Tayron provides premium baggage allowance for family break
AS soon as I booked the family holiday on Wales’s stunning Pembrokeshire coast, Volkswagen’s Tayron loomed large in a shortlist of test cars earmarked for the trip.
Last year, Hyundai’s seven-seat Santa Fe plug-in hybrid took us to Northumberland, so VW’s new rival offering felt like a perfect follow-up some 12 months on.
The Tayron takes the place of the Tiguan AllSpace in VW’s range.
As such, it is 250mm longer than the Tiguan, adding a whopping 850-litre boot that can accommodate two extra seats and is larger than the Hyundai’s Santa Fe’s, albeit a little short of Skoda’s Kodiaq.
Tayron prices start at £40,130, with Life, Match, Elegance, R-line and R-line Edition trims and a broad array of drivetrain options to choose from. Only fully electric is missing.
We drove the £42,615 Tayron R-Line 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid, albeit fitted with a sprinkling of options that raised the price to £48,835.
The 148bhp mild hybrid drivetrain features VW’s 1.5-litre turbocharged evo2 petrol engine, which can shut down two of its four cylinders to conserve fuel.
It will accelerate to 62mph in a reasonable 9.4 seconds. However, its combined fuel economy of 42.9mpg and 150g/km CO2 emissions are impressive in such a large vehicle.
This is not the swiftest SUV, however.
Nor is VW’s regenerative braking system a highlight of the driving experience.
The brake pedal’s initially sharp response soon makes way to limited retardation, making a further, more determined, application necessary.
Sitting just below the flagship Touareg, however, the Tayron has a premium polish about it.
In R-line trim it rides on striking, 20-inch diamond-turned alloy wheels, its rear LED light bar features a red illuminated VW badge.
Inside, the R-line sports seats look great and also proved extremely comfortable on our 200-mile each way drive to Wales.
More generally, the cabin boasts a level of build and material quality that places the brand back near its best.
It is also something of a tech showcase.
Our test car’s huge 15-inch infotainment screen replaced the standard 10-inch unit as part of an optional (£1,160) infotainment package plus which also includes a head-up instrument display.
Also extremely cool is the animation served up by that head-up display and the way the IQ LED headlights not only cut cars ahead out from the glare of a powerful main beam but illuminate tyre tracks on the road ahead to guide you around upcoming corners.
I would like to sample the Tayron with one of its more powerful drivetrains.
Nonetheless, the eTSI mild hybrid proved very economical on our Welsh holiday.
And, without the expense of added electrification, it makes ensure the Tayron is a compelling way to own a large, rather premium feeling VW.
Volkswagen Tayron R-Line 1.5 eTSI
Price: £48,835 (as tested)
Engine: 1.5-litre, 48v mild hybrid
Power: 148bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: seven-speed, dual clutch
Top Speed: 127mph
0-62mph: 9.4 seconds
Economy: 42.9mpg (WLTP combined)
CO2 emissions: 150g/km