New roof and tailgate for Tiguan platform as VW begins to chase the SUV coupe craze.

VW has revealed images of its latest coupe – and obviously it is based on one of the brand’s popular SUVs.

The Tayron X is a sloping roofline version of VW’s Tiguan platform and the design logic is to harvest the surging tide of demand for anything with elevated ride height and a curvy roof section.

Like the Tiguan, it rides on VW’s proven MQB platform – which runs anything from a Polo to a Caddy to a Q3. Bumper-to-bumper the Tayron X measures 4.62 m, which places it between a standard Tiguan and a Tiguan Allspace.

Height is the dimension where Tayron X expectedly differs from a conventional Tiguan. Measured from the road surface to its roof, the Tayron X stands 1.66 m tall, which is slightly lower than a Tiguan, at 1.67m.

An interesting design detail applied to the Tayron X, for VW brand fans, is its rear illumination. The taillights have an X-shaped LED illumination profile which is different from anything seen on the current Tiguan. There is a possibility of those lights being a clue to what the next Tiguan upgrade could entail, in terms of rear styling.

Powering the Tayron X are a choice of familiar VW petrol engines. At the entry-level there’s the 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, boosting 137 kW.

Most customers will probably opt for the more potent 2-litre turbo motor, which is truer to the dynamic intent of owning and driving a sloping roofline coupe. VW will be offering the Tayron X with a 162 kW version of the EA888 engine, driving through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The Tayron X defaults to a front-wheel-drive configuration, as one would expect from an MQB vehicle platform, with only the option for 4Motoin all-wheel drive.

VW is planning to launch the Tayron X in China, although elements of the design appear very transposable to similarly-sized SUVs of the brand, which sell in all global markets.

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