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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Should Chinese OEMs fear Volkswagen's new Tayron?
Known as the Tayron L Pro in China and as the Tiguan in North America, here in Europe the new Tayron replaces the Tiguan Allspace. The three names are, on the face of it, strange but there is logic to what Volkswagen is doing. The world first saw this model at the Beijing motor show back in April 2024, FAW-VW's Tayron L Pro supplementing the Tiguan there. It has five seats and a 2,791 mm wheelbase, the architecture is MQB Evo and production is at two plants: Anting and Changchun. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You Great Rates and Award-Winning Service The Insurance Savings You Expect Sales are brisk in the world's largest market, wholesales numbering 17,515 in June though the Tiguan L, Magotan, Sagitar, Passat and of course, the Lavida, are even better performers. Clearly, Chinese buyers like what they see. Competitor brands might have impressive sales some months but will they be able to outsell the VW over a multi-year life cycle? Global build: China, Mexico and Germany Due to planning for the global manufacturing framework taking place years ago, it's suddenly unfortunate that Volkswagen of America finds its new, 2026 model year Tiguan is built in a less than ideal place. Not China but instead, Mexico, the rebodied and bigger vehicle being sourced out of Puebla. The Tayron for Europe, which is more or less the same 4,792 mm long vehicle, had its public premiere at the Paris motor show last October, production starting up one month later. This is in one of the Wolfsburg factories and on the same Line (#4) as the Touran, Golf and Tiguan. There are multiple drive systems as well as five- and seven-seat layouts. And with a life cycle which should endure until 2032 (after a facelift in 2028 or 2029), the current powertrains will be refined and added to during the latter half of this decade. Seven powertrains, two auto gearboxes Already, the line-up of what's available is impressive. Each of the following is linked to a DSG (six speeds for the PHEVs, seven for all others), no matter the number of seats, fuel or whether drive to the front axle is supported by a 4MOTION-branded 4x4 system: 110 kW (150 PS) 1.5 eTSI (48 V mild hybrid) 150 kW (204 PS) 2.0 TSI, 4MOTION 195 kW (265 PS) 2.0 TSI, 4MOTION 150 kW (204 PS) 1.5 eHybrid (PHEV), 19.7 kWh net battery 200 kW (272 PS) 1.5 eHybrid (PHEV), 19.7 kWh net battery 110 kW (150 PS) 2.0 TDI 142 kW (193 PS) 2.0 TDI, 4MOTION Volkswagen UK lent me an R-Line specification eTSI. Despite having only 250 Nm of torque being sent to its front wheels, the 1.5-litre mild hybrid would likely be perfectly fine for the typical owner, namely a family buyer. The boot is huge and the car itself seemed bigger than the Tiguan Allspace which it replaces. When I checked, yes that's true, length being up by 70 mm. Far lighter than equivalent EVs Unladen weight is quoted as 1,723 kilos which, in the context of EVs around the same size, is fairly good, which is partly why average WLTP consumption can be as impressive as 50.7 mpg. The official worst number is 33.3, while CO2 is 150g/km, 0-62 mph takes 9.4 seconds and the top speed is 127 mph. If a big boot is the priority and a Touareg (4,902 mm long) doesn't fit either the garage or the budget, then the Tayron delivers. Capacity is 705 litres as a five-seater (and the PHEVs come in that form only, incidentally, due to their battery's location) but 850 with seven seats. And even with all places occupied there is still 345 litres behind the third row or 1,905 with the second and third rows folded. Five-seat variants' equivalent maximum space is 1,905 litres. On the outside, the look is unquestionably new-style VW and that includes the debut of an illuminated emblem front and back, the first in a non-electric Volkswagen SUV for the European market. Wheels, which can be up to 20 inches in diameter, fill the arches, these being flanked by dark grey plastic outlines, connected by side skirts in the same colour and material. Customised exterior lighting The front and rear ends feature illuminated central elements which connect the headlights and tail lights and on some trims, the owner may customise these. The same applies to lighting across the dashboard and on the door cards, while the main screen, at 320 mm diagonally, is very much on the large side. I found it to be a little too big and bright at night but not everybody will agree. Volkswagen's continued tweaks to its love it or hate it volume slider work perfectly in the Tayron while there is also a real dial for those who prefer that. If you want to deactivate Lane Assist and Speed Warning, and each is fairly intrusive, it's three presses on the screen. Alas, it reset when the ignition is switched off. The 48 V powertrain includes a 14 kW and 56 Nm belt starter-generator and the Tayron seems to collect kinetic energy fairly easily as the engine is often very quiet indeed and 'coasting' tends to happen a lot on motorways. I have tried this 1.5 MHEV in other Volkswagen Group models and it almost makes you question why anyone would choose a PHEV instead. But an ultra-low CO2 number matters greatly for many purchases of course. Summary Is the new Tayron now the class-best? It's certainly a contender for that ranking though its in-house rival the Skoda Kodiaq might have something to say about that. The VW isn't as pricey as people might presume it to be, at least if you keep the options-ticking to a minimum, and the flexibility of its interior, with the sliding middle row in seven-seat form, could be the deal-clincher for lots of buyers."Should Chinese OEMs fear Volkswagen's new Tayron?" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- 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.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- 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!
