The new Volkswagen Tayron is here

The new seven-seat Tayron is what Volkswagen New Zealand is calling its most anticipated model of the year. There’s a slight irony there as VW NZ head, Chanelle McDonald, acknowledged it was in fact the only new model Volkswagen’s passenger division is introducing this year.

At the recent media launch she said as Volkswagen’s second largest SUV, “the Tayron is precision engineered in Germany to meet the dynamic needs of modern families. It blends innovation, comfort and performance in one sophisticated package.”

While it’s always difficult to launch a new nameplate into the market, McDonald says the Tayron (that’s Tie-Ron) enables them to better distinguish it from the Tiguan. It effectively replaces the Tiguan Allspace in the range, but the lines between the five-seat Tiguan and this seven-seat offering are now more distinct, the Tayron positioned that bit higher as a more premium offering.

Referring to the Tiguan and Tiguan Allspace, McDonald explained; “there used to be a little bit of confusion from a customer point of view as to what each of them offered. So having the new nameplate gives it a distinguished position in the market.”

But does this replace the Touareg in the local show rooms as the top SUV model? Not quite yet. While Touareg is being killed off in Europe due to emission regulations, it will still be around in New Zealand right through next year. So talk of its demise here is premature.

The Tayron will be an important car for the brand, accounting for one in five Volkswagens sold in 2026, or about 300-350 in total, they reckon. As with most Euro models, VW NZ is expecting a greater uptake in higher-spec vehicles and a skew towards the R-Line. However, they tell us ‘the Elegance model does offer an excellent entry point for consumers that are looking to experience the brand and drive a versatile all-wheel-drive SUV’.

While 2025 is a quiet year for Volkswagen, it’ll have the new generation of T-Roc coming through next year with mild hybrid powertrains while the Polo will also make a return to local show rooms. And there will be a limited run of the 50th Anniversary GTI, the 239kW Edition 50.

Bigger, more premium

While Tayron is based on the same platform, it’s differentiated from the Tiguan. They possess a similar brand look, but the details are quite different in terms of front and rear styling treatments with unique bumpers, bonnets, tailgates and lights. They are unique in profile, and don’t share any panels. Being a seven seater, Tayron is naturally longer than the Tiguan in overall length and the wheelbase. There’s a distinct interior differentiation as well, with unique dashboard designs

Tayron is positioned as more of a premium offering, signalled by the 2.0-litre engines and AWD powertrains as a step-up from the Tiguan.

It’s priced from $78,990 for the Elegance and $96,990 for the sportier R-Line.

Both variants are powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Elegance develops 150kW/320Nm and returns 8.0L/100km. The R-Line ups output to 195kW/400Nm, returns 8.8L/100km, and adds performance-focused styling and features. There are multiple options packages available for each to enhance both the aesthetic and spec levels.

It’s German made, whereas the old Tiguan Allspace was coming to us from Mexico. However, exchange rates aren’t helping with pricing, the rates referenced a few times in respect to the rising prices, McDonald saying it hasn’t been this bad since the GFC in terms of buying out of Europe.

Well equipped and refined

The Tayron is well equipped for family life with three rows as standard. Space is good in the second row, with the third right-sized for the kids. There’s a big boot in five-seat mode, and a reasonable amount of luggage space left over in behind the third row too when it’s in use.

Tayron has plenty of safety features (gaining it a recent five star ANCAP rating), including a driver monitor though it was well behaved on our drive. As were the other safety features, although we couldn’t get the active cruise to work for some reason. As you might expect, the R-Line on its 20s didn’t ride quite as well as the Elegance on its 19s, and the 150kW version didn’t pull as quickly as the 195kW engine.

Both models feature multiple drive modes (and interior atmosphere themes that change the displays and ambient lighting to suit) and come with Adaptive Chassis Control Pro with a two-valve system that’s constantly adjusting on the go. Other cool bits include a new generation of Matrix active head lights on the R-line, the latest voice assistant, wireless app connect, two inductive mobile chargers, heated steering wheel and heated and massaging seats, the latter standard on R-Line or part of a $6k Touring pack on the Elegance.

Tayron is in dealerships now, and we’ll have a full review of the model next month.