BMW 440I vs Volkswagen Tayron

What's the difference?

Life comes at you fast, especially in the automotive industry, where model lifecycles are becoming shorter as each new generation comes and goes.

Take the BMW 4 Series for instance. It’s been a segment stalwart since 2013, but the current model’s time in the sun is finally coming to an end a little later this year.

And that got us thinking whether or not the old saying rings true in this context. So, we put the flagship 440i coupe to test to find out if the older you get, the wiser you are.

Volkswagen has a new large SUV in the Tayron (pronounced TIE-ron), and it arrives with a fair bit riding on it. Replacing the Tiguan Allspace and taking on some of the duties left by the departing Touareg, it’s now the brand’s key seven-seat family offering.

We’re testing the flagship 195TSI R-Line with established petrol rivals like the Kia Sorento GT-Line, Skoda Kodiaq RS and Toyota Kluger Grande in mind. After a few weeks of school-holiday mayhem, complete with feral kids, does it sink or swim?