Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition 2019 Review

The new third-generation Volkswagen Touareg large SUV has been a long time coming – almost nine years. But like the new Queen rock band movie Bohemian Rhapsody, it's a crowd-pleaser.

Challenging to wrap your tongue around, yes, but the all-singing, all-dancing new V6 TDI Touareg delivers on its promise of more safety, more technology, more refinement, more performance and above all, more luxury.

Plonking down into the driver’s seat of the fully-loaded Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition ($89,990) feels more like hopping into one of its more exulted rivals – such as the BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Savona leather (eclipsing Nappa leather for suppleness according to Volkswagen) covers the seats, which themselves feature cooling and heating and a number of massage options for the front pews.

Indeed, there are 10 massage options, regulating 10 pneumatic prodders with up to six centimetres of extension that can poke into your back and shoulders. Suffice it to say, this is one of the best massage systems yet and makes journeys rather soothing.

Other standard features that make life easier include a very large wireless phone charge mat, four USB ports (two up front, two flip out ports in the back) and a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

A pair of impressive IQ light matrix LED cluster headlights fitted as standard can automatically dip the high beams to avoid dazzling other road users. Comprised of 128 LED each side, the fancy headlights are very good at lighting up the road at night and were an real advantage in Tasmania for spotting pademelons. The headlights are so smart they even dial back the lumens to eliminate reflection dazzle from signs at night.

I also like the progressive strobing indicators too. If that's not a sign you've made it, I don't know what is!

The Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition’s keyless entry and push-button engine start makes beginning and ending journeys hassle-free, while power-operated everything (seats, mirrors, steering column), automatic wipers and headlights operation, traffic jam assisted driving, adaptive cruise control and semi-autonomous steering (aka adaptive lane guidance) are also part of the package which makes your drive time easier.

There's dual-zone climate control (technically quad-zone) for front and rear passengers with four vents in the rear. Built-in sun blinds are also welcome additions. The back seats are pretty swish and very roomy, plus there's two ISOFIX and three top tether rear seat child seat anchorage points.

Hooking up the top-tether of a child seat was a bit fiddled working around (removing) the heavy rear cargo cover. Is this an issue? You make your mind up – we’d suggest this new Volkswagen Touraeg is probably going to entice more cashed-up grey nomads than family buyers.

But I must say, the car is unbelievably quiet on the road, which is great when you've got a sleeping baby! Tyre noise? Nope. Wind noise? None. Engine noise? Nada.

An electric tailgate with a kick-to-open gesture (that actually works!) is a nice touch for the decent-sized (614 litres) boot, as is air suspension-enabled adjustable boot height. Just hit the up or down buttons in the boot and voila!

The air suspension system is open now, not nitrogen-filled, which should mean it’s cheaper to fix if/when it goes 'twang'.

The Volkswagen SUV's boot has twin easy-release catches to flip the rear seats down (why don’t all big SUVs!). The space offered is up 1800 litres or, if that sounds baffling, can fit a 1.9 metre-long object in there. The boot also has a pair of flip out bag hooks that cater for the three centimetre thick handles, such as reusable green/yellow/pick-your-colour bags.

There's a space-saver spare wheel in the boot which is standard for a European luxury car this calibre, but still disappointing given the Touareg’s all-road bent.

The Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition’s headline option pack is a duesey.

Dubbed the Innovision Package ($8000), it adds one of the world's biggest auto touchscreen displays, a colossal 15-inch curved mega panel that blends in to a 12.3-inch active info display (read: virtual cockpit).

Angled towards the driver, the big 15-inch screen is almost worth the extra cash splash. It's so big and so clear you can almost hear the Tesla Model X owners cursing.

Interestingly, the gorgeous set-up does have a couple of drawbacks. For one, Apple CarPlay doesn't fill up the entire screen (a limitation of Apple software, we'd wager) and there's no 'hard' heating or cooling buttons.

You've often got to drill down through the menu system a level or two to activate functions that could easily be a button press. That said, you can peg certain functions to the main screen via the custom icon system.

The option pack in this Volkswagen costs about the same as a second-hand Polo and includes a very effective windscreen-projected head-up display, illuminated stainless steel door sill scuff plates, ambient interior LEDs with 30 different colours and a gesture control system that is a (time-consuming) party trick at best.

While I'm griping, the storage cubby underneath the front arm rest is a bit small too.

Aussie customers have access to one other option, a panoramic electric glass sunroof ($3000) which wasn't available on this test.

Expect to see an R-Line option pack at some stage down the track and there's also talk of a Touareg V8 TDI R-Line.

Very quietly and very confidently is how the new third-generation Volkswagen Touareg drives, which isn't surprising when one considers its genetic background.

The new Touareg shares its platform architecture with the Audi A7, Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga and even the Lamborghini Urus. It's a fair stretch to say this car is a Lambo with a VW badge but there's no denying this car has very good driving dynamics.

Riding on 20-inch alloy wheels fitted with big 285/45 R20 tyres, the 2019 Touareg Launch Edition is not short on grip.

The highlight of the drivetrain is an all-wheel drive system dubbed 4MOTION Active Control that can shove torque between the front and rear axles across ratios from 70:30 to 20:80 respectively.

On dry roads the Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition scythes through corners as if it was the size of a Tiguan. Fitted with modified MacPherson strut front suspension and five-link independent rear, backed up with height-adjustable air suspension and adaptive shock absorbers, the German SUV holds a clean line through corners.

It's a fun car to drive in a spirited fashion.

The constantly adjustable suspension keeps the SUV's attitude flat through corners by effectively reducing body roll. Despite its 4.87 metre length and 1.98m width, the new car is now 120kg lighter thanks to the extensive use of aluminium. It is claimed the new Touareg has the highest aluminium composition of any VW to date, with almost half (48 per cent) its metal parts made of aluminium now.

Big anchors give the 2086kg (tare mass) Volkswagen plenty of stopping power. There are 350mm front discs and 330mm rear discs worked over by six- and single-piston calipers respectively.

The electromechanical steering is devoid of any meaningful feel or feedback but a turning circle of 11 metres and a lightness to the wheel makes slow speed turning and car parking very easy.

More impressive than its dynamic ability is the Touareg's ride quality. It's almost feels like the Rolls-Royce of SUVs. Oh wait, that's the Cullinan…

But seriously, the way it irons out bumps in the road is, to quote my hastily scribbled notes: “Incredible. Astonishing”.

There's a number of drive modes that can be accessed via a rotary dial and comfort mode is very cushy. On a rutted, corrugated, dirt road covered in water, mud and snow (and more pot holes than 10th Avenue in New York City in Spring) and it just glides over the bumps.

Snow mode works well on snow too! We experienced a fair bit of pow-pow in Tasmania during the launch. On a completely snow-covered dirt track the new Touareg had no issues whatsoever, always finding traction.

The new V6 TDI-engined Touareg isolates passengers not only from physical intrusions but acoustic one as well. It's very quiet on the freeway, even at high speed on coarse chip road surfaces and as mentioned earlier wind, tyre and engine noise are barely notice. To say conversation flows easily is an understatement.

The advanced semi-autonomous driving aids are pretty spiffy, with lane assist and adaptive cruise control making freeway driving a doddle. The semi-auto steering system doesn’t wrench the wheel out of your hands and even worked with snow lining the road verge.

It's true that the 2019 Touareg has the same EA897 turbo-diesel TDI 3.0-litre V6 as the Amarok ute but with different throttle mapping (and better acoustic insulation) it generates more torque and feels more refined.

A maximum 190kW of power and 600Nm of torque pumps through an eight-speed ZF transmission which has different gear ratios to the Amarok as well.

Newer, more efficient Volkswagen V6 TDI engines will be available in around 12 months' time, from around mid-2020. These will be the 170TDI (170kW/500Nm) and 210TDI (210kW/600Nm) versions which are compliant with Euro 6 emissions regulation and will replace the current 190TDI unit which is only Euro 5.

This 190kW engine can be frugal when needs be. Hooked up to a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission that feels more sophisticated than the Amarok's gearbox, I averaged 7.9L/100km over around 1200km and four days driving in Tasmania. That involved lots of elevation change and is not far off the manufacturer's claimed fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km.

On flat freeways at 100km/h it'll sip fuel between 5.0-6.0L/100km in eighth gear but at the same token it can really hustle too. Volkswagen reckons it'll blast from 0-100km/h in 6.5sec (it feels more like 7.5sec) and with 600Nm of torque it can tow up to 3500kg with a towbar load limit of 280kg with two passengers and 130kg with five passengers.

We didn't get a chance to test its towing capability but this potent TDI machine shouldn't have too many issues. FYI: the neat push-button, power folding towing hitch for overseas markets will not be offered in Australia because it won't pass local safety requirements according to VW.

The new Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition is a well-resolved machine but there's a few concerns of which to be mindful.

For one: there's only four colour choices, Pure White, Silicone Grey, Deep Black and Reef Blue, and the latter three cost $2000 because they're metallic or pearl effect. Reef Blue is exclusive to the Touareg Launch Edition.

A space-saver spare will be annoying if you pop a tyre when loaded with people and gear and the lack of seven-seat option like the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE and even its twin-under-the-skin Audi Q7 is a missed opportunity.

If you're debating between Volvo XC90 and Volkswagen Touareg, it will depend what you're after and if it's seven seats, the former will be the pick.

This flagship Volkswagen SUV has gone up in price too. Although a $75,000 'entry-level' will arrive in later 2019, the drive-away price of this machine is above $100,000 when you factor in the fancy Innovision option ($8000) and the almost impossible to side-step fancy paint. That's well and truly executive-level coin.

It may not have the most sought-after German badge on its broad grille, but in terms of value for money – and compared to its German (and even sister-brand) rivals – the Touareg does a tip-top job. And it gets a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which brings more peace of mind than its three-year-warrantied competitors.

You may not be able to wrap your chompers around the name, but there's no denying this vehicle's engineering and luxury prowess.

Touareg has inherited a lot of characteristics from its upper-class siblings, which come close to justifying the higher price. But while the Launch Edition lacks for nothing and has a level of refinement that sets a new benchmark for the VW brand, I'd be tempted to wait and see what the entry-level $75K model brings to the table before splurging on it.

How much does the 2019 Volkswagen Touareg Launch Edition cost?
Price: $89,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 190kW/600Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 194g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP