India, Feb. 4 -- Seven-seat SUVs usually play it safe. Comfort over character, space over sparkle, and performance is often an afterthought. The Volkswagen Tayron R-Line takes a slightly different approach. It arrives as a family-friendly SUV that still wants to be driven, combining strong turbo-petrol performance with a cabin that genuinely feels premium.

After spending some time with it on the road, some aspects stood out immediately, while a couple reminded me of the compromises Volkswagen has made. Here are three things that genuinely impressed me, and two that didn't quite hit the mark:

Under the hood is the familiar EA888 Evo4 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 201 bhp and 320 Nm. On the road, those numbers translate into an ...