First Volkswagen Tayron leaves the production line

The first Tayron has rolled off the Volkswagen production line in Wolfsburg, Germany.

The newest member of the VW family was unveiled last month as an SUV that will replace the Tiguan Allspace. Available with five or seven seats, it fills the space between the Tiguan and Touareg in Volkswagen’s SUV line up when it arrives in South Africa next year.

The SUV all-rounder is the fourth model to be produced at the Volkswagen Group’s largest plant, alongside the Golf, Tiguan and Touran, and was given a grand reception this week by VW employees for the symbolic start of series production. The first Tayron to roll off the line this week was an Ultra Violet Metallic example with a 2.0l TDI engine and a panoramic roof. 

In Europe customers will be able to choose from seven drivetrains including two plug-in hybrid drives (eHybrid) that offer electric ranges of more than 100km and long travelling distances of up to 850km between fuel stops. It is not known whether the hybrid models will make it to Mzansi.

More likely is that the Tayron will be offered locally with the 1.5l four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (eTSI) with 48v mild-hybrid technology, sending 110kW of power to the front wheels. Also available in Europe is a 2.0l four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine (TSI) available with either 150kW or 195kW, with a choice of front-wheel-drive and 4Motion all-wheel-drive models.

There is also a 2.0l four-cylinder turbodiesel (TDI) producing 110kW in front-wheel drive guise and 142kW with the 4Motion system. All variants come standard with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox.

At 4.8m in length the Tayron has a spacious cabin with high-quality materials such as artificial suede, open-pore wood and illuminated decorative trim. The five-seater model has an enormous 885l boot.

Local equipment levels are to be confirmed but in Europe the Tayron is available in Life, Elegance and R-Line equipment lines. Even the entry-level version is offered standard with a 12.6” touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, a digital instrument cluster, adaptive cruise control, lane assist, reverse camera, road sign recognition, LED headlights with automatic main beam control and an exit warning system.