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New VW Tayron: Tiguan XXL or Mini-Touareg?

The large SUV replaces the Tiguan Allspace and offers plenty of space

With the VW Tayron model, the company from Wolfsburg presents a rather large SUV that fills the gap between the Tiguan and Touareg models. This niche was previously filled by the Tiguan Allspace, but the market - partly because of its name - never recognized it as an independent model. VW now presents the Tayron, which was developed in Wolfsburg and is also manufactured here. This should not only offer the spaciousness of the seven-seat Tiguan Allspace, but should also compete with the Touareg in terms of quality.

First of all, the obvious question arises: why a new name for the former Tiguan Allspace? Volkswagen did intensive market research here and found that the Allspace was barely known in the past and was never perceived as a stand-alone model. The desired effect of leveraging the Tiguan name could not be realized. Therefore, the decision was made to develop a completely new model with a new name, which will deliberately separate from the Tiguan model and approach the luxury class with the Touareg model.

The Tayron, which by the way was completely developed in Wolfsburg, is also manufactured here and has absolutely nothing in common with the Chinese VW Tayron, of course it is based on the MQB-evo platform like all modern VWs with internal combustion. Although the Tayron benefits from synergies with the Škoda Kodiaq model and is similar to it, especially in terms of dimensions, it is not a pure derivative like the Passat and Superb, for example, which both come from the same Slovakian production line. On the other hand, the Tayron is built in Wolfsburg, while the Kodiaq is built in Kvasiny, Czech Republic.

Exterior

The exterior of the Tayron shows some parallels with the new Tiguan and the new Kodiaq. With a length of 4.770 mm, a width of 1.852 mm and a height of 1.660 mm, the Tayron is the second largest Volkswagen SUV in Europe. The front part of the vehicle is particularly high, and is characterized by a large engine cover and striking twin LED headlights. The top-of-the-line 'Elegance' and 'R-Line' versions come standard with 'LED-Plus' headlamps, which boast dynamic headlamp leveling and cornering lighting. Headlights "IQ.LIGHT - HD matrix headlights" are available as an accessory.

Moving on to the side of the Tayron: the narrow opening at the top edge of the D-pillar that extends the window line into the rear window is quite striking. A long roofline and window graphics extending into the D-pillar are said to give the Tayron a sleek silhouette. Dark plastic wheel arch liners provide room for up to 20-inch wheels and tires and, according to VW, allow for plenty of off-road suspension travel.

This is where we wish the wheel arch trims were body-colored – at least on the R-Line variant – as the wheel arches look a lot bigger than they are when dressed in black. The rear part of the Tayron is marked by a continuous bar with LED lights and a design characteristic of the brand. The lighting systems of the highest versions are equipped with welcome and farewell animations.

Interior

The interior of the Tayron in the first seat test really offers high quality materials. Everything is softly upholstered and covered with fine materials, especially in visible and tactile areas. Hard plastic is found only further down the line. The design matches today's VW fashion, found in the Tiguan and Passat models. Here, too, the huge central screen dominates, but it is not as strong as, for example, in the Passat, where it obscures the view somewhat. The taller interior and higher seating position of the Tayron work well here.

The cockpit landscape is meshed and offers plenty of space for the driver, passengers and luggage. Soft artificial leather surfaces and real wood applications in the Tayron Elegance version and aluminum applications in the Tayron R-Line version create a pleasant atmosphere. The seats in the top versions are upholstered in "ArtVelours Eco" as standard, and high-quality leather upholstery is available as an option. The interior is also equipped with a number of comfort features, including 3-zone automatic climate control, air-conditioned front seats and a panoramic tilt/slide sunroof.

The space is truly princely. The space available in all seats is almost impossible to describe otherwise. Rear seat passengers in particular have plenty of legroom and plenty of headroom. There is also a lot of space in the front in all directions, and the ergonomics are just right. The seats are high above the road and look down on the traffic. On request, VW can provide a folding third row of seats, in which not only children will feel comfortable. However, at 1,87 meters, the editor has reached his limits.

The Tayron also offers an impressive trunk volume. This ranges from 760 liters with the rear seats up to a maximum of 1920 liters with the rear seats folded down. For comparison: Skoda Kodiaq has from 745 to 1945 liters. Tiguan swallows from 652 to 1700 liters.

Equipment lines

Like the Tiguan, the Tayron is available in three equipment lines: 'Life', 'Elegance' and 'R-Line'. Even the basic 'Life' version is well equipped and offers, among other things, 3-zone automatic climate control, 10-colour ambient lighting, nine airbags and an infotainment system with the option of unlocking the navigation function and the App-Connect Wireless function. The top-of-the-range 'Elegance' and 'R-Line' versions offer extras such as real open-pore wood in the interior, laminated safety glass with sound insulation, electric tailgate and the 'Park Assist Pro' system with memory and remote control function.

Engines

The Tayron is available with seven powertrains, including two plug-in hybrids (eHybrid), a mild hybrid (eTSI), two turbo gasoline engines (TSI) and two turbodiesels (TDI). Power output is from 110 kW (150 hp) to 200 kW (272 hp). Here, too, the Tiguan sends its greetings. All versions of the Tayron are equipped with a dual clutch automatic transmission (DSG).

Plug-in hybrids in the Tayron, which temporarily turn it into an electric car, have been improved. At the same time, they offer a long range of about 850 kilometers. The Tayron eHybrid is available in two power levels, namely 150 kW (204 hp) and 200 kW (272 hp). Thanks to the 19,7 kWh battery, Volkswagen expects the eHybrid models to have an electric range of more than 100 km.

Support

Tayron also offers a number of assistance systems that increase driving comfort and safety. These include adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane change assist, lane keep assist, emergency braking system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, parking assist and a reversing camera. A new vehicle exit warning system prevents one of the doors from opening if a vehicle is approaching from behind.

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