Volkswagen Touareg 2019 Long-term Test #2

Headline numbers and tangible ratings might be the figures prospective family buyers look at when cross-shopping SUVs, but in the ownership stakes, it is often the 1 per cent touches that can seal the deal.

A case in point? Our long-term Volkswagen Touareg. Sure, it has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, a frugal (and largely achievable) 7.4L/100km consumption average and a stump-pulling 600Nm torque figure.

But six weeks into our own ‘ownership’ journey with EBN-70T, it’s the small things that truly enamour.

As a family chariot, for example: the retractable rear sun blinds that promote resting eyes; the assortment of USB points front and rear; keyless entry on all four doors along with a tailgate that opens with a swipe of the foot. There’s also the fact you can simply block out sun concurrently from the front and the side with dual sun visors up front; you won’t spot that one in the sales brochure, but it’s a pleasing feature.

In the second update in our long-term series, we concentrate on the car’s long-range potential and family amenity with a good ol’ fashioned road trip. Sydney to Ulladulla, on the NSW South Coast, the back way.

The Touareg has been on sale in Australia since mid 2019, available in a sole, highly specced Launch Edition variant that will be joined by more affordable siblings from November.

The role of a Launch Edition is to typically woo prospective buyers with a burger-with-the-lot treatment, attracting cashed-up early adopters (in this case, those willing to shell out $90K), followed by a wave of prospectives eager to jump on more value-centric variants.

The Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition certainly makes a statement on paper and in the flesh, fitted with the kind of equipment that challenges the established luxury players for value. In practice, the Touareg has proven it has the on-road execution to best the likes of the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, too, winning our recent comparison test.

The car’s chrome-laden exterior, replete with sharp character lines, 20-inch wheels and a sporty profile, is matched internally by arguably Volkswagen’s most convincing interior yet – an airy and spacious layout that is as much about technology and safety as it is fulfilling the role of dutiful family chariot.

Initially, we were taken by the striking ambient lighting, that show-stopping 15.0-inch centre display and digital instrument cluster (part of an optional $8000 Innovision Package) and the comfortable, massaging front seats.

Closer inspection in the ensuing weeks has shown form follows function; even with a dearth of traditional hard-wired buttons, the respective menus and sub-menus within the giant screen are user-friendly and easy to access. Similarly, the different tech and driver assist functions are easy to activate and tailor to your preferences.

The wear-and-tear test that is built into living a car reveals the Volkswagen Touareg is well put together, too. A few thousand kays in, there are no emerging squeaks and rattles, the leather and contact points are wearing well, and the cabin fitout has eked no nasty surprises.

A road trip is nothing without a game of luggage Tetris, and thankfully the Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition’s cavernous boot area spares me the deflating task of asking the better half for help (she’s a much more skilled and patient Tetris player than I).

Measuring about a metre long and 1.2m wide, the boot is easily accessed via a large rear aperture, a process that is streamlined with the option to lower the car’s loading height via air suspension via a button at the rear. The boot is bolstered by a luggage blind that keeps objects from prying eyes, too. Not that the blind will be getting used with the rear space loaded to the hilt.

Another thing to keep in mind with your Touareg loaded with luggage… Don’t unknowingly activate the rear tailgate by accident.

Like many modern SUVs, the Touareg’s automatic rear tailgate can be activated hands-free with a simple swipe of the foot underneath the back of the vehicle. The system is a largely fool-proof one, though it must be said, there have been multiple occasions when the Touareg is backed up close to the garage door at home and I’ve unknowingly triggered the tail gate to lift just by walking past with the key fob in my pocket.

It’s clearly a first-world problem, though it usually elevates the heart rate with the garage door in such close proximity.

The family-friendly theme permeates the Volkswagen Touareg’s second row, too. Space is generous, in terms of head room, shoulder room and knee room. Second row occupants have access to air vents – par for the course at this end of the market – though the Touareg extends itself by offering temperature control, fan speed and the ability to apportion air to the face, body or legs.

Tech-savvy rear passengers can access two rear USB ports that cleverly fold out of the rear of the centre console, along with a USB outlet. There are also big door pockets, and a flip down armrest with two additional cup holders. All very sensible and polished.

Furthermore, 82 per cent tint (along with those aforementioned blinds) make the Touareg an excellent touring buddy for rear seaters. Couple this with the fact the outlook from the second row is perched, affording a clear view of surroundings for little and large alike, and those aforementioned rear sun shades, and it makes a compelling statement.

The only real gripe in terms of rear packaging is the rear seat doesn’t fold completely flat, but that’s about the extent of it.

There’s no two ways about it, the Touareg is built for touring. Be it typically dull (and obsessively speed-enforced) Australian freeways, or winding mountain roads, the big VW handles it all with aplomb, mitigating its big footprint and size with nimble dynamics and excellent real-world efficiency.

Our adventure begins on Sydney’s M5, where the stop-start nature of the traffic is made less painful by the torquey V6 turbo-diesel engine, which doesn’t necessitate the same constant downshifting as a smaller displacement donk.

The traffic thins as we venture further south, and with the Drive mode select dial set to Eco, the Touareg chews through the kilometres, the engine ticking over barely above idle speed doing 110km/h.

The lane guidance system is a little overt at times. However, it does play an important role on longer journeys, minimising fatigue.

Then, we take a turn for the first of two mountain descents, around the Kangaroo Valley area, and the second strength of the Touareg’s driving experience comes to the fore – that of a corner carver.

Now, granted, the big five-seat SUV lacks the agility of a Golf GTI, but its key controls bear similar feel and feedback which instills confidence. The electronic parameters on our test example are nicely honed too, with no unwanted stability control interference but a stable hand in the background should anything go awry.

Riding that fine line between spirited driving and keeping my passengers sound and not sick is complemented by a smooth ride on B-grade roads and minimal road noise – both remarkable given the fitment of 20-inch alloys.

The engine and gearbox are again a major talking point, too, providing torque and power at all times with minimal hesitation – all accompanied by an audibly brute six-cylinder soundtrack.

Withstanding two mountain descents and a boot full of luggage, the Touareg – now with 4000km on the clock – returned a respectable fuel economy average of 8.0L/100km on our trip.

We arrived on the South Coast feeling fresh, despite the circa three-hour journey. The foundations here are strong, but as ever, it’s the 1 per cent touches that really set VW’s new SUV apart.

In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for regular reports on the Touareg’s infotainment, safety and technology, and a closer inspection on servicing costs, resale values and aftersales care.

How much does the 2019 Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition TDI190 cost?
Price: $89,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 190kW/600Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 7.4L/100km (ADR Combined), 8.0L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 194g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (2019)