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VOLKSWAGEN Touareg Review

OUR TEST CAR: VOLKSWAGEN Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI

 
VOLKSWAGEN Touareg  - Page - 1
The term "Touareg" goes beyond the automotive industry, mostly because Volkswagen has searched for a name with a deeper meaning than the one we would be tempted to believe. Basically, the German carmaker tried to associate the name Touareg with something that happened in the past and thus give the mid-size crossover SUV it is building ever since 2002 the special aura every car needs when launched on such a crowded market.

We won't go too far in history, but Touareg, pronounced "twah-regg", is actually the name of a Berber nomadic pastoralist group living in North Africa who are actually descended from Saharan people. Although the car's history doesn't match the one of its name, the Touareg designation wasn't new for the automotive market at the time of the Volkswagens model's debut.

The first time the automotive industry heard about the Touareg was in 1996 when the French engineers over at Peugeot launched a concept vehicle wearing this name. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that auto enthusiasts got used to the name too quickly because most Europeans, especially those living in Germany, had trouble when trying to pronounce the name. As a result, Volkswagen started a promotional campaign to help people pronounce the model's name correctly, a move that obviously supported the adoption of the car on all markets.

Touareg's history started in 2002 when Volkswagen Group, together with Audi and Porsche, established the foundation of what was to become their first luxurious SUV created as a joint effort to bring costs to a minimum. The three brought what they had the best at that time, forming a developing team with more than 300 members, led by Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert. Volkswagen thus released the Touareg, while Porsche and Audi introduced the Cayenne and the Q7 respectively, both sharing the same platform but remaining technically and design-wise different from the Touareg.

The first-generation Touareg shocked, in a positive way, from its first appearance in front of the public. An imposing body with superior performance, top-notch features and high-quality interior. This is how the Touareg managed to capture everyone's attention from the first days of availability.

The first generation underwent a facelift in 2006 and was revealed at the Paris Motor Show in the same year. The United States received the upgrade one year later, reaching the market as a 2008 model.

The second iteration saw daylight at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show after initially being introduced in early February 2010 in Munich to a limited number of people. The car obviously came with numerous enhancements, many of which were implemented to make it more efficient and raise performance.

That being said, we had the chance to test the 2010 version of the company's third SUV (after Type 181 "Kurierwagen" and Type 183, also known as Iltis) equipped with a 3.0-liter V6 TDI BlueMotion engine developing 240 horsepower. Read on to find out whether the Touareg is really that gorgeous as most people who tested it claim.

The first thing that Volkswagen said when confirming plans for the second generation Touareg was that the car is going to be lighter by approximately 300 kilos (661 lbs), which, among others, brings better handling and increased engine performance. And that really happened despite the fact that Volkswagen made the new car a bit longer to provide a roomier interior, thus enhanced comfort and better visibility on the road.

The most extensive modifications appeared on the front fascia, including the front grille and headlights, and at the rear where the taillights come with a new, a bit more modern design.

Of course, in terms of design, the Touareg retains the same imposing, powerful yet appealing look based on the new Design DNA started by Volkswagen with the help of the Scirocco. The headlights are beautifully-styled and play a double role. Not only they are a key part of the tech department belonging to the Touareg but they also contribute to the overall aggressive stance on the road with the help of the permanent LED daytime running lights. The headlights come with bi-xenon function with Dynamic Light Assist.

Seen from the side, the new Touareg looks just like a... Touareg... Although there are a few differences between the old and the new models, the 2010 edition retains the same massive appearance. Of course, the large wheels are also contributing to this aspect and they're offered in multiple setups, depending on the version you choose: standard 7.5J x 7 on the V6 TDI and V6 FSI, 8J x 18 on the Hybrid and V8 TDI.

The exterior mirrors are crash optimized, as Volkswagen likes to say, which is actually a simple technical upgrade that allows the case to be moved in the pulling direction. But "crash-optimized" sounds cool, doesn't it?

The rear of the car follows the same horizontal design criteria as the front fascia, with a brand new spoiler mounted on the tailgate specifically optimized for improved aerodynamics. The taillights are divided into two pieces, one on the body of the car and the other one on the tailgate. And speaking of tailgate, it's huge but it can be controlled automatically with an electric motor. We didn't have one and we swore every time we had to close the tailgate.

The new Touareg is indeed longer than its predecessor (188.8 inches vs 187 inches / 4796 mm vs 4750 mm) and wider (76.4 inches vs 76 inches / 1941 mm vs 1930 mm) but shorter (67.3 inches vs 68.1 inches / 1709 mm vs 1730 mm). It has a higher wheelbase however, 113.9 inches (2893 mm) as compared to 112.6 inches (2860 mm) on the old one. Last but not least, the new version is lighter, as it weighs "only" 2099 kg (4627 lbs), down from 2164 kg (4770.8 lbs) on the previous version.

Probably because Volkswagen focused primarily on the exterior of the car and on the engine range, the interior hasn't received too many modifications. There are a few changes here and there, but nothing too fancy, nothing that could amaze a driver already used with the old Touareg.

Even so, the interior remains comfortable and could make you feel like home if you're planning a longer trip. Thanks to the increased length, the rear passengers now benefit from more interior space, as the bench has 160 millimeters (6.3 inches) in longitudinal adjustment. Furthermore, backrest angle can now be adjusted, which obviously translates into increased comfort for those traveling in the rear.

And because we're at the "rear seats" chapter, we must mention that folding them down increases luggage capacity from 433 liters in normal configuration to 1642 liters.

The interior is "dominated" by the 6.5-inch touchscreen display that lets you access most of the car's features. Although this is indeed a great feature, Volkswagen is offering a resistive touchscreen and not a capacitive one, which means it takes one or two seconds until the display responds to your touch.

Other than that, everything seems just fine and ergonomics is more than great. Everything is just where you'd expect them to be and the driver shouldn't have to do too ample moves to press a button. Not to mention that the dashboard comes with some sort of integrated display that shows the driver basically all data he wants, including vehicle information, navigation instructions and audio settings.

The seats are very comfortable and you should really trust us because this is the chapter we're criticizing the most at every single model. Backpains are killing us, but the Touareg really managed to rise to the expectations. The only thing we have to complain about is the manual control for each seat, but electric adjustments are available as options if you're the kind of lazy drivers like ourselves.

At first sight, driving the Touareg on tight city roads is just as hard as trying to push three elephants in a Tata Nano. And, to be honest, you might have some problems at the beginning, mostly because of the high driving position and the dimensions of the car, but it's only a matter of minutes. Not to take into account that the car can be equipped with several assistance features, such as front and rear-view cameras and parking sensors.

Although it's very clear that Touareg isn't quite an urban vehicle, it does impress, not only because the handling is extremely precise, but also because it is tall enough to help you pass over speed limiters just like a Russian tank passed over enemies in World War II.

Probably the only point that could be considered negative is the overall length of the car that makes it pretty difficult to park in tight spots, especially for arrogant ladies who think the whole world is theirs. Still, Volkswagen tried to make their life easier (as it wasn't enough...) and offered several parking assistance functions, including front and rear-view cameras plus rear parking sensors that emit an audio warning as the car gets closer to a rear obstacle.

As said, the control is just great and you won't even notice that you're driving an almost 4,8 meters long vehicle, the separate "Comfort" mode making cornering and low-speed turning a piece of cake. Visibility was not an issue on the old Touareg and it continues to be a strong point on Volkswagen's SUV, not only thanks to the high driving position but also because of the large windshield, side and rear windows. Furthermore, the new Touareg came with cornering lights, which means a fog beam is automatically turned on to light up the inside of the bend at low speeds.

Fuel consumption isn't a virtue of course on such a large car with such a powerful engine (even if it has an Auto Start/Stop engine), but Touareg does a pretty remarkable job with almost every occasion. In fact, the BlueMotion Technology designation pretty much says it all, as Volkswagen struggled to make the new engine offer a perfect blend of fuel consumption, performance and emissions.

So, it delivers 240 horsepower, with a fuel consumption rating of 8.8 l/100km (26.7 mpg) in traffic conditions. At least this is what Volkswagen's official brochure claims so. Of course, reality was a little bit different. The best we could get was 10.8 l/100km (21.7 mpg) which, to be honest, isn't bad at all taking into account the other performance figures.

You couldn't ask for more from the automatic transmission (in fact, you could, but you get the point) because it acts just like an automatic transmission should. The eight-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic not only plays a key role in the overall comfort level provided by the car, but also has a significant contribution to fuel efficiency figures.

Overall, the Touareg may be and may not be a city companion. By definition, an SUV isn't exactly a synonym for responsible city driving but, after a few days spent behind the wheel of the Touareg, the city doesn't seem so repulsive anymore.

Driving an SUV outside the city is basically the best way to see what it is up to. Truth is, we like this chapter the most because this is the only way to let our heavy foot act as it should when touching the throttle pedal. And the new Touareg really impressed us. So much that we also received a speed ticket (don't do this at home errr... on public roads, but we were caught speeding on a country road with only "a few kilometers per hour" over the limit).

We won't go further to describe our encounter with the donut eater, but the Touareg impressed him too. In open road environment, the new generation Touareg looks sportier and more modern and remains a head turner, just like its predecessor. Probably the first things that catches the eye when viewed from the front are the permanent LED daytime running lights that provide a really aggressive stance on the road. This is probably the main reason while slower drivers preferred to switch lanes and let us pass, rather than continue cruising with the Touareg's eyes in the rear-view mirror... Damn drivers, that's why we got caught speeding...!

We won't go so far to say that Touareg's V6 TDI engine doesn't feel like a diesel, but the V6 TDI doesn't really feel like a diesel. What did just happen? Oh well, this is the pure truth, Volkswagen managed to tweak it so good that it almost acts like a gasoline powerplant. It reaches the peak torque of 550 Nm from 2000 to 2250 rpm, with an almost instant response from the throttle pedal.

There are three predefined modes that modify the suspension setup depending on the type of driver that jumps behind the wheel. The "Comfort" function is obviously for calm drivers who'd like to reach their destination without breaking speed records, the "Normal" mode for normal drivers and, last but not least, the "Sport" setup for irresponsible drivers like us. OK, not quite so, but the "Sport" mode really makes a difference and the fun you'll enjoy on mountain curvy roads will be at least equal to what you feel in a roller coaster. Add to that some light rain, four summer sport tires and the curiosity to see how the car behaves at high speeds and you get the quickest nausea from the front passenger.

If you hope to feel like home in the new Touareg, you won't be too disappointed. A longer trip is quite pleasant and you won't feel any back- or leg pains after driving for several hundreds of miles. The leather-wrapped seats are just perfect, we really couldn't ask for more and, as we've told you already, we have pretty high expectations when it comes to this aspect.

Leaving the on-road aside, the Touareg is more than potent in off-road, with a ground clearance of 212 mm/8.3 inches (oh my God!), an approach angle of 28 degrees, a departure angle of 28 degrees, a breakover angle of 22 degrees and a lateral driving angle of 35 degrees. In plain English, all of these make the new Touareg an off-road friendly SUV and, although it doesn't manage to be as good as specific off-road cars, it really manages to beat its competition in this chapter.

We really don't know if talking about fuel consumption is worth our time, but we have to mention this too. Volkswagen says the V6 TDI engine should burn around 6,5 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (36.1 mpg) but numbers are a bit different in reality. Probably driven by the anger we had to live with after we were forced to spend our money on the speed ticket and not on beer, we achieved 9.8 l/100km (24 mpg), but numbers could even drop to 7.4 - 7.8 l/100km (31.7 - 30.1 mpg) when cruising on country roads.

The new Touareg has basically all you'll ever need to tour through the country. Cruise control - check (oh yes, we were "recommended" to use the cruise control, it seems like policemen do learn a few things at the police academy), ESP - check, ABS - check, powerful audio system - check, navigation - check, large trunk - check.

We'll stop here before getting boring but the conclusion is the same as the one in the city chapter: the Touareg manages to do a pretty good job and it sometimes even exceeds expectations.
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autoevolution Nov 2010
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History
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Exterior
7
Interior
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In the city
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Open road
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Comfort
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Tech facts
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Gadgets
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Safety
9
Conclusion
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Old VW Touareg Euro NCAP testOld VW Touareg Euro NCAP testOld VW Touareg Euro NCAP testOld VW Touareg Euro NCAP test2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg display screen2010 Volkswagen Touareg AUX port2010 Volkswagen Touareg AUX port2010 Volkswagen Touareg air conditioning controls2010 Volkswagen Touareg transmission2010 Volkswagen Touareg display2010 Volkswagen Touareg ignition2010 Volkswagen Touareg trunk 12V connector2010 Volkswagen Touareg key2010 Volkswagen Touareg transmission2010 Volkswagen Touareg wheel2010 Volkswagen Touareg gauges2010 Volkswagen Touareg engine2010 Volkswagen Touareg interior lamps2010 Volkswagen Touareg front seats2010 Volkswagen Touareg 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front view2010 Volkswagen Touareg side view2010 Volkswagen Touareg three quarters front view2010 Volkswagen Touareg side view2010 Volkswagen Touareg front fascia2010 Volkswagen Touareg headlight2010 Volkswagen Touareg headlight2010 Volkswagen Touareg headlight2010 Volkswagen Touareg front logo2010 Volkswagen Touareg three quarters front view2010 Volkswagen Touareg tailight2010 Volkswagen Touareg three quarters rear viewInterior of the 2007 VW Touareg2007 VW Touareg2007 VW Touareg2002 VW Touareg2002 VW Touareg