Touareg facelift a safe bet

Someone sat down and counted all the parts that Volkswagen replaced to arrive at the new Touareg. The tally was over 2300 new parts before Gunter (or Jochen or whoever) spat the dummy and quit.

Looking at the new car, it's hard to believe that over 2300 new parts were incorporated in the design, but we will admit that the facelift helps the Touareg look substantially more modern than before.

Many of the Touareg's minor styling traits have been revised and some of these include new styles of alloy wheels, more aerodynamic mirrors, a roof spoiler at the rear and a new colour selection range.

The facelift coincides with an upgrade to the vehicle's specification that concentrates on dynamic safety systems, although the interior gets a look-in too.

ABSPlus is a development of a conventional anti-lock braking system and Volkswagen claims that the new system will improve dirt road braking by up to 20 per cent.

By building up a wave of gravel ahead of each tyre, the ABSPlus can stop the Touareg faster, without detriment to the steering or stability of the vehicle.

ABSPlus is probably the most significant change to the Touareg's safety systems, but the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) has been overhauled also.

'Braking Assistant' applies heavier braking effort if the system detects a rapid but light (feathering) stab of the brake pedal. For the 2007 Touareg, the Brake Assistant is now a hydraulically-actuated system, not pneumatic.

'Fading Brake Support' applies heavier braking if the system detects brake fade. This is a new feature in the upgraded Touareg.

Other new safety features include 'ESP dry braking function', 'Active Rollover Protection' and 'Understeer Control Logic'.

The dry braking function intermittently applies light brake pad pressure to the disc rotors to wipe away moisture build-up during wet weather driving. This system works without the driver being aware it's happening and keeps the braking system at its optimum operating capability at all times.

Roll-over sensors detect when the vehicle is in imminent danger of rolling and send data to the airbag control module, which tightens seat belts and activates head airbags at the appropriate moment.

Understeer control logic applies when the vehicle is starting to understeer (lose front-wheel grip) beyond a certain threshold. The system is an enhancement of ESP and acts through the ABS to balance the car's handling by adjusting each wheel's brakes, independently of the others.

Internally, the upgraded Touareg is offered with the option of a premium 'Dynaudio' stereo system. A ten-channel amplifier pumps 600 Watts of power through ten speakers.

The multi-function display is new and features 3D satellite navigation maps on screen. Visual cues for the seats have been revised and the seats

New options include an electrically-operated tailgate and a rear-view camera.

We'll have more information for you on the Touareg in coming days.

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