VW has taken the wraps off its new Tayron, a mid-sized SUV that sits between the existing Tiguan and Touareg models.
Available with five or seven seats, Tayron prices will start from £39,850, topping out at just over £50,000 for sporty R-Line versions – making it roughly £5,000 more expensive than equivalent Tiguans. Billed as a “family-friendly” SUV, the Tayron is seven centimetres longer than its forebear, the Tiguan Allspace, which translates into more space for passengers in the third row of seats (when fitted) and a cavernous 850-litre boot when the third row of seats is folded flat.
A range of pure and hybrid petrol, and diesel powertrains are offered. These include a mild-hybrid 1.5 litre petrol unit as well as pure petrol 2.0 litre four-wheel-drive versions with either 200 or 268 bhp. A 2.0 litre diesel is also offered. All these come with seven seats. However, the biggest selling version in the UK is expected to be the two plug-in hybrid options that have either 200bhp or 268bhp. In both cases, the system pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission with a hybrid module made up from an electric motor and 19.7kWh battery pack.
The PHEV can provide up to 75 miles of electric-only running and receive a maximum 40kW recharge rate – allowing for a 10 to 80 per cent top up in 26 minutes. The impressive range will translate into a super attractive company car tax rate, which will likely drive most sales. The downside of the PHEV is the extra batteries means there’s only room for five seats in that version. There will be five trim levels available in the UK with the entry-level Life followed by the plug-in hybrid-only Match, then the Elegance, R-Line and R-Line Edition – the last of which is also only offered as a plug-in hybrid.
All trims also come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, three-zone air conditioning, 10-colour background lighting, an infotainment system with 12.9-inch screen, and a multifunction driving experience switch for adjusting driving profiles, audio volume and cabin atmospheres using preprogrammed lighting and audio moods. There’s also a slew of safety aids including Park Assist Plus, a rear-view camera, and dynamic road sign display.