Volkswagen TOUAREG
The Leviathan Touareg Isnt What Most People Associate With The
Volkswagen Brand. June Neary Reports
Whenever I get to test a big 4x4 Im acutely conscious of the fact that I look like a school run mum. Other drivers give me disdaining glares as if I am personally responsible for the failure of the Kyoto Protocol as I transport the kids to school. The truth is that my kids are long out of school and that Im just trying the Touareg for size but the perceived animosity I could most certainly do without. That aside, theres little about the Touareg that gives cause for complaint.
The looks are certainly a whole lot more palatable than its distant cousin, the
Porsche Cayenne. The sight of the Porsches gurning mug looked likely to give my elderly neighbour a coronary but the Touareg raised no comment. The 2.5-litre turbodiesel version that I tried may have been the entry-level model but with manageable economy and a fair turn of pace it most definitely suited my needs.
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The philosophy behind the Touareg 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. 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 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 2.
5-litre TDI, 3.0-litre TDI and 3.2-litre V6 models wear a slightly overwhelmed set of 17-inch alloy wheels. Move up to the 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 Volkswagens top brass claim to be better than a BMW 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. Sales figures show the 2.
5-litre TDI to be the most popular model in the entire Touareg line up and it returns some excellent figures. Although its not quite got the mumbo of a 3.0-litre BMW X5 diesel, its a good deal cheaper and feels a more modern package. It will accelerate to 60mph in 12.
2 seconds and run on to a top speed of 114mph on the standard steel spring suspension. Plump for the optional air suspension and top speed falls to 111mph. A combined fuel economy figure of 28.8mpg is fair return for such a huge vehicle.
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 diesels torque comes as a welcome bonus here.
Toauregs arent cheap but the 2.5-litre TDI version I sampled has an interesting equation working in its favour. Its got half the engine of the 5.0-litre TDI diesel (quite literally the 2.
5-litre engine is one bank of the 5.0-litre cars V10) but costs roughly half the price. Much of the V10s cost can be attributed to its lavish equipment roster but the 2.5-litre seems the value pick of the range, offering a far better return on your money than the thirsty 3.
2-litre V6 petrol engined version. Though the 223bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder TDI might tempt some buyers.
The Touareg may not offer the pinnacle of off and on road competence but it comes agreeably close. As long as you can manage the physical bulk, the Touareg 2.5TDI shapes up very nicely as family transportation with plenty of room, manageable running costs and excellent safety. Its one of the least crass of the luxury 4x4s too which means that its far less likely to attract the attention of a vandals key than, say, a BMW X5 or a Range Rover.
I enjoyed this car a good deal more than I was expecting to and splashing through the mud on a friends farm was enormous fun. Even his son was happy when I paid him to clean it!
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