The Volkswagen Tayron has officially landed in Australia and New Zealand, debuting with a five-star ANCAP safety rating under the latest 2025 testing protocols. The rating applies to all petrol and diesel variants of the large SUV, which went on sale locally in September 2025.
Available in five and seven-seat configurations, the Tayron combines family-friendly practicality with high-end safety credentials. It demonstrated consistently strong results across all major ANCAP assessment areas, particularly in protecting adult and child occupants during frontal and side impacts.
Breaking down the safety scores
Adult Occupant Protection – 87% (35.03 out of 40)
The Volkswagen Tayron has delivered strong results for Adult Occupant Protection, scoring 87% (35.03 out of 40) in ANCAP’s 2025 tests. It performed well across all key crash scenarios, earning near-perfect marks in the frontal offset (4.02/4) and full-width frontal (7.78/8) tests, and a maximum score in the side impact test (6.00/6). The pole oblique test returned 5.25/6, while far-side impacts achieved a full 4.00/4. Whiplash protection was also rated highly, with 2.98/3 for front occupants and 1.00/1 for rear passengers. The SUV’s rescue and extrication rating of 4.00/4 shows that emergency responders can access and remove occupants efficiently if needed. Taken together, these scores show that the Tayron offers robust protection for adult passengers.
Child Occupant Protection- 87% (42.81 out of 49)
The Volkswagen Tayron also scored 87% (42.81 out of 49) for Child Occupant Protection, demonstrating strong safety for younger passengers. In dynamic crash tests, it achieved full marks in the frontal offset (16.00/16) and side impact tests (8.00/8), offering excellent protection for child dummies. The SUV performed excellently in child restraint installation, scoring 11.81/12, with common child seats fitting securely in the second-row outboard positions. On-board safety features, such as ISOFix anchorages and advanced detection systems, earned 7.00/13, providing additional reassurance for families. These results indicate that the Tayron is well-equipped to keep child passengers safe, making it a practical choice for families who prioritise safety.
Vulnerable Road User Protection- 83% (52.91 out of 63)
The Volkswagen Tayron achieved 83% (52.91 out of 63) for Vulnerable Road User Protection, reflecting solid safety performance for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. In impact tests, it scored 12.19/18 for head protection, with strong results for femur (4.50/4.5), pelvis (4.50/4.5), and knee and tibia (9.00/9) areas. Its Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system proved effective in detecting and responding to pedestrians (6.36/7 forward, 0.00/2 backover) and cyclists (7.87/9), while AEB for motorcycles scored 6.00/6. The Lane Support System for motorcycles added further protection, earning 2.50/3. Overall, these results show that the Tayron offers meaningful safety measures for vulnerable road users, helping to reduce the risk of serious injury in real-world scenarios.
Safety Assist category- 85% (15.46 out of 18)
The Volkswagen Tayron scored 85% (15.46 out of 18) in the Safety Assist category, highlighting its strong suite of driver-assistance technologies. Full marks were achieved for seat belt reminders (1.00/1) and the Lane Support System (3.00/3), while the Speed Assistance System earned 2.71/3 for its combination of speed limit recognition and intelligent adaptive cruise control. Its Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Autonomous Emergency Steering (AES) systems performed well in car-to-car scenarios, scoring 4.00/4 in both front-to-rear and junction/crossing tests, with a slightly lower score of 0.50/1 for head-on prevention. Driver monitoring contributed 0.25/2, indicating some room for improvement in fatigue and distraction detection. These results demonstrate that the Tayron’s active safety systems are well-calibrated, providing drivers with significant support in everyday and emergency driving situations.
Standard safety equipment
All Tayron variants sold locally include:
- Dual frontal airbags (driver & passenger)
- Side chest-protection airbags (front)
- Side head-protection airbags (1st, 2nd & optional 3rd row)
- Centre airbag between front seats
- Seat belt pre-tensioners and reminders for all rows
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB): car, pedestrian, cyclist, junction assist
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW) & Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
- Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK)
- Speed Assistance System (SAS)
- Multi-collision braking
- Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
- Adaptive Cruise Control (select variants)
Note: Top-tether anchorages are not available in the third row, and child restraints should not be installed there.
Who should consider the Volkswagen Tayron?
- Families: Excellent child occupant protection and an optional seven-seat layout make it a practical, safe choice.
- Commuters: Standard AEB, LKA, and adaptive cruise assist support safer highway driving.
- Fleet buyers: Meets five-star ANCAP fleet safety benchmarks.
- Private buyers: Combines comfort, premium design, and advanced safety tech without compromising versatility.
Final thoughts
The Volkswagen Tayron’s five-star rating aligns with the carmaker’s long-standing legacy of safety. It now joins the ranks of Australia’s safest large SUVs, alongside models like the Mazda CX-80, Omoda 9, and Hyundai IONIQ 9, among others. With well-calibrated active safety systems, a robust crash structure, and comprehensive occupant protection, the Tayron reinforces Volkswagen’s commitment to safety excellence in the modern SUV segment. The rating is valid until December 2031.
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