If you've ever looked at a Volkswagen Tiguan and thought, “Lovely, but where am I supposed to put all the stuff?”, the Tayron might be your answer.
Replacing the Tiguan Allspace and arriving as the Touareg bows out, the Tayron has an increasingly important job in Volkswagen's UK SUV line-up. At almost 4.8 metres long, it's a sizeable family wagon, designed for people who need plenty of passenger and luggage space without necessarily wanting a seven-seat people carrier.
Our test car is the R-Line 1.5 TSI eHybrid resplendent in ultraviolet metallic, an £830 option that’s worth every penny in my book, producing 204PS through a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox. It's a plug-in hybrid, combining a petrol engine with an electric motor and rechargeable battery. Charge it regularly and you can tackle many everyday journeys without using petrol at all.
The R-Line adds sporty styling, distinctive bumpers and 20” alloy wheels. It looks smart, although those enormous rims appear to have been designed by someone who has never encountered a pothole on a British B-road.
One important distinction: the plug-in hybrid is a five-seater with front-wheel drive. If you need seven seats or four-wheel drive, you'll have to look at other versions of the Tayron.
So, a roomy family SUV with a sporting wardrobe and an electric side. Let's see how it fares when the school run gives way to a weekend away.
On the road: A comfortable companion
The Tayron makes a really good first impression from behind the wheel. The driving position is commanding, visibility is reasonable and the light steering makes town driving less intimidating than its dimensions suggest.
Parking sensors and a camera help when squeezing into spaces that appear to have been designed for shopping trolleys rather than cars. You'll appreciate them.
Out on the open road, the Tayron settles into a comfortable rhythm. It deals well with most road imperfections, feels reassuringly stable at motorway speeds and keeps wind and road noise to a reasonable level. It's the sort of car that makes long journeys feel less tiring, which is rather the point of a family SUV.
However, the R-Line's 20” wheels have their drawbacks. Sharp-edged potholes and broken tarmac can produce a noticeable thump, so the ride isn't always as plush as you'd hope. It remains composed, but smaller wheels on another trim might be worth considering if your local roads resemble a particularly ambitious lunar landscape. They look great, but are they practical?
On twisty country lanes, the Tayron is secure and predictable, with decent grip and reasonably controlled body movements. But it's a large, heavy SUV, and you know it when the bends tighten. There's little point trying to drive it like a Golf GTI wearing hiking boots.
The hybrid system suits its relaxed character. Electric power provides smooth, quiet progress around town, while the petrol engine joins in when required. Most transitions are unobtrusive, although a sudden demand for acceleration can make the engine sound rather busier than the otherwise refined cabin suggests.
With 204PS, performance is perfectly adequate for family duties, and the official 0–62mph time is around 8.6 seconds. Overtaking isn't a chore, although I can’t imagine a fully loaded car won't feel especially sporty. The six-speed DSG automatic takes care of the gears with minimal fuss, making traffic and longer journeys pleasantly straightforward.
In short, the Tayron is more interested in getting everyone to their destination comfortably than setting a personal best between roundabouts. Sensible, really.
Economy: The plug-in makes sense if you plug it in
Volkswagen quotes an electric range of around 71 miles for this version, depending on specification and test conditions. With a usable battery capacity of approximately 19.7kWh, that's potentially enough for a commute, school run and local errands without firing up the petrol engine.
Actual range will depend on speed, temperature, heating use and driving style. Cold mornings and motorway cruising will reduce it, so don't expect the official figure to be guaranteed whatever the weather.
The Tayron supports AC charging at up to 11kW and DC charging at up to 40kW. Home charging overnight is likely to be the most convenient option, particularly if you can start each morning with a full battery.
The impressive official weighted fuel-consumption figure needs a little context. Plug-in hybrid figures assume a mix of electric and petrol driving, so regular charging makes a considerable difference. If you charge at home and mostly travel short distances, running costs can be attractive. If you never plug it in, you're carrying around a heavy battery without making proper use of it.
For frequent long motorway journeys, the petrol engine does more of the work and the economic advantage diminishes.
The Tayron eHybrid is therefore best suited to people who can charge regularly and whose daily mileage fits comfortably within its electric range. Get that right and it makes a convincing case for itself.
Off-road
Let's not get carried away. As I’ve mentioned, this Tayron is front-wheel drive, and on firm gravel tracks, ordinary campsite access roads and the occasional rough approach to a remote cottage or dogging spot - sorry, dog walking spot, it should be fine. The ride height offers some flexibility over a conventional hatchback, and the electric motor's smooth low-speed response can be useful when manoeuvring.
But wet grass, deep mud and steep, slippery inclines are another matter. A heavy front-wheel-drive SUV can quickly run out of traction, especially when carrying a family holiday's worth of camping equipment.
So yes, it'll get you to plenty of campsites, but if your weekends involve mud covered lanes, ruts and regular adventures beyond the tarmac, choose a proper four-wheel-drive vehicle.
The Tayron is for getting you to the adventure, not necessarily through it.
Inside: Space for passengers, dogs and general tat
The cabin is spacious and modern, with a comfortable driving position and generous room for front and rear passengers. The second-row seats slide and recline, allowing you to balance passenger comfort against luggage space.
That's useful when one passenger is six feet tall, another has a child seat and someone has decided a weekend away requires enough snacks to provision a small village.
Storage is plentiful, with useful door bins, cupholders and centre-console space. The interior looks smart, although not every surface feels especially premium when you prod it. The R-Line's sports seats provide good support, and the overall atmosphere is more than pleasant for long trips.
I reckon I drove the Tayron a smidge over a thousand miles in one week, and it’s one of the cars that you can just keep on driving.
The plug-in hybrid offers around 705 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place, expanding to approximately 1,915 litres with them folded. That's a useful amount of room for prams, shopping, suitcases and all the other things families somehow accumulate.
Camping gear should also fit comfortably for a couple or small family, although a large tent, chairs, cooking equipment and enough provisions for a fortnight can fill any boot surprisingly quickly. Folding the rear seats gives you a useful escape route when the packing becomes automotive Tetris.
And the muddy dog? There's room for canine passengers, but invest in a proper boot liner and washable blanket. A boot guard is worth considering, too, particularly if your dog regards muddy paws as an art form.
The five-seat layout means there's no third row to fold away, but families who need occasional extra seats will have to consider another version. It's a straightforward trade-off: useful boot space or the ability to carry seven people.
Tech and pet peeves: Give me a proper dial
Volkswagen has equipped the Tayron with a digital instrument display, a large central touchscreen and smartphone connectivity, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system offers plenty of functionality, although there's a learning curve if you're not accustomed to modern Volkswagen interfaces.
Some physical controls remain on the steering wheel, which is welcome. However, the climate controls rely heavily on the touchscreen and touch-sensitive sliders rather than traditional knobs.
And here's my problem. If I want to turn the heater up, I want a proper dial I can operate without looking away from the road. I don't want to prod a screen, discover I've opened the wrong menu and accidentally send the cabin temperature into the Arctic.
The illuminated touch sliders are an improvement over some earlier arrangements, but they still aren't as intuitive as proper physical controls. A large screen might look modern in the showroom, but that doesn't automatically make it easier to use. As much as I really enjoyed living with the Tayron, I couldn’t buy one for that reason. I recently had the Skoda Kodiaq on test, and that had three proper multifunctional dials - absolutely perfect.
Driver-assistance systems are similarly useful but occasionally irritating. Lane-keeping assistance and speed warnings can be helpful on longer journeys, but some drivers will want to adjust individual alerts.
The relevant settings are accessible through the infotainment interface, although it's not as straightforward as having dedicated switches. Menu layouts can vary with software and equipment, so familiarise yourself with the controls while parked. Some safety features may reactivate at the next start or have restrictions on how they can be disabled.
The technology is comprehensive, but I'd still award bonus points to any manufacturer brave enough to bring back proper heater controls, like Skoda. Clever is good; easy to use is better.
The verdict: A family SUV that knows its job
The Volkswagen Tayron R-Line 1.5 TSI eHybrid is a spacious, refined and capable family SUV. It's comfortable on longer journeys, offers useful electric range and has enough boot space for holidays, camping equipment and the family dog.
For me it’s only downside is the touchscreen-heavy controls, they won't suit the majority, and the plug-in hybrid is a five-seat only.
It makes most sense for families who can charge regularly, cover plenty of everyday miles electrically and need a roomy vehicle for commuting, holidays and general life. If you require seven seats, proper off-road ability or regularly tackle muddy tracks, another powertrain or a more rugged 4x4 would be a better fit.
Ultimately, the Tayron is a very capable all-rounder, provided you understand what it is. Plug it in, load it up and let it get on with the job. Just don't mistake those big wheels and sporty bumpers for an invitation to tackle a muddy green lane after three days of rain.
That's how a family weekend ends with a stranded Volkswagen, a filthy dog and a very awkward phone call home.
The Mud Life verdict: A polished, practical family wagon with a useful electric side. Just remember the charging cable, the dog towels and its over-reliance on the touchscreen.