Volkswagen Touareg R-Line
By Ian Strachan
Incredibly Volkswagen’s Touareg is on its third generation, having sold more than a million worldwide. The latest Touareg is wider and longer than its predecessors, and is packed with Volkswagen technology.
The first thing you notice about the Volkswagen Touareg is just how big it is. This luxury large 4×4 from the German maker is huge.
It is also exceptionally comfortable – with bags of room, it handles well, is extremely competent off road, with permanent all-wheel drive, and very well behaved on road. It also looks good, has more than enough power. I test drove the turbo-charged 3.0 diesel version which pumps out 286 horsepower and can take you from 0-60 mph in a shade over six seconds – impressive indeed for such a big vehicle.
The latest Touareg isn’t cheap, but it comes in considerably cheaper than a Range Rover Sport. But for my money it gives more established 4x4s a run for their money. It doesn’t have quite the same off-road credentials but it’s a superb motorway cruiser and it can go from tarmac to mud without the driver having to do anything other than turn a button to activate the electronic differential lock. Four wheel drive is permanent.
Despite its size, the Touareg maintains a clear Volkswagen identity, with a deep grille and pleasing lines. Inside it’s roomy and comfortable, with plenty of creature comforts. The design takes its cues from smaller Volkswagens but is obviously much taller. There’s plenty of capacity in the loadspace area, behind the electrically-operated tailgate, and more if you fold the seats – with no wheel-arch intrusion.
I test drove the diesel powered Touareg with its smooth but powerful 3.0 litre V6 286 bhp engine. This unit has plenty of grunt, delivering power throughout the range without ever feeling reluctant to propel this big car. The eight-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox is exceptionally flexible. It’s not particularly frugal – after all this is a big car with a big engine – only delivering 34 mpg in mixed driving.
The Touareg handles better than many 4x4s. It is stable and predictable, with no suspension wallow, and flat cornering. On road its manners are impeccable and it’s a great motorway cruiser. Steering is light but precise.
Specification on the R-Line is excellent, and includes a wealth of electronics to keep you moving, safe and stable in difficult conditions, as well as big 20 inch alloy wheels, automatic door locking, satellite navigation via a huge 15-inch central touch-screen and an impressive eight-speaker sound system with DAB radio, MP3 and streaming capability with voice activation, Bluetooth, SD card reader and a 64 GB hard drive.
You also get automatic stability control, four-zone electronic climate control, heated seats, leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, optical and audio parking sensors and rear camera, park assist, automatic tailgate, lane departure warning and assist, traffic sign recognition and a modular and flexible seat arrangement.
Many of the car’s functions are controlled via its central colour touchscreen. This is a great but also has a downside. Simple functions like turning up the air-con temperature or switching off that heated steering wheel involve going through a couple of touchscreen menus, and can’t be done safely while driving. Sometimes a simple switch is better.
The Touareg R-Line Tech 3.0 litre V6 TDi that I tested will cost you £57,365 on the road. That might sound a lot but it’s still less than some of its not so well equipped competitors and you get the benefit of a very high specification, a vehicle that won’t depreciate quickly, and a versatile and more than competent performer. My test car had a few options fitted including air suspension and rear axle steering (£2,395), head-up display (£1,090), heated rear seats (£255), an up-rated sound system (£1,250) and a powered towbar (£1,130).
