Volkswagen Tayron
New from £41,485 / £345 p/m
Is the Volkswagen Tayron SUV a good car?
Read our expert review
Words by: Dan Trent
"Volkswagen couldn’t let Skoda steal all the seven-seater SUV thunder with its Kodiaq so has built its own version on the same foundations, called the Tayron. Or Tie-ron if you’re to follow the correct pronunciation. Like the Kodiaq it’s massive inside and out, available in seven- or five-seater formats and comes with a selection of engines ranging from mildly hybrid assisted petrol engines to full plug-ins capable of doing your daily mileage on electric power alone. Not ready for electrification? You can still get a diesel one, too! Fine in its own right and a useful addition to VW’s already broad crossover line-up, the Tayron’s real issue is that the Kodiaq offers exactly the same, just that little more stylishly and affordably."
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Running costs for a Volkswagen Tayron
Given the ongoing tax costs of the ‘expensive car supplement’ for cars costing over £40,000 it feels like VW has missed a trick not offering a Tayron variant under this threshold. The more so for the fact Skoda does with the Kodiaq, meaning if you can swallow your brand snobbery you’ll immediately save over £400 a year in tax for basically the same car. True, it’s a symbolic victory for Skoda given, like the VW, the rest of the range is over £40,000. But for the sake of little over £100 on the list price VW seems to have shot itself in the foot there. Beyond that the plug-in hybrid is an attractive option for Benefit In Kind conscious company drivers, while private buyers motivated (and able) to actually plug it in might claw back some of the additional purchase price by using that 75-mile electric only range to cruise past the petrol pumps. Unfashionable or not, family buyers may meanwhile be better served by the diesels or regular petrols, which are cheaper and - unlike the plug-in - available in seven-seat form.
Reliability of a Volkswagen Tayron
VW traditionally has a middling reputation for reliability but, while it’s a new car, the Tayron’s mechanical and electrical bits are all shared across the group’s wider family of brands and well-proven. The glitchy infotainment seen in earlier models built on this shared tech has also been updated, which is a good sign.
Safety for a Volkswagen Tayron
Safety will be an important consideration for the Tayron’s target audience so VW has put in all the tech and assistance features you would expect of a modern SUV of this type, including the all-important sensors for detecting unseen vehicles alongside you when you go to change lane. A shame, though, you can’t put three ISOFIX seats across the second row as you used to be able to with MPVs like the old-school VW Sharan, but such is the practical cost of the current fashion for SUVs and crossovers. If you do need to carry three kids in child seats there is, at least, an additional mount on the front passenger seat in addition to the two on the middle row.
How comfortable is the Volkswagen Tayron
The first important thing to note is you can’t have your plug-in hybrid cake and eat it in terms of seating, the space for the third row of seats taken up by the bigger battery. So, if you need a seven-seater it’s petrol or diesel only. The good news on that front is the Tayron is so big inside that even with all seven seats in place there’s still a usable amount of boot space, which isn’t always a given. To prove the point about practicality your six-foot tester was even able to squeeze into the third row seats. Just. It’s probably better for smaller folk, though. In five-seat form the boot is massive, if a bit shallow. Driver and front seat passenger are similarly well catered for, fancier trim levels getting supportive ‘ergoActive’ branded seats with massage to calm nerves if it’s all getting a bit rowdy in the rows behind. On the road the Tayron rides smoothly in its standard form, though if you want the really cushy experience you want a version with the adjustable suspension controlled via a handy slider on the touch-screen. From wafty wallowing to firmer body control to stave off car sickness on twisty backroads it’s a neat feature.
Features of the Volkswagen Tayron
Credit VW for listening to outcry at its previous policy of replacing physical switches with fiddly touch-operated controls and join us in celebrating the return of a big, twiddly volume knob and proper buttons on the steering wheel! The operating system powering the big central screen and digital driver display is also much slicker, meaning interactions with the car’s many and various systems are much easier than on previous VWs. Where other manufacturers have been simplifying their line-ups the Tayron meanwhile goes the other way with (at the time of writing) five trim levels of increasing poshness, though even the base one gets stuff like configurable ambient lighting, wireless phone charging, keyless start, powered lumbar support on the front seats and built-in nav on the central screen. Wireless pairing to your phone apps is also included, if you prefer. Things feel progressively more premium as you spend more, the ArtVelours upholstery lifting the ambience somewhat while the R-Line version gets its own sportier look with different bumpers, wheels and seats.
Power for a Volkswagen Tayron
The Tayron’s engine range can look a little confusing, given the 1.5-litre petrol motor appears on the mild-hybrid which can’t power itself on the electric motor alone… and the plug-in hybrid which can. On that basis good luck in the configurator where you’ll need to know the difference between a 1.5 eTSI and a 1.5 TSI eHybrid, there being further confusion given there are two versions of the latter and availability varies from trim to trim. Yay. We tried the mild and plug-in versions, and in each case the petrol engine gets a bit rowdy when you demand full acceleration for a hill, overtake or joining a busy road. And this was with just a single occupant – expect even more wailing and gnashing of teeth from under the bonnet if you’re fully loaded with seven people and/or luggage. It’s less of an issue around town but if you’re going to be using your Tayron as intended, travelling with the family or going longer distances you may be better off with the bigger 2.0-litre petrol or even the diesel. We’re basing that on previous experience in related cars though, having not yet driven them in the Tayron.
Lease deals
These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.
£411.18
Monthly payment
£2,467.09
Initial payment
- 7 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Diesel
- Automatic
- 2.0 litres
£411.42
Monthly payment
£2,468.53
Initial payment
- 7 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
£442.23
Monthly payment
£2,653.36
Initial payment
- 5 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Hybrid
- Automatic
- 1.5 litres
£459.87
Monthly payment
£2,759.20
Initial payment
- 7 seats
- 5 doors
- SUV
- Diesel
- Automatic
- 2.0 litres
Standard equipment
Expect the following equipment on your Volkswagen Tayron SUV. This may vary between trim levels.
- 12.9in Infotainment Display
- 12V Socket in Centre Console
- 12V Socket in Centre Console - Rear - Luggage Compartment
- 2 USB-C Ports in the Front and 2 USB-C Charging Sockets on the Rear Centre Console - Charging Capacity up to 45 W
- 8 Speakers
- DAB - Digital Radio Reception
- Diversity Antenna for FM Reception
- E-Sim Card for Online Connectivity
- Emergency Call Service - E-Call
- Inductive Smartphone Charging
- Navigation System
- Wireless App Connect
- 18in Alloy Wheels - Napoli - Black Diamond-Turned Surface
- Black Roof Rails
- Body-Coloured Exterior Mirror Housings and Door Handles
- Chrome Moldings on the Side Windows
- Comfort Bumpers
- Exterior Mirrors - Aspherical on Driver Side - Convex on Front Passenger Side
- Heat Insulating Glass in Side and Rear Windows
- Illuminated Volkswagen Logo in Front and Rear
- Laminated Safety Glass Windshield - Heat Insulating
- Rear Fog Light on One Side and Reversing Lights on Both Sides
- Remote Electrically Foldable Door Mirrors - Puddle Lights and Reverse Activated Passengers Door Mirror
- Surround Lighting with Welcome Light
- Tailgate Unlocking from Outside
- Tyre Mobility Kit including Compressor and Sealing Foam in Lieu of Spare Wheel
- 3-Point Seat Belts - Outer Rear with ECE Label
- 3-Point Seatbelts in Front with Seatbelt Pretensioners
- Alarm with Interior Protection
- Central Locking System - Keyless Entry
- Curtain and Side Airbags in Front and Rear - Centre Airbag
- Disc Brakes in Front
- Disc Brakes in Rear
- Driver and Front Passenger Airbag with Front Passenger Airbag Deactivation
- Electronic Parking Brake with Auto Hold Function
- First Aid Kit and Warning Triangle and Safety Vest
- Front Assist - Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Monitoring
- Hill Start Assist
- ISOFIX Anchors for Child Seats on Outer Rear Seats and Front Passenger Seat - Compatible with i-Size
- Lane Keeping System Lane Assist
- Multifunction Front Facing Camera for Distance Control
- Oncoming Vehicle Braking when Turning including Swerve Support
- Proactive Passenger Protection System
- Safety-Optimised Front Head Restraints
- Two-Tone Horn
- Warning Signal and Warning Light for Front and Rear Seat Belts Not Fastened
- 3-Zone Climate Control
- Auto-dimming Rear View Mirror
- Carpet Mats - Front and Rear
- Centre Console with Illuminated Storage Compartment with Sliding Cover and Two Drinks Holders
- Comfort Seats in Front
- Digital Cockpit Pro - 10.25in High Resolution Dash Display Screen with Customisable Menus and Information
- Flat Luggage Compartment Floor
- Front Centre Armrest
- Front Seats with Manual Height Adjustment
- Interior Ambient Lighting - 10 Colours
- Leather-Wrapped Multi-Function Steering Wheel with Paddle Shift
- Power-Adjustable Lumbar Support in Front Seats
- Rear Seat Bench-Backrest - Split Folding with Centre Armrest and 2 Seats in 3rd Row of Seats
- Rear Seat Release - Mechanical
- Seat Trim Covers in Fabric
- Sun Visors with Illuminated Vanity Mirrors
- Three Rear Head Restraints
- Tool Kit for Tyre Mobility Set
- ACC - Adaptive Cruise Control
- Driver Attention Monitor and Driver Alert System
- Driving Profile Selection
- Dynamic Road Sign Display
- IDA Voice Assistance with ChatGPT
- Lane Change System with Side Assist - Rear Traffic Alert and Exit Warning System
- Park Assist Plus with Park Distance Control
- Rear View Camera System
- Tyre Pressure Loss Indicator
- Automatic Headlight Control with LED Separate Daytime Running Lights and Leaving Home-Coming Home Feature
- Cornering Light and Poor Weather Light
- Dynamic Headlight Range Control
- High Beam Assist - Automatic Sensing for Switching Between Dipped and Main Beam
- LED Headlamps
- Rear Combination Lamps with Special Signal Pattern
- Front Wheel Drive
- Power Assisted Steering - Speed Sensitive
- Shock Absorption in Front
- Start-Stop System with Battery Regeneration
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Your questions answered
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