and with cyclist and pedestrian recognition. A new exit warning system debuts here in the Tayron which detects cyclists who may be about to ride passed the driver/passenger door and can warn and prevent the door from opening.
The top of range R-Line adds the glam. 19-inch Coventry alloy wheels with the option of 20-inchers; Varenna leather seats and door trim with a 10-chamber massage function; aluminium dash and door inserts as well as more colours added to the ambient lighting suite.
This derivative is the one that South Africans will want most, mainly because of its premium look and feel, but of course, VWSA is offering further customisation to the Tayron with the Black Style Package. This adds black chrome to some of the exterior and interior trim elements and includes those 20-inch Leeds alloy wheels which is a R13 500 option.
The options also extend to include IQ Light Matrix LED lights; Heads Up Display; Travel Assist package as well as an upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system.
How does it drive and what engines are available?
Our launch root took us from the heart of Sandton to the Magaliesburg region, a good test of a car’s comfort levels and with this season’s warmer weather conditions, a chance to enjoy the car’s ventilated seating and massage functions. The Tayron rides with a polished refinement, scoring highly on NVH levels and also on chassis competence absorbing road imperfections quite well for a car this size and weight. Tipping the scales some 240-kilos more than the current VW Tiguan, the Tayron certainly rides with a softer disposition than the smaller and lighter Tiguan.
Engine choices? For now, VW has launched the Tayron with one single powertrain, the well-known and tried 1.4 TSI turbocharged petrol unit. Power and torque is the usual 110kW and 250Nm mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that drives the front wheels. The engine itself in this application is competent and compliant with only a hint of lag through the gears. It’s not uber exciting, but rather the starting point for the range and it’s a solid combination. There will, however, be a number of customers who will want more power and of course, the expectation of a 2.0 TDI version is prevalent.
For a start, 2026 will see VWSA introduce the 2.0-litre TSI, turbo-petrol version as well as a new more powerful mild-hybrid powertrain to the line-up with an all-wheel drive 4Motion option joining the list too. Due to the quality of our fuel, at this stage a new TDI is NOT on the cards.
What will the new VW Tayron cost?
Launch pricing for the entire Tayron range is: R811 800 for the base; R853 800 for the Life and R899 900 for the Tayron R-Line. Options will hike these prices but from these three packages, you’ll find most of what you may need in either of these.
The Tayron is an important model for Volkswagen and for consumers. Where the Tiguan lacks space for whatever you may throw at it, the Tayron really ups the ante in terms of usable and practical cargo area. The choice of the same body in five or seven seats also provides more choice to consumers who may not necessarily want an additional two seats but are certain of the need for a large amount of luggage space.
VW’s product team has made a good effort here and should see the Tayron perform better than what was already a successful name plate for the brand.
All Tayron’s are offered with VW’s 5-year / 90 000km Service Plan as well as a 3-year / 120 000km Warranty and 12-year anti-corrosion warranty.
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