Volkswagen Tayron review: the sensible new SUV that quietly outperforms expectations
The all-new VW Tayron
|
VOLKSWAGEN TAYRON |
|
|---|---|
|
Rating |
★★★★☆ |
|
Price |
from €56,745 - €60,405 as tested |
|
Power |
a turbocharged 1.5 TSI PHEV with 200bhp |
|
Range |
a pretty decent 100km all-electric range |
|
The Spec |
as tested in the R-Line Edition 75 variant, it is a pretty complete package |
|
Verdict |
a return to traditional VW values and very welcome at that |
It might seem like a strange thing to say, but the very best cars from Volkswagen are often unremarkable. They simply do everything asked of them with an ease and simplicity others can’t match.
The original Golf — not to mention most of its successors — was such a car. It wasn’t stunning to look at, but it was a smart, if inoffensive, machine; it was rather basic in terms of creature comforts, but it was comfortable, hugely practical and ticked all the right boxes for everyone from superior court judges to binmen.
It was — like the Beetle before it — an “everybody” car with the sort of winning appeal that transcended social barriers. It also came in a variety of guises that suited every age bracket, and VW was ahead of the game by making an electric version.
The Golf, of course, evolved through the years, but it continued — and continues even now — to defy the collective wisdom of car makers all over the world.
Volkswagen has never really repeated that level of success with a single model, probably because drivers’ needs have changed radically. We are now fully into the age of the SUV, as well as hybrids of every variety and EVs.
Even so, there was considerable mystery when the German giant announced its latest SUV, the Tayron. This was largely because Wolfsburg appeared to have all known SUV bases covered with a wide selection.
It emerged, however, that the Tayron was simply an all-new name for an existing model. It is actually the replacement for the Tiguan Allspace and, for whatever reason, VW decided to retire a widely successful car and put a new entity in its place.
The idea wasn’t to create a super-duper SUV, but one with broad appeal and strong green credentials to meet the growing demand for environmentally sensitive automobiles.
Think of it as a bigger Tiguan, while being considerably cheaper than the Touareg. It will be available with seven seats in some variants, although that’s not the case with this week’s tester, the Tayron eHybrid, because the PHEV system takes up so much space underneath the cabin.
This is a deliberately low-key, unflashy piece of kit, but it does its job extremely well, offering space, refinement and practicality to family buyers. In a way, it is very traditionally Volkswagen, although the designers have added a few eye-catching details that help it stand out.
In many ways, it’s old-school VW and, thankfully, it avoids many of the quirks the company pursued of late — particularly on some of their EVs, which turned out to be a little too clever for their own good and not at all driver-friendly.
This is a very uncomplicated car and benefits from that approach, focusing on being practical and doing its job as a family workhorse consistently well.
Although based on the same platform as the Tiguan and the Passat, it is still a bespoke motor, and the extra 112mm added to the wheelbase compared with the former makes it a very roomy car for rear passengers, who also get the bonus of a fore-and-aft sliding seat.
The exterior design is not gobsmacking, but it is understatedly handsome. A notable feature is the LED cross bar at the rear and the illuminated badges front and back, which help it stand out without being shouty.
Inside, the décor is quietly upmarket without being fussy; a large touchscreen dominates the centre of the dash, and it is certainly easier to use than recent examples from the marque. The dreaded slider buttons are still there, but a new rotary volume control makes life less frustrating.
Those in the middle row not only benefit from the sliding seat, but also from a couple of USB ports located in the armrest, which also doubles as an iPad stand — something that should keep the kids happy.
Boot space is generous at 705 litres with all seats in use and 1,915 litres when folded. There is also a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant, which is quite savvy and useful. The R-Line-spec tester we had wasn’t overloaded with goodies but was equipped well enough to satisfy most punters.
We had the lower-powered of the two PHEV options, which produces just over 200bhp. It uses a turbocharged 1.5 TSI unit paired with an 85kW motor and a 19.7kWh battery. It also has an automatic DSG gearbox and is front-wheel drive.
Official fuel consumption is 0.4l/100km, which is optimistic, but depending on how heavy your right foot is, you can reasonably expect a return of around 6.1l/100km or better. The all-electric range is over 100km, which will make it attractive for urbanites.
On the road, the Tayron is an unremarkable drive, but a very solid one, and that’s exactly what hits the brief. It is comfortable, steady and doesn’t show much understeer or lean in corners — precisely what most of its potential buyers will want.
It is very composed over bad surfaces, something that will appeal to most Irish drivers given what they face daily.
Given that VW has faced significant marketplace pressure — particularly from sister company Skoda — this is a car that will restore confidence in the brand among long-time supporters. It is unshowy, but that’s what VW owners like. It is also highly practical, comfortable, easy to drive and economical. It doesn’t cost a fortune either.
VW, it seems, has finally learned the lessons Skoda has delivered, and this car is easily a match for the successful Kodiaq, if not superior.
It marks a pragmatic return to form for the German giant and, frankly, one that’s long overdue.
