VOLKSWAGEN Touareg Review

The last time we really felt comfortable before getting behind the wheel of the Touareg was while seating on our sag chairs, our regular companions during the long video gaming sessions we have at the office every once in a while. And, to be honest, the new Touareg isn't much different, obviously from the point of view of a car but, Volkswagen's SUV is for comfort as Pope Benedict XVI is for the Catholic Church. Almost...

The new Touareg can be equipped with everything you want, and when we say everything, we really mean it. Probably the only thing that misses on the new range is the massage function but, otherwise, anything you want is there. We're not really sure if it's really so important to talk about the features we got on the test model because, after all, what you pay is what you get. And Volkswagen has really a lot of things to offer...

Let's start with the basics first. The cozy atmosphere inside the cabin is not only offered by the quality of the interior materials but also by the leather-wrapped seats which are among the best in the class. We won't criticize the seats for being offered with manual adjustments because, as we said, electric controls are available as options if you really think this might be a problem.

Air conditioning is obviously present in the form of a three-zone automatic system on the test car but, obviously, a superior option is available separately. Heated and ventilated seats are also offered so you shouldn't encounter too many problems to set the right temperature for your tooshie whatever the season. Piano singers and artists will be delighted to hear that a steering wheel heating function is also offered, although many of these features are usually offered as part of larger "feature packs" especially created to enhance comfort, safety or performance.

The cabin is more spacious than you might be tempted to believe and our very own Mr. Bach would be pleased to hear that (most recently he's been looking for cars with roomy cabins to carry all kinds of stuff from his multi-billion farms). The new Touareg offers 38.7 inches (983 mm) front headroom, 38.3 inches (973 mm) rear headroom, 41.3 and 35.6 inches (1049 904 mm) and front and rear legroom respectively as well as 57.7 inches (1465 mm) front shoulder room and 57.4 inches (1456 mm) rear shoulder room.

It's also worth mentioning that the new Touareg is also offered with a predefined "Comfort" mode that makes the suspension softer or, if you prefer, perfect for city driving. Of course, this setup should be changed if you intend to fly like a bee (sort of...) on the highway, and this should be really no issue since "Normal" and "Sport" modes are also offered. The eight-speed transmission unit manages to match almost every driving style so, no matter if you're calm like your grandpa or agile like Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (yes, Alois is his second given name!) in his good days, you won't face any problems.

In the end, the Touareg is the right place for everything, from the comfort point of view. And that being said, we'll stop here before our dirty imagination makes us think about all kinds of things that could be done in such a comfortable car...

We're not really sure why, but Volkswagen hasn't talked too much about the technical side of the car. OK, it mentioned that the new generation is lighter and more efficient than the previous version and praised the new engine once or twice, but that's basically all. Of course, what lies underneath the hood worths every second spent talking about it as the Touareg has always managed to be a superior vehicle from the technical point of view.

Let's first talk, as Volkswagen also chose to, about the V6 TDI BlueMotion Technology with 240 horsepower. The new diesel engine is Euro 5 compliant and produces 240 horsepower at 4,000 rpm, being also available from the launch in the United States, as expected with a few modifications to meet local requirements. The European configuration however has an injection pressure of 1,800 bar and a displacement of 2,967 cc, which allows it to generate the 550 Nm of torque from as low as 2,000 rpm.

In terms of fuel consumption, the engine burns 7.4 l/100km (31.7 mpg) in combined cycle, which means it burns 1.9 liters of diesel less than the previous configuration with 240 horsepower on the Touareg range. Of course, emissions have been reduced at well, now releasing 195 grams of CO2 per kilometer, 49 g/km less than the old V6 TDI and 24 g/km as compared to the BlueMotion 225 horsepower unit.

The second generation is for the Touareg range as is a ballerina for a Sumo fight: smaller, lighter and more agile. OK, maybe we went a little bit too far with the comparison, but Volkswagen claims the new model's weight was reduced by between 203 and 222 kilos, obviously depending on the version you choose. Wondering how did that happen? Lighter powertrain, certain body modifications and the use of what the German carmaker calls multi-layer insulating materials. In other words, Volkswagen turned to another type of noise insulating material which is said to be lighter but more efficient.

To give you an idea on how much the new Touareg series weighs, here are the official numbers: V6 FSI - 2,035 kg, V6 TDI - 2,099 kg, V8 TDi - 2,222 kg and Hybrid - 2,240 kg.

The transmission setup is a tiny Pandora box, once you open it, you find a tone of information. As you know, Volkswagen chose to equip the new-generation Touareg with an 8-speed automatic instead of the 6-speed one used on the previous version, which makes the new model the first SUV in the world with such a configuration, as the company itself proudly said at the debut of the model.

The gearbox is especially configured to resist to a torque of up to 850 Nm, so the 550 Nm output generated by the V6 TDI is actually piece of cake. What's really interesting is the idea behind the two additional gears.

As in any conventional transmission box, the last gear is generally used for fuel consumption, being especially implemented to reduce revs at high speeds. The new transmission unit not only becomes more efficient in all gears but also becomes a bit more responsive and cuts consumption at high speeds by around 20 percent, if we are to trust Volkswagen's figures. This means that the car's maximum speed (218 km/h) is reached in 6th gear, while the remaining two are only used if the speed is maintained.

Of course, Volkswagen's 4MOTION is also available, which makes the new Touareg even more appropriate for off-road adventures. The system includes an all-wheel drive system with limited-slip Torsen differential and electronic differential locks on all wheels and, with the press of a single button, modifies the configuration of the ABS, EDS and ASR for better performance in off-road environment.

Geeks will feel great inside the new Touareg, mostly because there are a lot of buttons everywhere to have fun with. Still, there are a number of things to be discussed first.

As we already mentioned, the seats felt great but came with manual controls so, if you're lazy like us, you should have a look on the options list to get yourself some electronic adjustments. A heating option with three levels was offered on our test model as well, but cooling was once again optional.

The biggest issue we had was caused by the audio system. Although it does sound great, the audio configuration lacks... almost everything. We mean, the only thing we could listen to during our test drive was the radio, as other input options were completely missing. In fact, no, we had the AUX port but seriously now, how many of you are still using this option on such an expensive model?

It took maybe 30 minutes to accept the idea that the new Touareg doesn't come with USB connectivity or, at least, with iPhone or iPod ports. Blasphemy! Steve, we have a problem...

Another thing that left us with a straight face was the navigation system. Or, to be more precise, the map data. Many of the streets we've driven on were missing from the data and it happened several times to be guided to nowhere. Strange thing to be driving a Touareg and reach a dead-end...

Other than that, the car comes with a 6.5-inch resistive touchscreen, which means that you might have to keep your finger one second or two on the option you want before the display reacts to your input. Of course, this isn't a problem at all if you're not in motion or the one who browses the menus is the front passenger, so maybe this is actually a way to force drivers keep their eyes on the road... Truth is, the navigation system instructions are also displayed on the dashboard, just between the gauges.

A 2-meter box in a 2.5-meter parking space? That doesn't sound too scary for drivers who know what a clutch is, but it may be terrifying for ladies who sometimes forget to unfold the exterior mirrors before leaving home. Whatever the case, Volkswagen installed cameras at both the front and the rear, so you'll be assisted as long as the car is in reverse mode.

Neither Euro NCAP nor IIHS have tested the new Touareg, but the European institute previously tested the old one (manufactured in 2004) and awarded the model a five-star rating. Does that sound surprising? We think not, because it would be almost a shame for such a large and expensive model to receive a lower safety rating.

In standard configuration, the new Touareg is offered with driver and front passenger airbags, side front airbags and head airbags for the front passengers, front and rear 3-point seatbelts with audio warning and pretensioners, permanent LED daytime running lights electrochromic interior mirror, ESP and ABS.

Of course, a lot more functions are available on the options list and, if you really want to buy them, you could spend hours on the configurator screen until you finish the feature selection.

Although not really a safety feature per se, the car comes with ventilated disc brakes on all four wheels and, trust us, they are mandatory to stop the two-ton beast. And, after a few chicanes on mountain roads, we honestly said that this solution is indeed efficient and you'll feel the control ensured by the rest of the assistance systems even during hard braking.

In the end, what remains the main ace up its sleeve is the overall weight of the car. Of course, add to this the length, the width and the height and you get a tank on four wheels that would be hardly affected by an impact with smaller cars.

Although it sold pretty well, the first generation Volkswagen Touareg was often considered a boxy and unrefined model which was mostly bought by those who were looking to drive an imposing model that could allow them to run over the rest of the cars on the roads. Now, with the launch of the 2010 model, the Touareg has turned into a sportier, more modern and more appealing appearance, with more space and more innovations than anytime before.

The good thing about the Touareg is the fact that it is perfectly balanced. It offers enough features for the money you have to pay, it generates more than decent power, it has an excellent behavior on the road and off the road and, last but not least, it is pretty safe. Fuel consumption is also more than decent for such a vehicle and, really now, does efficiency really matter when driving such a car?

The bad side of the car is probably its dimensions because there are a number of drivers who experience lots of problems when driving SUVs. And no, we're not at all thinking about women but, in the end, they have the biggest difficulties when it comes to controlling such a large vehicle, not to mention about parking it.

Finding an ugly bit is quite difficult but, if we really have to mention one, we'll say it's the price. Although we've already mentioned that the car seems to be quite well balanced, it might seem a bit too expensive. That's right, what you pay is what you get but, in the end, it is too expensive and only a few people could actually afford one.