Volkswagen Tayron review – a solid seven-seater SUV

Verdict – is the Volkswagen Tayron a good car?

If you’re looking for a well-built, seven-seater family SUV, the Volkswagen Tayron is well worth your consideration. Unfortunately, though the plug-in hybrids offer the versatility of low running costs around town if you have a way of keeping them charged up, they can’t be had with seven seats, which makes them seem rather redundant compared to the equivalent Tiguan five-seater PHEVs.

Volkswagen Tayron models, specs and alternatives

If you didn’t think Volkswagen’s line-up had space for yet another mid-size SUV, then think again. The Volkswagen Tayron is the latest new name to join the brand’s fleet, sitting above the Tiguan as a replacement for the more spacious Tiguan Allspace.

As such, the Tayron offers buyers much of what the Tiguan itself does, but can be had with up to seven seats for better people-carrying capability. The Tayron’s lineage is immediately apparent, because the styling is mostly the same as that of the Tiguan, which itself takes inspiration from the electric ID. models released by Volkswagen for a more familiar look across the line-up.

The best 7-seater cars to buy in 2025

At just under £40,000 for the entry-level Tayron, the extra space doesn’t come cheap, because that’s about £5,000 more than the equivalent Tiguan. Opt for the highest trim level and prices creep up to just over £50,000.

Like much of the Volkswagen line-up, the Tayron starts in Life trim. As standard all cars come with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, a 12.9-inch touchscreen with sat nav, a 10.25-inch driver’s display, a wireless smartphone charging pad, adaptive cruise control, autonomous parking assist tech, ambient interior lighting and a reversing camera, so it’s well equipped at least. Above this are Match, Elegance, R-Line and R-Line Edition trims.

Predictably, the Tayron is offered with a similar engine line-up to the Tiguan. The range starts with an entry-level 148bhp 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine – this is offered on all trims except Match and R-Line Edition models. Above this are two 2.0-litre petrol TSI engines with 204bhp and 262bhp, respectively, plus 4Motion all-wheel drive. Diesel buyers are catered for with the 2.0-litre TDI engine, which has the same 148bhp output as the entry-level 1.5-litre petrol, but will be better suited to those who frequently drive on the motorway.

If you want the ability to do some shorter trips without using any petrol, the good news is that the Tayron comes with a pair of plug-in hybrid options. The bad news is that these models sacrifice one of the Tayron’s main selling points over the smaller Tiguan: the option of seven seats. Both TFSIe systems use a 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor and battery pack. These produce either 201bhp or 268bhp, and both can run on electricity for up to 77 miles on a charge.

20

The Tayron comes with largely the same engine lineup as the Tiguan, but because it’s larger and heavier, fuel efficiency takes a hit, predictably. That said, the larger Touareg uses much bigger and thirstier V6 engines, so the Tayron might be the best choice if you’re debating between the two.

Mild-hybrid assistance on the entry-level 1.5-litre eTSI helps relieve some of the strain on the engine, improving fuel efficiency. As a result, you can achieve mpg figures up to the mid 40s, making it rather competitive against rivals like the Skoda Kodiaq, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento. The 2.0-litre TSI engine can get mpg up to the mid 30s in its lower power output, while choosing the extra performance of the 262bhp model dents that figure by a few mpgs.

Go for the 2.0-litre TDI version if you frequently do a lot of motorway miles and it can return a reasonable circa-51mpg. The diesel Skoda Kodiaq is slightly more efficient, however.

The best on-paper fuel efficiency goes to the plug-in hybrid eHybrid versions of the Tayron, because they can do up to 77 miles of electric-only driving on a charge. Be aware that if you are to have any chance of achieving their lofty mpg figures, you’ll have to keep the battery topped up frequently, and that might only be worth doing if you own a home wallbox charger for cheaper charging costs.

Charging speeds are rated at 40kW, which is fairly quick for a plug-in hybrid, meaning a top up from 10-80% could take just about 26 minutes.

How much will the Volkswagen Tayron cost in tax?

The Volkswagen Tayron will cost the standard rate of tax from April 2025, including the plug-in hybrid versions, following a change in the VED (road tax) system, despite PHEVs previously getting an annual £10 discount. Models costing over £40,000 will incur an extra annual luxury car surcharge tax from the second year until the sixth of the car’s life. Company-car buyers will be best served by the eHybrid models because their low CO2 emissions put them into very low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax brackets.

What will the Volkswagen Tayron cost to insure?

Insurance groups for the Volkswagen Tayron are yet to be confirmed, but we’d imagine it will sit in higher groups than the Tiguan’s, which span 18-32 out of 50.

20

The Volkswagen Tayron is offered with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains which it shares with the slightly-smaller Tiguan SUV. It’s also based on the same underpinnings as that car, but Volkswagen says it’s tweaked the suspension for a more supple, comfortable ride, given it’s a more family-focused model.

That’s not a bad move, in our eyes, because when we tested the most recent Tiguan, we thought it ought to have a more comfort-focused approach anyway. Around town, the comfort-focused feel is apparent, because the Tayron soaks up speed bumps and large potholes well, even with the larger wheels fitted. That has come at the expense of composure, though, because the Tayron does wallow around a bit with your steering inputs.

Chassis control is better on more gradual corners, and the DCC adaptive dampers can be adjusted to up to 15 different settings. Get a bit too feisty with the steering wheel, though, and the Tayron does lose its cool, so it’s certainly not a car you’d choose for a spirited drive.

The Volkswagen Tayron is a good motorway cruiser, though, because most of the engines settle down well, although the diesel engine can get a little noisy at times. While the plug-in hybrid eHybrid is very hushed when running on electric power at lower speeds, its 1.5-litre engine doesn’t cut in and out as smoothly as it could. Volkswagen’s choice to focus on a comfortable ride means the Tayron does a good job of ironing out road imperfections at speed. Acoustic glass is standard on all models, so wind and road noise is kept to a minimum. 

Petrol models

There are quite a few engines to choose from in the Volkswagen Tayron, the majority of which are petrol models. The entry-level 1.5-litre eTSI gets mild-hybrid technology to take strain off the engine and improve responsiveness, while there’s a bit more oomph from the 2.0-litre TSI engines, which come in two power outputs and get 4Motion four-wheel drive for extra grip.

Diesel models

Although many manufacturers are moving away from diesel engines, Volkswagen had stuck with it for the Tayron, and you can have it with a 2.0-litre with the same power figure as the entry-level mild-hybrid petrol eTSI.

Plug-in hybrid models

The Tayron is offered with a choice of plug-in hybrid powertrains, both of which make use of a 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor and battery. Up to 77 miles of electric driving is certainly useful for doing trips much closer to home, and it’s quietest and at its most refined in this mode.

20

The Volkswagen Tayron may be based on the Tiguan, but the interior has some additional elements to differentiate it from that model. Unlike the Tiguan, the dash gets a ridge that spans from one side to the other, though the centre console, steering wheel and displays are taken from its sibling.

Quality is generally very good, but there are some little niggles, such as some flimsy looking wood-effect trim that featured in our test car. Base Life models look a bit drab and dull in the cabin, but other than that everything feels solid and well built.

Is the Volkswagen Tayron’s infotainment and sat-nav system easy to use?

The Volkswagen Tayron gets a 12.9-inch infotainment screen as standard, and to be quite honest we don’t think it’s worth upgrading to the optional larger 15-inch unit that comes on the ‘Infotainment Package Plus’. 

Regardless of the size, the infotainment’s resolution is crisp and sharp, and the design is clean. We wish the menu layout was better with more of an emphasis on frequently-used features. We’re not big fans of the touch sliders beneath the screen which control the climate and volume – the ‘Smart Dials’ you get in a Skoda Kodiaq are much easier to use on the move.

The software on the infotainment and driver’s display is fine, but in all honesty, we prefer using the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems which also come as standard.

20

The Tayron’s interior is very practical, which is the main appeal when it comes to buying it over the Tiguan. You can have it with seven seats unlike its smaller sibling, but be aware that buying the plug-in hybrid unfortunately sacrifices that option. 

In seven-seat versions, the middle row slides easily to make access to the rear easy. The rearmost row might be a bit tight for adults – headroom is good, but legroom is limited, and with occupants back there, the middle-row occupants also have to have their seats brought forward, robbing them of legroom, too.

The middle row can be split 60:40, and there are ISOFIX points on the outer seats, which make fitting a child seat easier. We like that the middle row gets a central armrest complete with two cupholders and a tablet holder.

Does the Volkswagen Tayron have a big boot?

20

The Volkswagen Tayron has a massive 885-litre boot with just five seats fitted, and on seven-seat models there’s a plentiful 850 litres of space back there with the rearmost row folded away. With all seven seats up, there’s still a decent 345 litres to play with, which is about the same amount as a supermini offers.

20

It’s not good news for Volkswagen when it comes to customer satisfaction, because the brand came in a miserable 29th place out of 32 manufacturers in our 2024 Driver Power survey. Buyers aren’t impressed with the brand’s levels of quality and in pretty much all categories it failed to rate highly, with middling scores for fuel economy and practicality, though the latter is likely to be better in the large Tayron SUV.

Reliability itself is mediocre, with around 23.4% of Volkswagen owners reporting an issue with their car within the first year, which is only marginally better than average.

How safe is the Volkswagen Tayron?

The Tayron is yet to be crash-tested by Euro NCAP, but we would expect a similar result to the Tiguan, which achieved the full five-star rating. There’s lots of safety kit on the Volkswagen Tayron, including autonomous emergency braking, cross-traffic control, lane-keep assist and traffic sign recognition.

Should you buy a Volkswagen Tayron?

20

If you’re looking for a spacious seven-seater SUV with great levels of comfort and refinement on the move, the Tayron is well worth your consideration. The thing is, it becomes a little redundant in five-seater configuration, and that in turn makes the plug-in hybrids – which can only be had this way – a little bit pointless up against the Tiguan plug-ins. 

The Volkswagen Tayron is rather uneventful to drive, but that’s not really the focus for a large practical family SUV. Comfort, on the other hand, is important for a car of this type, and it does very well in this area. The interior is well put together, although some bits of trim could be of higher quality.

What is the best Volkswagen Tayron for low running costs?

Without a doubt, the version of the Volkswagen Tayron with the potential for the lowest running costs is one of the plug-in hybrids, especially as a company car. But, as mentioned earlier, you’ll have to forfeit the seven-seater options to go for one of these – in their absence it’s worth considering the diesel TDI if you do lots of motorway miles because this can be had with the seven seats and boasts impressive fuel economy.

Volkswagen Tayron alternatives

The Volkswagen Tayron’s main competitors include other seven-seat SUVs including its very own closely-related sibling, the Skoda Kodiaq. In fact, the market is awash with options from various manufacturers, as the SUV game is hot these days.

• Skoda Kodiaq
• Kia Sorento
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Peugeot 5008
• Nissan X-Trail