Volkswagen TOUAREG RANGE
Do Volkswagens Aspirations Know No Bounds? Their Touareg Aims To Try To Work Over The Range
Rover And The
BMW X5. By Andy Enright
Second-guessing what
Volkswagen is about to get up to next is a thankless task. With a range of cars bereft of a small coupe or convertible, they instead decided to launch the Phaeton, a luxury car gunning for Mercedes. It was difficult to see the logic, especially as it seemed to compete for sales with partner
Audi. Perhaps with such lofty ambitions, it was inevitable that they would launch a big 4x4, fed up with seeing BMW, Mercedes and Range Rover hogging that particular trough.
Few could have envisaged quite what theyd come up with. The Touareg has an unerring air of right first time about it.
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Unveiled at the 2002 Paris Show, the Touaregs basic shape wasnt too much of a surprise as much of the engineering had been developed in partnership with
Porsche and their Cayenne had been scooped long before. Whereas the Cayennes styling is, to put it most kindly, challenging, the Touareg wears its metal rather more purposefully, although much of the basic shape is similar. What was surprising were the powerplants on offer. The 220bhp 3.
2-litre petrol engine was well telegraphed. This is a development of the engine found under the bonnet of the MKIV Golf R32 superhatch, albeit tuned for a little less power (219bhp) and more torque. The 309bhp 4.2-litre V8 engine was announced late and caught many industry observers on the hop, acting as the flagship petrol engine.
It was the top diesel engine that made headlines. No, scrub that, perhaps this diesel should be called The Diesel Engine. Its a monster. This 313bhp 5.
0-litre V10 TDI turbodiesel generates 542lb/ft of torque. What does that mean in the real world? A turbodiesel Range
Rover develops 288lb/ft, whilst a diesel
BMW X5 manages 302. Pitiful!
Lamborghini Murcielago a limp wristed 480lb/ft. A
Ferrari Enzo hawks up 484lb/ft.
The Touareg V10 TDI is a true leviathan amongst cars. If half a leviathan is more than enough,
Volkswagen also offer a 2.5-litre TDI engine in the Touareg thats effectively one half of the mighty V10 diesel unit. Apart from that, theres a more modern 3.
0-litre TDI diesel which uses Volkswagens Diesel Particulate Filter. This engine seems like a happy compromise between the two other oil-burners, it has 223bhp and 369lb/ft of torque.
"The V10 TDI is monstrously muscular"
The philosophy behind the Touareg, priced from £30,330, was to offer three vehicles in one with an eye on the lucrative US market. In a category dominated by the Mercedes M-class, the BMW X5 and the Range Rover, the Touareg needed to be something special. Volkswagen boss Bernd Pischetsrieder reckons it is. "Unlike these rivals, its a proper off-roader. It eclipses the X5 on road and on top of it all it is a spacious luxury car" he purrs, obviously rather happy with his brawny creation. Longer term plans for the Touareg include a pair of mind-boggling power units, neither of which are likely to make it here. First will be a W12 similar to the one nestling under the bonnet of the
Bentley Continental GT. Then well see a six-litre V10 diesel.
At about the same time, the third car based on this platform, Audis Magellan will also appear. So much for the corporate ambition, whats the car like? In a word, big. At 170cm high its not lacking in road presence. The range-topping £53,640 V10 TDI sits a couple of centimetres higher still on its air suspension, the other models relying on more conventional steel springs.
Unless, that is, you want to hit the options list. The interior styling is pleasantly restrained, the materials quality is class leading and the look and feel is much like the opulent Phaeton. Standard equipment includes electronic climate control, a multifunction computer, ten-speaker CD system, walnut trim, heated and folding door mirrors and a huge airbag count. The V6 model wears a slightly overwhelmed set of 17-inch alloy wheels.
Move up to the £44,260 V8 and there are features such as leather trim, dusk-sensing lights, heated seats, engine compartment lights and chrome finishing on the doors and grille. The V10 TDI is where things again go off the chart. This adds Continuous Damping Control Air Suspension, bi-Xenon lights, remote engine start, memory for your
seat belt height, steering column, mirrors and seats and a stereo system with no fewer than eleven speakers. It can be recognised from the outside by its 18-inch wheels, a chrome air intake and front fog lights.
And a little badge on the back. On the road, the Touareg cant quite back up Pischetsrieders claim as better than an X5. It comes close and is a little tauter than a Range Rover and a whole lot keener than a Mercedes M-class. The Volkswagen has slightly more lateral roll in corners and theres that bit more side to side wobbly head syndrome that BMW has worked so hard to exorcise.
The V10 TDI is monstrously muscular, despatching the sprint to 60mph in 7.6 seconds yet will return an average of 23mpg a decent return for a car that tips the scales at around 2,500kg. The V6 and V8 models are both respectably quick although neither can match the diesels punch or parsimony. Its off road that the Touareg plays its trump card, especially when equipped with air suspension.
Permanent four wheel drive and a low ratio gearbox are taken for granted, but factor in selectable front and rear differential locks, hill start and descent assist and very short front and rear overhangs and the Touareg becomes an awesomely capable tool. With low range engaged, the Touareg can drag itself up a 45-degree slope with 35 degrees of sideways lean. The V10s torque is always a bonus, but the light weight of the V6 and V8 engines make them particularly nimble on downhill stretches. Does the Touareg do exactly what it promises, namely to be the best on road, best off road and offer luxury saloon levels of refinement? In a word, no.
It comes so close to that brief, however, that it must be recognised as something of a tour de force from Volkswagen. The BMW pips it on road and the Range Rover is a little more elite, but none approach the all round polish of the Touareg. Surprised? Wait to see what Volkswagen get up to next
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Touareg range
PRICES: £30,330-£53,640 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 15-19
CO2 EMISSIONS: 265-355g/km
PERFORMANCE: [4.2 V8] 0-60mph 8.1s / Max Speed 141mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [3.2 V6] (combined) 20.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front/side/curtain airbags / ABS / ESP / Brake Assist/ hill descent assist / hill start assist
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm [air suspension], 4754/1928/1726
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