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2018 Volkswagen Touareg review: the most sophisticated and technically advanced VW challenges premium rivals
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With is quasi starship looks, and when fully kitted out with Volkswagen’s Innovision Cockpit, including a new 15-inch main infotainment unit that curves gently to follow the contours of the dash, the new Touareg is unlike anything else currently on sale.
Mind you, it always was going to need to make a statement to grab the attention of buyers, taking over as it does from a car that has now been around for 15 years, during which time it has been under siege from rivals.
This new model shares its underpinnings with the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus among others. Longer and wider than before, albeit a fraction lower, this new Touareg looks simply vast on the road, with a grille that appears to stretch across its entire front. Compared with VW’s fast-growing range of smaller SUVs, this thing is in a different league when it comes to road presence.
Despite its size, the Touareg remains a five-seater, meaning it lacks the versatility of a Q7 or Volvo XC90. If that doesn’t bother you the five seats you do get are generously proportioned, with easily enough room for three adults to sit across the back, and ample headroom even with the enormous panoramic sunroof (VW’s largest ever) installed.
As with the smaller Tiguan, these rear seats slide fore and aft (by 160mm) and have adjustable backrests, all allowing you to trade some rear legroom for additional boot space. Mind you, it’s hard to see why you’d ever need it, for the 810 litres on offer makes light work of even the largest of loads.
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So to that dashboard. The idea, as is increasingly the case these days, is that you turn the facia into one functioning screen, although in reality you can see where instrument binnacle meets touchscreen. Speaking of reality, another fact many Touareg owners will need to face is that neither the big screen or the digital dials come as standard on the entry-level model.
You will though still benefit from a level of interior quality that surpasses any other VW to date. The leather is smooth and soft, the plastics chunky and the seats are simply superb, while at night the ambient lighting emits a gentle glow. That the Touareg does all of this without any of the bling so often associated with these enormous SUVs is to VW’s credit.
As for that infotainment screen (dubbed Discover Premium), it’s impressive to note that despite being so vast it still appears properly integrated, and has a menu layout that organises the main functions in a way that’s easy to use on the move. Central to this is a three-tile home screen that takes you back to the most oft-used functions at the press of a button, while around this there’s so much space to play with that the shortcuts for the heating, smartphone connectivity and audio are all of a decent size.
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Additionally VW’s 12-inch digital dials can display a full satnav map as well as the usual trip computer, audio controls and so on, leading to an almost endless range of possible configurations. Thankfully VW allows drivers to create user profiles so those who share their Touareg aren’t forever having to reload their favourite screen layouts. Long story short, it’s a really impressive system.
All this work would be for nothing if the Touareg was a dog’s dinner to drive, but that is far from the case. The caveat here is that we’ve so far only tried the car on the optional (£2,370) air suspension with rear axle steering, but thus equipped VW’s flagship rides with a supreme level of composure and feels rock solid in terms of stability. As is the norm these days there’s a full range of driving modes that encompasses the usual comfort and sport, as well as eco, off-road and an individual mode in which you can change individual features to suit your needs.
That’s all very well, but to be honest the Touareg is at its best if you just leave everything in the default normal setting. Obviously as a two-tonne SUV it’s not sporty (for that try a Porsche Cayenne), but because it has active anti-roll bars nor does it ever pitch or wallow.
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The 3.0-litre V6 diesel is muscular too, putting out 282bhp and 442lb ft of torque from 2,250rpm, allowing for a 0-62mph time of 6.2 seconds. Put your foot down and the Touareg really does fly, and the engine is pretty well (if not perfectly) matched to the eight-speed automatic gearbox. In terms of fuel economy the Touareg will do more than 40mpg on a motorway run, or around 37mpg if you also throw in slower roads and a bit of congestion, both of which are entirely respectable for a car of this size and power.
What we haven’t done is try the car off-road. However, with permanent four-wheel drive, a locking centre differential, off-road driving assistance programmes and a wading depth of up to 580mm (if you have the air suspension) it’s unlikely to be caught out. If you want to tow meanwhile the Touareg can handle up to 3.5 tonnes of braked trailer weight, and will even take the stress out of reversing thanks to a trailer assist programme that takes over the steering.
As VW’s flagship there’s obviously the full range of active safety systems, although the car stops short of being fully driverless. New for VW are the options of night vision, which uses an infrared camera to help detect people or animals near the road, and front cross traffic assist, which monitors traffic coming from either side as you pull out of a junction or parking space, and can automatically apply the brakes in an attempt to avoid an impact.
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Then there’s the IQ Light matrix headlights, which use 128 LEDs per headlight to offer optimum visibility at all times. The idea is that the system will only illuminate the road ahead in a way that doesn’t dazzle other traffic (it can mask out more than one car at a time), as well as highlighting objects at the side of the road you might not otherwise notice. It’s clever stuff, but whether you’d want to pay £1,420 for it is debatable.
Mind you, with Touareg prices starting at £51,595 (and set to become more affordable still when other engines join the range later this year) you can afford to add a few optional extras without things getting out of hand – by the standards of large, luxurious SUVs at least. Similarly VW’s PCP deals are looking pretty strong thanks to a current £3,000 deposit contribution and monthly payments of £499.
Volkswagen really does think it’s got a class leader on its hands here. If you value comfort and technology over a sporty drive or the bragging rights of a posh badge, you might just agree.
THE FACTS
Volkswagen Touareg R-Line Tech
TESTED 2,967cc V6 diesel, eight-speed automatic gearbox, all-wheel drive
PRICE/ON SALE From £51,595, as test £72,975/now
POWER TORQUE 282bhp @ 3,500-4,000rpm/442lb ft @ 2,250-3,250rpm
ACCELERATION 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds
TOP SPEED 146mph
FUEL ECONOMY 36.7mpg/42.8mpg (EU Urban/Combined). On test 37.2mpg.
CO2 EMISSIONS 173g/km
VED £1,240 first year, then £450 per year for five years, then £140 per year
VERDICT Volkswagen set out to make the Touareg its most sophisticated and technically advanced car yet, and has delivered with conviction. Smooth and powerful to drive, luxuriously refined and with a standout interior, the Touareg has a wow factor that could see it stealing sales from theoretically more upmarket rivals.
TELEGRAPH RATING Four out of five stars
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*Lease price from list price shown in the article is correct as of 20/09/2018 and are based on 9months initial payment upfront. Prices exclude VAT and are subject to change. Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply.