Volkswagen Tayron R-Line

Volkswagen is re-entering the three-row SUV market in India, a segment it previously exited when it discontinued the Tiguan Allspace a few years ago. Now that the segment is developing, VW wants a share of the pie, and the scalpel for this will be the Volkswagen Tayron R-Line. It's a premium SUV offering high-end features, three rows of seats, and the latest Volkswagen design. The automaker has a lot riding on the car, and here is what we discovered after driving it.

This Volkswagen Tayron R-Line is one of the automaker's first cars in its Indian lineup to debut its latest design language, which is already a pretty big step, but a further cherry on top is that this language has come in the form of the R-Line package.

Up front, you get the slim rectangular full-LED headlamps, whilst the main highlight of the face is the blacked-out lower grille. Move to the side, and you can see the 19-inch Coventry design diamond-cut alloy wheels, giving a proper stance to the vehicle, whilst the body-coloured door handles and chrome elements around the window line add premium touches to the overall look. The rear is chock-full of elements, the likes of which include connected tail lamps, various badging, and a very nice-looking rear spoiler that's integrated well with the roofline.

As we said in the introduction, this is VW's return to the three-row SUV game, and so, in that respect, let's begin with the third row. Right off the bat, it is very easy to tell that this car is more of a 5+2 rather than an outright seven-seat model and that despite the massive size. The second row slides and the seat back folds down to let you into the third row, but it's a pretty huge challenge to get in and out, especially if you are on the larger side or have big feet. Once seated, you find that the third row lacks under-thigh support but is not claustrophobic due to decent-sized windows on either side. Other features of this third row include phone slots, LED reading lamps, and, surprisingly enough, curtains on both windows.

The second row is spacious with great amounts of under-thigh support, shoulder room, and headroom for all three occupants. Despite being an all-black affair, the sense of space is pretty good thanks to the panoramic sunroof and wide windows. As a part of the package, you get a separate climate zone, padded door pockets, armrest with cup holders, and dual USB-C charging ports.

The first row is a two-zone affair thanks to the massive centre console effectively splitting the occupants. The space here, too, is generous with ample headroom and shoulder room for both occupants. Everything feels nice to touch thanks to the high-quality materials used all around.

Much like most modern cars in this price category, the dashboard is dominated by two massive screens with the infotainment system being a 15-inch unit, whilst the instrument/virtual cockpit is a 10.25-inch unit and one of the largest in its class. Both displays are bright, high-quality, with effective graphics, and do well to add to the overall tech-focused appearance of the vehicle. However, there are far too many functions crammed into the screen, a side effect of VW wanting to keep the cabin in minimalist mode. This means you are spending a lot of time looking at the screen, even to sort out something like the climate control system. What's more, you have to come out of Apple CarPlay/Android Auto to access some of the car-specific functions, which can be time-consuming and at times quite distracting.

Volkswagen has left no stone unturned with the Tayron when it comes to the feature list, and this is the automaker's biggest selling point for the Tayron. It is only available as one fully loaded model, and that means everyone who buys the car gets the full VW experience. Here are some of the top highlights of the Tayron's feature list, and for all the details, you can check out the SUV's model page on our website.

Top Features

• • Dual digital displays (15-inch for the infotainment system and 10.25-inch for the instrument cluster)
  • Level 2 ADAS with 14 functions
  • Connected car technology
  • Nine airbags
  • Full-LED light package
  • Controllable ambient lighting
  • Seat massagers for the first-row occupants
  • Heated steering wheel
  • Extended under-thigh support
  • Auto-dimming IRVM
  • Wireless phone mirroring and charging
  • Cooled glovebox
  • Powered tailgate with gesture control function
  • Adjustable light pattern for the tail lamps
  • 580 litres (third row up)/850 litres with third row down and 1,790 litres with third and second row folded down

The Tayron R-Line is only available with one powertrain option, which is Volkswagen's 2.0-litre TSI petrol producing 201bhp and 320Nm. This engine is offered with a seven-speed DSG and the automaker's 4Motion AWD system.

The engine offers a great amount of punch, especially at city speeds, allowing you to move effortlessly and also masking the bulk of the vehicle. In fact, the gearbox is tuned so well that it will always keep you in the meat of the torque band, never feeling out of breath. As is the case with most modern automatic gearboxes, they are pretty well tuned, and it's best if you leave it to do its thing in the background. As a part of the package, you also get paddle shifters which are responsive and give you a nice and rorty note when you downshift in Sport mode.

Volkswagen has not officially revealed the mileage figures of this powertrain with this vehicle, but whatever the case, we will be able to give you a real-world figure once the car has been put through the rigours of the CarTrade real-world fuel efficiency test.

The car is being offered with various drive modes, which alter the throttle response but not the adjustment to steering response, something that we expected given the price range into which this car will be launched. Speaking of which, the steering is accurate and actually weighs up as you go faster, giving you an involving driving experience, all tying into VW's aim of making this a sporty car to drive.

One of the places where Volkswagen has managed to make money is with ride quality. There is suppleness to the way the Tayron rides, absorbing the big bumps and potholes but also quickly settling down after crossing them. With such a high ground clearance, you don't have to worry about scraping the underneath even with the car loaded up. Finally, VW has also worked on the NVH insulation for the Tayron and even at three-digit speeds, it is very effective in insulating both sound and vibrations.

Volkswagen has ticked off every box that's expected from a car in this price bracket. It's spacious, feature-loaded, fun to drive, and has lovely road presence despite the subtle colours on offer for India. However, on the flip side, its main feature—the third row—is cramped and not easy to access, and there are way too many functions crammed into the infotainment system. Finally, it is only offered with one powertrain, and this, among rivals having petrol, diesel, electric, and even hybrid power that will be offered down the line.

Volkswagen had not announced prices at the time of writing this review, but we expect it to be in the region of Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 55 lakh (ex-showroom). Rivals include the Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq, MG Gloster, MG Majestor, but also cars like the Toyota Camry, BYD Seal, and the Sealion 7.

Photography: Kapil Angane