Volkswagen Tayron Lower-spec Life Variant Launched, Priced At Rs 41.99 Lakh

Volkswagen has expanded the Tayron lineup in India with a new entry-level Life variant, priced at Rs 41.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Until now, the three-row SUV was sold only in the fully-loaded R-Line trim. The new variant skips on some of the R-Line's sportier styling cues, its third row of seats and a few premium features, but carries over the same silhouette, powertrain and overall essence. Here is everything you need to know about the new Tayron Life:

Price

With the addition of this Life variant, the Tayron range now starts at Rs 41.99 lakh. Here is its revised pricing:

Exterior

The front end of the new Tayron Life carries over the same projector LED headlamps with a connected light bar and an illuminated Volkswagen logo in the middle. The bumper looks less aggressive and adopts a curvier profile compared to the R-Line and you also miss out on the variant badging. 

In profile, the SUV is largely identical to the R-Line, except for a new 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheel design that replaces the R-Line's 19-inch units. The roof rails and wheel arch cladding have been retained, though both now come finished in black and matte black respectively. 

At the back, you get the same connected LED tail lamps with the illuminated Volkswagen logo, which carries over unchanged, while the bumper gets a similarly toned-down treatment to match the front. The overall silhouette and proportions remain identical to the R-Line.

While the lower variant misses out on some of the sporty bits and bling of the R-Line, it still gets a strong road presence and a contemporary look making it a handsome crossover. 

Interior

The biggest change comes inside the cabin where you now get a new dual-tone black and grey upholstery scheme that replaces the R-Line's all-black cabin. The brighter interior gives the Tayron Life a more spacious feel.

The dashboard layout itself is unchanged, with the free-standing touchscreen infotainment system and fully-digital instrument cluster. You get ambient lighting and sports pedals, but miss out on the R-Line badges.

Like the R-Line, you continue to get a multi-function knob on the centre console to change drive modes and volume.

A major change inside is that the Life variant can be had as a 5-seater only, with the third row restricted to the R-Line variant.

Features And Safety

In terms of features, the Life variant gets a smaller 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, dual wireless phone chargers, auto-dimming IRVM, 12-way powered, ventilated and massaging front seats, powered tailgate, 10-colour ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof and three-zone automatic climate control. 

Volkswagen has, however, trimmed a few premium items from the equipment list to help justify the lower price point. These include the 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system (replaced with an 8-speaker unbranded unit), 30-colour ambient lighting, 360-degree camera and a larger touchscreen infotainment system, all of which continue to be offered on the R-Line.

In terms of safety, it gets 9 airbags, Level 2 ADAS suite, front and rear parking sensors, electronic stability control, electronic differential lock, rain-sensing wipers, a tyre pressure monitoring system, hill start assist, an electronic parking brake and a rear view camera. 

Powertrain

Under the hood, the Life variant of the Tayron is powered by the same 2-litre turbo-petrol engine. Here’s a look at the specifications: 

DCT- Dual Clutch Transmission

*Image of Tayron R-Line for representation

Rivals

The Volkswagen Tayron goes up against other three-row SUVs such as the Skoda Kodiaq, Jeep Meridian, MG Majestor and Toyota Fortuner.

ZigSays…

The new Life variant of the Tayron makes a strong case for buyers who are okay to miss out on a few features, but want the driving credentials, sensibility and performance of the full-size German SUV. It still comes will all the necessary equipment, offers a spacious boot and the fun-to-drive nature remains unchanged as well. Overall, with its pricing and feature-loaded nature, it now makes little sense to pick the R-Line over the base Tayron unless you really want a third row, the added features and the sportier styling package. 

Would you pick the Life variant of the Tayron over the R-Line? Let us know in the comments section!