Written by Piers Ward Updated: 10 March 2025

Overview

Volkswagen has filled the gap between the Tiguan and Touareg SUVs with this, the Tayron. Replacing the old Tiguan Allspace, it’s a family SUV capable of seating up to seven and comes with a vast array of engine and trim options. Unlike some competitors that focus on dynamic driving or bold styling, the Tayron is unashamedly practical – a no-nonsense SUV that prioritizes comfort, space, and refinement.

The Tayron faces stiff competition in the seven-seat SUV market, going up against the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento, Peugeot 5008, and Land Rover Discovery Sport. It shares much of its underpinnings with the Tiguan but has a 112mm longer wheelbase and distinct exterior styling, including full-width LED lighting at the rear and illuminated Volkswagen badges – a first for an internal combustion engined VW in Europe.

There are six engine choices, including petrol (some with mild hybrid, some without), diesel, and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options. Standard tech includes an upgraded infotainment system, ChatGPT-integrated voice control, and all the usual driver assistance systems.

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What’s it like inside?

The Volkswagen Tayron offers spacious accommodation, with both five- and seven-seat layouts available (the PHEV is only available as a five-seater because the batteries eat into the available space in the boot). It delivers plenty of legroom and headroom for passengers in the front two rows, while the seven-seat variant provides an additional third row for children or occasional adult use. Very occasional – it’s really tight back there.

The middle-row seats slide and recline, offering flexibility depending on whether you need extra passenger space or luggage capacity. The boot, incidentally, is 805 litres with the rearmost row of seats folded flat in the floor – a figure comparable to the Kia Sorento. Entry and exit are straightforward, thanks to large door openings and a relatively high seating position.

Storage is well thought out but lacks the vast bins that you can get on EVs, thanks to their superior packaging fundamentals. Rear passengers also get USB ports and an armrest with integrated iPad stand, a feature borrowed from the Renault Scenic.

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Comfort

This is the Tayron’s key USP. All variants come with double glazing as standard and VW claims it’s worked hard on the car’s refinement, to the point that it’s 5db quieter than the Tiguan Allspace inside. It’s a believable statistic – even in the diesel, you’re rarely bothered by intrusive engine noise. 

Ride refinement is excellent thanks to the twin-valve, adaptive dampers fitted to the car. They were developed for the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and, on the Tayron, they give superb control over rebound and compression. We hit a mid-corner expansion joint at one point but the wheel control was such that it barely registered in the cabin. The car is on standard springs rather than air suspension but you’d never notice; it feels extremely well tied down.

Seat comfort is also excellent. The Tayron is available with both heated and cooled seats, and also comes with a new massage function that VW claims is less harsh than it was previously. 

Safety

The Tayron comes with a comprehensive suite of safety systems, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The double-glazed windows enhance refinement, while blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert add extra security. It’s not yet been Euro NCAP tested but it’s safe to assume that it will score highly. 

Additional features include:

• ISOFIX child seat points in the second row and front passenger seat
• Front and rear parking sensors with optional 360-degree cameras
• Traffic sign recognition and driver fatigue monitoring

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What’s it like to drive?

We tested both the 150hp diesel (50.9mpg) and the more powerful plug-in hybrid (272hp, 625mpg), and while neither felt particularly quick, both provided enough power for everyday driving. If outright performance is a priority, the range-topping 2.0 TSI 265 covers 0-62mph in a brisk 6.1 seconds.

What stands out most about the Tayron is how effortless it feels to drive. Even the touchscreen – a common gripe in modern VWs – is much improved, with larger icons and a shortcut button to quickly disable the often-annoying lane assist. All versions come with double-glazed windows as standard, and Volkswagen has worked hard to improve cabin refinement. The result? It’s noticeably quieter inside, even in the diesel, with minimal engine noise intruding into the cabin.

The Tayron uses adaptive dampers similar to those found in the Porsche Cayenne, which do an excellent job of absorbing bumps and keeping the car stable. Even when we hit a mid-corner expansion joint, the suspension handled it so well that it barely registered inside the car. Despite using traditional coil springs rather than air suspension, the Tayron feels impressively composed and well-balanced.

One unusual feature is the sheer number of damper settings – 15 in total. While it offers plenty of adjustability, most drivers will likely set it once and forget about it. Unsurprisingly, the middle setting strikes the best balance. Two-wheel-drive versions offer four different drive modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Individual – tweaking elements like steering and throttle response. But for most people, Comfort mode will be the best option.

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What models and trims are available?

Plenty. There are five trims available – Life, Match, Elegance, R-Line and R-Line Edition. Not all engines are available in all trims, so if you want the choice of any of the six engines, you need to be looking at the R-Line.

VW thinks the PHEVs will be the big sellers because they slip into the two per cent tax band. Claimed fuel economy figures for both of the power variants are 625mpg and each produces just 10g/km of CO2, with a real-world electric only range of over 60 miles. No fully electric Tayron is available.

So, how does this new model fit in? Read on for our verdict and ratings for the new Volkswagen Tayron, what we like and don’t, and to find out what processes we go through to get to these conclusions, read our how we test cars page.