Volkswagen has confirmed the development of an all-new, three-row SUV as a successor to the Tiguan AllSpace, which will be retired after its current generation. This, as we have exclusively reported, will be sold as the ‘Tayron’ in India and other parts of the world, except the USA, where it will retain the ‘Tiguan’ moniker due to its popularity.
Volkswagen already sells an SUV called the Tayron in China, but the upcoming, second-generation, three-row model will be a global offering that’s sufficiently differentiated from the all-new 5-seater Tiguan revealed earlier this week.
Volkswagen Tayron: what is it?
The Volkswagen Tayron will be based on the brand’s MQB-Evo platform that also underpins the new 5-seater Tiguan and the upcoming, next-generation Skoda Kodiaq. The Tayron will use the long wheelbase version of the MQB-Evo platform, but more importantly, it will be sufficiently differentiated in styling from the 5-seater Tiguan. Until now, the Tiguan and Tiguan AllSpace have shared a common design, and have mostly been differentiated by their dimensions and the additional row of seats.
The Tayron will continue with both SUV and coupe body styles, similar to the first-gen China-spec SUV. The SUV could be offered in both 5- and 7-seater configurations, while the latter is expected to be a 5-seater only. Volkswagen had also stated that it will be sufficiently larger than the outgoing Tiguan AllSpace in order to make it a genuine three-row SUV.
Volkswagen Tayron powertrain options
Internationally, as Volkswagen had previously confirmed, the Tayron will be offered with two 2.0-litre engine options – a turbo-petrol and a diesel – and both will offer a 48V mild-hybrid setup and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard. The Tayron is also expected to be offered with two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations.
Volkswagen will also offer the choice of two petrol plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in two states of tune – 204hp and 272hp – combined with an electric-only range of over 100km and DC fast charging capability. The PHEVs will get a 1.5-litre petrol motor coupled with a 19.7kWh battery pack, mated to a 6-speed DSG gearbox driving the front-wheels.
For India, Volkswagen is likely to stick with the 2.0-litre petrol engine, but it remains to be seen if the PHEV variants will be brought here.
Volkswagen Tayron India launch details
An India launch of the Tayron could be on the cards by early 2025 as it will be brought in as CKD kits, which takes time to assemble. The Tiguan Allspace, on the other hand, was offered in India in 2020 as a CBU.