All-new Volkswagen Tayron seven-seater added to VW’s SUV lineup

• All-new large SUV to replace the Tiguan Allspace
• Five-seater and seven-seater version available
• Arriving in March 2025

If you thought eight SUVs from one manufacturer was overkill, the new Volkswagen Tayron suggests the German brand has other ideas. Slotting between the Tiguan and the Touareg, the Tayron fills an ever-so-small niche and brings VW’s total SUV tally up to nine. As the Touareg has moved further upmarket to compete with cars like the BMW X5, the Tayron offers buyers an equally roomy, but more affordable alternative.

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SUVs are what car buyers crave these days, and Volkswagen is clearly happy to satisfy the demand. With eight SUVs currently on sale, there are electric, diesel and petrol models to pick from, but a seven-seater has been notably absent since the Tiguan Allspace was discontinued. The Tayron fixes that, arriving in both five-seat and seven-seat guises, ready to compete against the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe.

What do I need to know about the Volkswagen Tayron?

The new Volkswagen Tayron has been designed to fill the void left by the old Tiguan Allspace, which wasn’t renewed when the new Tiguan launched earlier this year. While the latter is only available with five seats, the Tayron packs up to seven, thanks to longer bodywork and a roomier interior.

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Just how big is the Tayron? At 4,770mm long, it's even bigger than the Skoda Kodiaq, but still a tad smaller than the flagship Touareg. Unlike the old Tiguan Allspace, the Tayron gets a unique body of its own to differentiate it from the smaller Tiguan, but it's still a familiar design with a gaping front grille and a slim light bar between the LED headlights.

The family resemblance continues at the rear with a similar full-width light bar, although the VW emblem now illuminates. Standing side-on, the Tayron is noticeably longer than the Tiguan, sporting a boxier profile with wider doors and a more substantial rear overhang, presumably to make room for the optional third row of seats.

Even with that pair of extra seats, boot space looks to be pretty impressive. With all seven seats in place you’ll have 345 litres of space to play with, while dropping the third row increases that figure to 850 litres – both figures up on the seven-seater Kodiaq. Five-seater Tayrons get up to 2,090 litres of space with all the seats folded, making it one of the most cavernous cars on sale this side of an MPV. The second row features ISOFIX points for the outer two seats, while the bench itself can slide forward in a 60:40 split to increase legroom for the third row.

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Up front, Volkswagen has treated the Tayron to a unique dashboard of its own, complete with a 10.25-inch driver’s display and a 15-inch infotainment touchscreen. The latter sits on a horizontal shelf that spans the width of the dashboard, while a single rotary dial occupies the centre console for controlling volume, driving modes and other features. There are no physical controls for the climate system – you’ll have to paw at the touchscreen instead.

What engines does the Volkswagen Tayron have?

The engine lineup won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the Tiguan and Kodiaq. The 1.5-litre petrol mild hybrid is carried over, delivering an identical 148bhp, along with 148bhp and 190bhp 2.0-litre diesel options. A pair of 2.0-litre petrol engines are offered, too, with 204bhp and 262bhp.

For the best fuel economy, two plug-in hybrid models will be available. Both use the same 19.7kWh battery pack, but deliver different power outputs of 200bhp or 268bhp. They’re available in front-wheel drive guise only, while the 2.0-litre petrol engines and the most powerful diesel come exclusively with 4Motion four-wheel drive. All models use a dual-clutch DSG automatic gearbox.

How much does the Volkswagen Tayron cost and when can I buy one?

We’re still waiting for official UK pricing information for the new Tayron, but it’s set to cost more than both the Tiguan and Kodiaq when it arrives in March 2025. We estimate a starting price of between £37,000 and £40,000.

Check out the Tayron’s competition by reading our list of the best seven-seaters on sale…