Volkswagen Will Now Play In Toyota Fortuner's Backyard And Here's How It Could Pan Out!

For the longest time, the above Rs 40 lakh SUV segment has been dominated by a few key players, who are either showing their age or come from European brands that have high maintenance costs. Over the years, Several carmakers have launched competitive SUVs but have either failed to gain market share or shut shop altogether. Meanwhile, models like the Toyota Fortuner continue to dominate the segment due to their rugged appeal and robust reputation. In the coming weeks, we will see another European brand take a stand against the Fortuner and this time around, it is going to be Volkswagen, with the Tayron R-Line. Here are five differentiators that the Volkswagen SUV brings against its segment leaders.

1. Tayron R-Line will be more road-biased.

2.

It will offer a panoramic sunroof.

3. The 7-seater will be equipped with a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine.

4. Tayron R-Line will come with Volkswagen's Dynamic Chassis Control.

5. It will offer hi-tech features such as a 15-inch infotainment touchscreen.

Out of these, the most important highlight will be the Tayron R-Line's road-biased nature, making it more comfortable to travel in, when compared to a traditional ladder-on-frame 4x4 SUV. Advanced systems such as Dynamic Chassis Control will further enhance its on-road behavior and make it more suitable for long journeys.

With the Volkswagen Tayron R-Line 7-seater is due to launch on January 28, it will establish Skoda Auto Volkswagen India's two-pronged strategy to gather market share, as the new Skoda Kodiaq was launched in 2025 with 4x4 capability. Both SUVs combined offer a premium appeal that fits the price bracket and offer the latest tech and features that customers in the segment are looking for.

Volkswagen is assembling the Tayron R-Line at its Chatrapati Sambhajinagar plant in Maharashtra. This means that it will not come into the country as a Completely Built-Up Unit (CBU) and will help the carmaker keep costs in check. It is expected that the Tayron R-Line will be priced between Rs 48 to Rs 50 lakh ex-showroom and will be offered in a single variant.

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Considering the Tayron R-Line will offer better tech and packaging, on paper, it seems like segment leaders have a lot to worry about. However, SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner are proven to be more rugged, have better brand recognition in India and are also known for being easy to maintain. Meanwhile, the new-generation Skoda Kodiaq has yet to show any signs of posing a major threat to segment leaders and it remains to be seen if the push away from diesel cars will be enough to tip the scales in favour of Skoda-Volkswagen in the future.