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Volkswagen Tayron review: Easy to drive but hard to love
Volkswagen Tayron review: Easy to drive but hard to love

Telegraph

time10-07-2025

  • Automotive
  • Telegraph

Volkswagen Tayron review: Easy to drive but hard to love

Does seven divide into 4.8? Volkswagen seems so with this: the Tayron, a seven-seat, 4.8-metre family SUV/crossover. Can you honestly get seven people into a sub-five-metre vehicle, or are the rearmost two seats strictly for children? Sceptics might suggest not, since this is one of those fill-in models for those who find VW's five-seat Tiguan slightly too small and the larger seven-seat Touareg slightly too sizeable. In fact, the Tayron name first appeared in 2018 as a joint project from FAW-VW in China. For last year's introduction of the second-generation model, the Tayron became a world car (on sale in all, or at least most, markets), built at VW's HQ in Wolfsburg to replace the Tiguan Allspace – although it's based on the Tiguan running gear. To add to the confusion, the Tayron is known as the Tiguan in the US, where supplies come from Mexico, and the Tayron L in China where it's built in Changchun. Domestic range The UK gets a choice of two plug-in hybrids (PHEV), with either 201bhp or 268bhp. With a 70-mile electric-only range, the PHEV versions have a 19.7kWh battery, but fitting it means sacrificing the two rearmost seats, which loses some of the point of the vehicle. More conventional drivetrains include a 148bhp, 1.5-litre mild hybrid tested here. There's also a brace of 2.0-litre engines delivering 201bhp or 261bhp to all four wheels (the only 4x4 versions) and a 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel, which is officially capable of 50.9mpg. There are five trim levels and prices run from £40,130, so you are into the luxury car tax bracket from the off, meaning an extra £425 in VED from years two to six. It's 4,792mm long, 1,853mm wide without the mirrors and 1,668mm high. In the UK's most popular 1.5-litre form tested here, the boot swallows an impressive 850 litres with the rear seats folded and 345 litres with them up, while folding the second and third rows liberates 1,905 litres. It weighs 1,723kg and will tow up to 1.8 tons (but some models will tow up to 2.5 tons). Inside job Step inside and you're likely to be impressed, mainly by the tight surface changes and ostensibly high-quality materials. There's also plenty of storage space in the doors and the centre console. Closer inspection, however, reveals that some of those plastics and fabrics don't have quite the warp and weft of upmarket rivals. The seats are comfortable and there's plenty of space in the first two rows. The rearmost two seats are no different from most; cramped, tricky to access and lacking amenities such as USB ports and air-conditioning outlets. Children might like them, but a strapping teenager or full-size adult will be complaining of discomfort before long. Rivals with larger, more easily accessed rear seats include the Peugeot 5008 and Hyundai Santa Fe. The instrument binnacle and touchscreen are clear and precise; a genuine improvement over the disaster area that has become known as 'Golf 8' when the initial version of VW's latest software was introduced in the Mk8 Golf. The 'slider' controls are now illuminated, while a programmable centre windlass control is easy to use. Not quite so great is the huge stretch required to reach the farthest tiles on the optional 15in (£1,130) centre touchscreen. For those who like to stay in their seat, there's VW's AI voice assistant Ida, which continually interrupts conversation (and, given half a chance, tries to join in with the radio). Under the skin The 148bhp/184lb ft 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine has a 48-volt mild hybrid system consisting of a beefed-up starter generator pack, driving the front wheels via a six-speed twin-clutch gearbox. There's no manual option. The suspension is independent all round with front MacPherson struts and multi links at the rear. Fuel consumption is 42.9mpg in the official Combined cycle (I managed to achieve 37.2mpg on the winding A-roads of Worcestershire). The CO2 emissions are 150g/km, which means a first-year VED of £540, with £620 a year (including the £425 'luxury car tax' surcharge) for the following five years. The top speed is 127mph and 0-62mph is dispatched in 9.4sec. On the road The heavily-boosted engine has just about adequate performance provided you keep it in the middle of the rev range and don't fill all the seats. It struggles, however, if you allow it to drop below the turbo boost level, requiring a couple of gear changes to keep it on the boil. The twin-clutch gearbox is smooth and fast to mask the engine's lack of urge, but the whole caboodle gets quite noisy and frantic if you are going for a fast overtake, for example. During sedate cruising, the Tayron, with its acoustic windows and close attention to sound deadening, is pleasingly quiet and make sure you aren't struggling against the clock and other traffic. The same applies to the handling where the suspension settings, which rightly tend towards the soft, allow a fair bit of body movement. So the Tayron isn't the last word in steering precision, but still gives a decent account of itself, inspiring confidence provided you don't push too hard. The lighter drivetrain (a 216kg saving over the PHEV) of the 1.5-litre makes the nose slightly more eager to change direction and takes some weight off the suspension over potholes and bumps. Inevitably, there's a compromise between allowing a vehicle to corner on its door handles or putting so much roll resistance in the chassis that it waggles your head around like a pig's bladder on a stick. VW treads a confident path with the Tayron, although the £470 optional 20in wheels put vanity before ride quality – try to avoid them. There's also an option of DCC adaptive dampers, although experience shows that few buyers opt for these useful but expensive items. As far as the urban jungle is concerned, it's an easy car to manoeuvre, with good visibility and sightlines, as well as large mirrors. The Telegraph verdict Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, says he wants VWs to look like VWs again and, in that respect, this large crossover/SUV delivers, although whether that makes it a handsome car, I will leave up to you. As for the comfort and dynamics, the Tayron doesn't quite deliver as rival models also based on VW's ubiquitous MQB platform, lacking the fluid feel of the mechanically similar Skoda Kodiaq, for instance. Although it feels as sporting as spotted dick and custard, the Tayron is none the worse for it. For the job it has to do hauling families around the suburbs or long-distance motorway journeys to holidays and far-flung relatives, this 1.5-litre version is perfectly adequate. The 4x4 2.0-litre cars might make better (if more expensive) sense, perhaps even the diesel. As for the five-seat-only PHEV versions, while tax-friendly, the limited seating versatility might drive buyers into the arms of full seven-seat rivals such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, despite its lower EV range. In short, the Tayron is an easy car to drive but a hard car to love. The facts Body style: five-door family SUV On sale: now How much? from £41,655, as tested £53,650 How fast? 127mph, 0-62mph in 9.4sec How economical? 42.9mpg (WLTP Combined), 37.2mpg on test Engine & gearbox: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol with 48v mild hybrid system, seven-speed twin clutch automatic gearbox, front-wheel drive Maximum power/torque: 148bhp at 5,000rpm/184lb ft at 1,500rpm CO2 emissions: 150g/km (WLTP Combined) VED: £540 first year, £620 next five years, then £195 Warranty: three years/60,000 miles The rivals Mercedes-Benz GLB Sport Executive GLB200 Seven-seat, from £40,190 Good news, it's a Merc SUV. Bad news, the mild hybrid 1.33-litre engine might produce 163PS but it's a bit asthmatic. Then again, most folk end up with a sportier-looking AMG Line version which can extend the price up to £50,000. Skoda Kodiaq SE Seven-seat, from £39,000 With largely the same VW Group 1.5-litre drivetrain, the Kodiaq is a cheaper and nicely executed alternative, if not quite as refined. Crucially, however, it limbo dances under the £40,000 luxury car tax (VED) threshold.

Volkswagen partners with CATL to improve EV battery tech
Volkswagen partners with CATL to improve EV battery tech

Yahoo

time07-03-2025

  • Automotive
  • Yahoo

Volkswagen partners with CATL to improve EV battery tech

2024 was not a good year for Volkswagen by any metric, largely due to falling sales in China. Electric vehicles have taken the Chinese market by storm, and domestic automakers saw sales rise at the expense of foreign legacy automakers. In an effort to bounce back, Volkswagen recently announced a strategic cooperation with Chinese battery giant China announced their strategic partnership on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The cooperation agreement is an important milestone in Volkswagen Group's electrification strategy. The agreement was signed by CATL, Volkswagen Group China, and several of Volkswagen's Chinese joint ventures, including FAW-VW and SAIC-VW. In addition to battery technology, the companies agreed to work together in raw material supply transparency and vehicle-to-grid technology. 'By deepening cooperation with CATL, we will create high-performance, cost-effective battery solutions. Our core task is building a strong local supply system. This is also a crucial part of the Group's In China, For China strategy', said Alfonso Sancha, Executive Vice President of Volkswagen Group struggles over the past year have been well documented. The German automaker made it through 2024, but not without nearly closing several production facilities in its home country. VW Group as a whole sold 2.9 million vehicles in China in 2024, down 10% from the previous year. Despite selling nearly three million vehicles last year, the German automaker could face an even worse 2025 in China, the world's biggest car market. Even so, Volkswagen has made it clear that its commitment to China is unwavering. Last spring, Volkswagen announced a 2.5 billion Euro investment in the Chinese market and purchased a $700 million stake in Xpeng, an EV startup based in China. VW plans to launch two new all-electric cars based on Xpeng's platform. VW Group also launched an all-new brand dubbed Audi, not to be confused with the German automaker bearing the four-ring logo. VW's Audi brand will produce China-exclusive EVs based on SAIC's IM platform. SAIC-Volkswagen's ID. series saw more than 130,000 vehicles sold in 2024, up more than 23% year-over-year. The ID. series currently includes the ID.3, ID.4 X, and ID.6 X, the latter of which is exclusive to China. Volkswagen planned to launch the ID.7 S but scrapped those plans following disappointing sales from its FAW-VW joint venture, which sold just nine examples of the ID.7 Vizzion in January 2025. That's down from 2,269 units in January 2024, which translates to a 99.6% drop is a hotbed for some of the world's largest battery manufacturers, and CATL leads the pack by a significant margin. As of February 2025, CATL holds a 45.5% market share, with BYD coming in second place with a 24.9% market share. Volkswagen and CATL's strategic cooperation will focus on developing cost-efficient batteries, as well as battery swapping and refining battery recycling processes. CATL's automotive customers span both foreign and domestic manufacturers, with some of the largest names on the list including Tesla, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Geely. Volkswagen had a rough year in 2024, but it looks like the German automaker is pulling out all the stops to stem the bleeding. While VW has several other active joint ventures with Chinese automakers, their strategic cooperation with CATL is arguably the biggest step forward in becoming a hardcore player in the competitive EV segment. Whether all those investments and partnerships will be enough to overcome China's domestic automakers is up in the air. Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!

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