New Volkswagen Tayron spotted as seven-seat alternative to the Tiguan
Volkswagen had initially sold the Tayron exclusively in China but it’ll come to Europe later this year
When the new Volkswagen Tiguan was revealed in 2023, the seven-seat Allspace version was conspicuous in its absence. It turns out this model will now be replaced by a new SUV called the Volkswagen Tayron, which we’ve spied testing here for the first time.
Available only in five-seat form, the new third-generation Tiguan will sit alongside the seven-seat Tayron, which will be pitched below the flagship — but five-seat — Touareg. The Tayron name has been used by Volkswagen in the Chinese market for several years, but the European model will be a different car, utilising the same updated MQB evo underpinnings as the latest Tiguan.
The test car we’ve spotted wears heavy camouflage to make it look like the previous-generation Tiguan, but we’re confident it’ll borrow plenty of styling cues from the all-new model, which we drove recently. Expect a similar front end and grille treatment, plus a near-identical rear light treatment.
The new Tiguan has the exact same wheelbase as the old Allspace version (2,791mm), freeing up more cabin space in the process. The Tayron is expected to expand this further to incorporate a seven-seat layout, and we can see the rear doors have been lengthened to help provide this extra space.
We also have a good idea of what to expect when it comes to the Tayron’s interior. It’ll almost certainly get the firm’s new 15-inch central touchscreen from the ID.7, Passat and Tiguan, for example. Volkswagen is in the process of moving away from touch sensitive controls – such as the sliders on the dash, and touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel. We may therefore see a greater proportion of physical controls on the Tayron; more even than the Tiguan with which it shares its DNA.
As for powertrains, expect this to mimic the smaller Tiguan rather than the Touareg. That means a choice of mild-hybrid petrol and TDI diesel units, plus two plug-in hybrids. The Tiguan PHEV’s 62-mile electric range will most likely drop for the larger and heavier Tayron, should it receive the same system.
Pricing for the new Tiguan starts from £34,060, meaning the seven-seat Tayron should start from roughly £40,000 when it goes on sale later this year.
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