Volkswagen Touareg 2010 Review - International

Volkswagen Touareg

What we liked
>> Sharper new styling
>> Lightened mass translates to greater agility, better economy
>> Spacious, high-quality cabin

Not so much
>> Terrain Tech package offered only in V6 TDI model
>> Not as nimble as BMW X5
>> Doesn't arrive here until 2011

Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

When you've managed to sell half a million examples of anything, chances are you've been doing something right. Case in point: Volkswagen's Touareg.

With the benefit of hindsight, it seems like a no-brainer -- build a spacious, versatile and well-engineered SUV and the buyers will come. Yet when VW launched the original Touareg in 2002, it was a sizeable leap of faith. Consider that until then the Wolfsburg-based carmaker had earned the bulk of its business by peddling Polos, Golfs and Passats. Of course, it also sold large volumes of light-commercials, but a luxo-oriented SUV was a whole new ballgame.

To help prop up the business case, the Touareg was based on a new platform also destined to underpin the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. The drivetrains and bodywork of the trio might differ markedly, but the core DNA is the same.

A quick glance at the second-generation Touareg -- which we lobbed into Florence to drive -- reveals Veedub hasn't wandered too far from a formula that's been clearly proven to work. Yes, the newbie has been lightened by more than 200kg and its styling is more lithe and athletic than before, but there's no mistaking it for anything other than a Touareg.

Volkswagen's PR folk are keen to push the eco-friendly credentials of the all-new SUV line-up, which for the first time includes a petrol-electric hybrid variant. However, this is largely a Europe/US-only proposition -- Volkswagen Group Australia has no plans to iffer it locally.

What we will get initially is a carryover 3.6-litre direct-injection V6, which in its latest guise gains regenerative braking and a stop-start function (which cuts the engine when the vehicle is stationary and restarts to drive off) to boost fuel efficiency.

The V6's outputs of 206kW and 360Nm are unchanged, and these are channelled to the wheels by a new eight-speed automatic transmission. To date, eight-speeders have been the preserve of ultra-premium sedans, so the Touareg can justifiably claim bragging rights over its SUV rivals.

The eight-speeder also aids fuel economy and VW claims the Touareg V6 FSI burns through a relatively frugal 9.9L/100km on the combined cycle -- a reduction of 2.5L/100km.

Also on the menu for Australia is a gutsy 3.0-litre TDI (turbodiesel) with 176kW and a stump-pulling 550Nm (on tap from 2000rpm). VW quotes a 7.8sec 0-100km/h split for this variant, so it's clearly no slouch. A brief drive of the oiler revealed as much.

Slashing more than 200kg from the vehicle -- despite the fact that the new model is 41mm longer and 12mm wider than the outgoing Touareg -- required an across-the-board lightening/pruning exercise. The weight of the bodyshell was cut by five per cent for starters, while the new double-wishbone suspension makes extensive use of aluminium, reducing unsprung weight by 32kg. The Touareg also features 'multi-layer' insulating materials (lighter yet better at muffling noise) and lightweight doors.

What isn't overly emphasised is the fact that (like the gen-two Porsche Cayenne with which it again shares basic underpinnings) the rugged transfer-case 4WD system of the outgoing Touareg has been substituted by a Torsen centre differential that weighs 20kg less.

This 'torque-on-demand' system sends 60 per cent of drive to the rear axle in normal conditions, but if wheelslip is detected, a greater helping of torque is sent to the axle with better traction. And if an individual wheel starts to spin it's reined in by braking action.

Now, this set-up is fine for tarmac and light-duty off-roading (read: gravel tracks), but if a serious all-terrainer is what you want, you'll need to specify the "Terrain Tech" package that brings with it 4XMOTION transfer case and extra ground clearance (by 10mm at the front and 15mm at the rear). Terrain Tech includes reduction gearing and centre and rear differentials, each with up to 100 percent locking. Proper hardcore stuff, in other words.

The snag is that Terrain Tech is offered only on the V6 TDI model, which seems a curiously limiting decision by Volkswagen's product planners. It essentially means petrol variants can't fulfil the role of genuine sand-blaster/mud-raker, which was an asset that differentiated the original Touareg from crossovers such as the BMW X5, Volvo XC90 and Lexus RX350.

Be that as it may, we drove primarily the V6 FSI and Hybrid variants at the launch, where the drive route comprised a mix of freeway cruising and Italian country roads.

The added stability resulting from wider front and rear tracks and lower overall height vis-à-vis its predecessor is noticeable, and so is a greater sense of agility -- not all that surprising when you consider the weight that's been pulled out of the vehicle. Be clear though, that this is no BMW X5 when it comes to the twisty stuff.

The BeeEm is still the dynamic benchmark when it comes to large SUVS, but the new Porsche Cayenne may have something to say about that.

A couple of the vehicles we drove at the launch were equipped with the optional air suspension, which lowers ride height by 25mm in 'Sport' mode. The air suspension can be supplemented by sports-oriented 'Adaptive Ride Control', which uses computer sensors to monitor body movement and individually control the dampers to quell body roll and pitch under braking.

There's little to complain about in terms of ride or refinement. The new Touareg is impressively quiet -- not much wind or road noise to speak of -- and it also soaks up road-surface irregularities as well as pretty much anything else in its class. It may not be as sporty as an X5/X6, but it handles more than adequately for an everyday SUV.

The air of refinement is enhanced by the cabin, which has a higher-quality feel than that of its predecessor, as well as being much more stylish and contemporary in its layout.

The modernity theme extends to the exterior, which is a successful evolution of the outgoing model. The familiar Touareg proportions are still there, but it now has a more squat, muscular look due to its widened stance and lower roofline.

It's actually a very clever piece of design, because the new model looks more compact than before, despite having grown in length and width. The face, which is adorned by the trademark VW logo, has adopted the sharper, cleaner design language pioneered by the new Polo and Golf.

Meanwhile, the derriere has a more tapered look to it, making the Touareg appear more station wagon than boxy SUV. A power-opening tailgate is optional (in Euro-spec at least), and it's operable via a button on the driver's door, another on the tailgate or via the key fob.

Dual halogens headlights are standard (bi-xenons are optional) and newly offered is a camera-based Dynamic Light Assist system that automatically adjusts the full beam (which remains permanently on) in order to not dazzle oncoming traffic.

We ventured out at night to try the system, and it's brilliant -- in more ways than one. The safety gear quota includes up to nine airbags and optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which automatically maintains a safe distance to the vehicle in front.

You can also specify a huge panoramic sunroof that's 350 per cent larger than a normal sunroof, yet VW says it doesn't compromise chassis rigidity.

The 660-litre cargo bay is 25 litres bigger than before, and it can extended to 1642 litres (72 litres more than the old Touareg) by folding down the rear seats, which, incidentally, can slide rearwards by up to 160mm and are equipped with adjustable backrests.

All in all, the new Touareg is a comprehensive and well-thought-out successor to its volume-selling forerunner. It's a competent and comfortable everyday proposition.

The potential black mark is the non-availability of the Terrain Tech package in anything other than the V6 diesel model. Given the strength of VW's diesel following Down Under, however, we don't think that will be too much of an issue.

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