New Volkswagen Tayron Coming Soon: Specs, price and release info

From T-Cross to Touareg, you might not have thought there was any space for another SUV in the Volkswagen line-up but … you thought wrong! Enter the all-new Tayron, slotting into the apparently yawning gap between the Tiguan and Touareg with the promise of family-friendly seven-seater accommodation, huge towing capacity and a host of other practical features. Think of it as VW’s alternative to the Skoda Kodiaq, the Tayron built on the same foundations and sharing much of the equivalent tech but going for a posher vibe behind that illuminated VW logo.
• Built on the same foundations as the Tiguan and sharing many of the same engines, the Tayron is bigger, more luxurious and comes with the option of seven seats • Range of engines includes petrols, mild- and plug-in hybrids and diesels, though we’ll see if the latter are offered for the UK market • Plug-in hybrid version can do just over 60 miles on electric power alone and will be a great choice for city drivers or those running as a company car • 4Motion all-wheel drive versions (those with the 2.0-litre petrol and, if available, the equivalent diesel) have a huge 2,500kg towing capacity ideal for those pulling caravans, horseboxes or other lifestyle accessories • The Tayron is described as a “near production concept vehicle” and we’d say that, by the looks of it, “very near” would be closer to the truth, with orders opening before the end of the year • UK availability and pricing to be confirmed but, as with its size, expect the price to sit somewhere between the Tiguan and Touareg and perhaps a little more than its Skoda Kodiaq equivalent

We’ll cock an eyebrow at VW describing the Tayron as a concept, because it looks pretty much ready to hit the showroom as it is. The purple paint on the car in the pictures helps inject a bit of dynamism into what can politely be described as a somewhat generic SUV look, the fair counterpoint to that description being this is a car built with practicality and usefulness as its primary concerns. Hence the black trim around the wheelarches to shrug off car park scrapes, a square-cut profile for maximum interior space and a host of family-friendly features including a pack with that in mind with things like electrically operated child locks on the rear doors. In five-seat form the boot is simply enormous, while the seven-seat option will go down a storm when it’s your turn on the school or club run drop-off rota. For this unveiling VW has announced various trim levels and options, though we’ll have to see which of those are carried over to the UK line-up. Generally, the offer seems to be a neat balance of functionality and luxury, depending on your priorities.

The Tayron makes no apologies for its size, or the options that gives you when it comes to the number of passengers you can carry or kit you can load into the boot. The promise of open-pore wood trim and combination with shiny metal inlays looks pretty premium in the pictures, the combination of digital instruments and a large central screen to be expected and buttons kept to a minimum in the modern style. We’re reassured these are at least preserved with physical steering wheel control buttons rather than the fiddly touch-sensitive alternatives found on some modern VWs. Expect lots of driver assistance tech, not least automated parking to help if you’re lacking confidence to manoeuvre such a big vehicle yourself and nifty features like VW’s fancy HD LED lights on higher trim levels.

For this international unveiling VW has confirmed a range of engines, though it remains to be seen which will make it to the UK when the Tayron arrives here. Most are familiar from other VW vehicles, and indeed others from brands within the group like Cupra, Skoda and Audi. Hybrids comprise a basic 1.5-litre eTSI with a mild-hybrid system that basically operates like a fancy stop-start, this petrol engine also the basis of the plug-in hybrid which you can have in two different power outputs, both with just over 60 miles of electric only range. If you want all-wheel drive you’ll need the 2.0-litre petrol, which may end up being a thirsty option but is required for that sturdy towing capacity. This is also available on the more powerful of the two diesel options, if they make it here.

The implication in the press information is that the Tayron will be on sale before the year is out, though we’d expect UK sales to start next year at the earliest. Pricing will be confirmed closer to that date, but expect it to be a little more than the equivalent Kodiaq with which it shares foundations, engines and tech.

While VW has been busy updating core models like the Golf and introducing new SUVs like this and the Tiguan the real interest is over the new ID.2all, which promises a more affordable entry point to the brand’s all-electric line-up.

The Tayron launches into a competitive market packed with talented rivals like the Peugeot 5008, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorrento and others. Demand for SUVs shows no signs of slowing down, either. Meanwhile if you want a big, practical and family friendly VW but prefer electric power you’ll be steered towards the ID.Buzz instead, the retro camper influenced design offering a very different aesthetic but comparable amounts of space and practicality.