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 is.

You see 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.

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

VW Tayron video review

It's worth noting at this point that if you choose to have your Tayron as a PHEV, it'll come with five seats rather than seven. That might well suit you if you fancy what is effectively a Tiguan with a bigger boot.

So how does the VW Tayron compare with the best family SUVs and seven-seaters? Read on as 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 will need working quite hard once you’ve filled the Tayron with luggage and passengers (the same is true of the equivalent Skoda Kodiaq).

That said, with a 0-60mph time of 9.2 seconds in our tests, it’s quicker than the Peugeot 5008 Hybrid and the Kodiaq. You’ll need to flick into Sport mode and switch the automatic gearbox from D (Drive) mode to S (Sport) to achieve that, and even then the gearbox feels a little slow.

Meanwhile, the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine gives the Tayron more low-down grunt, making it feel less effort 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 as quick as that figure suggests, but you get to enjoy its smooth power delivery and healthy spread of mid-range punch.

Those two engines are the ones you’ll need if you want four-wheel drive or driving modes tailored to Snow and off-road driving. You can also add a stability-improving Trailer driving mode as an option.

Finally, there are two petrol PHEVs – badged eHybrid – each with a 19.7kWh usable capacity battery, giving an officially electric-only 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 some other PHEVs when it calls on the petrol engine for help.

Even on the big 19in alloys that come as standard on our preferred Elegance trim, the Tayron’s ride is comfortable. Whether you’re driving around town or at motorway speeds, it soaks up imperfections with ease, never thudding through even larger potholes. True, the firmer Kodiaq resists body lean over undulating terrain a bit better, but that car also thuds more. 

For an even more comfortable ride, you can have the Tayron with adaptive suspension (it’s standard if you go for one of the PHEV or 2.0-litre engines).

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 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 car 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 entry-level 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. Wind and road noise are well contained, even at motorway speeds.

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 Tayron's 2.0-litre engines, but the 1.5-litre should suit plenty of buyers who don’t regularly carry a car full of passengers.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Getting comfortable in the VW Tayron is easy, thanks to plenty of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel.

You get electrically adjustable lumbar support for the front seats on all trims, 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, as you do in Peugeots.

The sharp-looking 12.9in infotainment touchscreen is reasonably responsive, and while some functions are difficult to find 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.

If you want a bigger touchscreen, you can upgrade 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 700W 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 two 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.

On seven-seat versions, the Tayron's second row of seats slides back and forth, which is really handy when it comes to juggling leg room for people sitting in the second and third rows. When it's slid all the way back, there’s plenty of leg room to stretch out in the second 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.

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 was able to fit in the third row of seats once the middle row bench had been slid forwards slightly. There was 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 in the third-row seats because head room is fairly limited. The Peugeot 5008 is more generous in this area, while the Hyundai 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 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 limited to five seats too.

The Tayron's boot is huge and closely mirrors the cavernous Kodiaq. There’s 345 litres of boot 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. For reference, we managed to fit in nine carry-on suitcases with the third row slid all the way back and 10 with it slid forwards.

The five-seat only PHEV model's boot 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. 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).

You have five trim levels to choose from, starting with Life trim. It still gets a good amount of kit, including 18in alloys, adaptive cruise control, three-zone climate control, LED headlights and ambient lighting.

Alternatively, if you only want the entry-level petrol engine, Match trim adds keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate. 

Even so, mid-spec Elegance is the one that we’d go for. It costs less than Match trim but gives you loads of niceties, including heated front seats with a massage function, 19in alloys, a heated steering wheel, open-pore wood trims inside and an electric tailgate. 

Top-spec R-Line and R-Line Edition aim to add a sportier look and feel, adding 20in wheels, sportier styling and, in the case of R-Line Edition, a larger panoramic roof. They’re also the ones that you’ll need to go for if you want the most powerful engines and four-wheel drive. 

With official fuel economy figures of around 46.5mpg and CO2 output at around 139g/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.

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 did not featured in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Volkswagen as a brand finished quite far down the league table, in 18th place out of 31 car makers. 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 was awarded the full five stars for safety after it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP.

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 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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