Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI R-Line 2020 Review

Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi. And Volkswagen. It’s sibling rivalry akin to competing with a family full of lawyers, dentists and doctors, but in many ways, Volkswagen is a huge beneficiary in the broader Volkswagen Group umbrella.

Perhaps the best demonstration of that very platform, technology and engine sharing ethos is the third-generation Volkswagen Touareg that launched in 2019. Not only did it overcome established European brands in comparison tests, it has also found favour with long-standing luxury buyers.

Now, Volkswagen is hoping to elevate its luxury wares yet again with the Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI. The most expensive model in the German car-maker’s Australian line-up, the bustling diesel V8 is also poised to be the last of its generation as VW increasingly moves towards electrification.

In many ways, the Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI recalls last decade’s V10-powered Touareg R50 – the previous benchmark for Volkswagen performance and pricing.

The new V8 TDI’s 310kW/900Nm turbo-diesel V8 eclipses the R50’s output by a 52kW/50Nm, while also raising the pricing benchmark to a new ceiling of $136,490 (plus on-road costs).

For reference, that’s $28,000 more than the flagship 210 TDI R-Line also available in Australia, fit with a turbo-diesel V6 .

The Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI begins to gain traction with a cursory look at its performance credentials. It undercuts the twin-under-the-skin Audi SQ7 by nearly $25,000 and the Porsche Cayenne GTS by almost $60,000. The Bentley Bentayga? Let’s not even go there.

Better still, the Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI resembles a burger with the lot, packaging all the usual nominal optional equipment as standard.

Those items include VW’s Innovision Package – comprising a huge 15-inch centre screen, virtual cockpit digital instrument display, head-up display and ambient lighting with 30 configurable colours – as well as a Sound and Comfort package that bundles items including four-zone climate control, heated seats in the first and second rows, and more.

A new capacitive-touch steering wheel includes buttons that provide haptic feedback as well as a Travel Assist button to activate lane guidance and adaptive cruise control. A single touch on the tiller will let the car know the driver has taken back control.

Safety features standard across the entire Touareg range include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane assist with adaptive lane guidance, travel assist, park assist, driver fatigue warning, front/rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and rear cross traffic alert.

Exclusive to the V8 Touareg is Volkswagen’s IQ. DRIVE Night Vision Technology, which works with the Front Assist function when the headlights are on to notify the driver if a person or animal is detected ahead, depending on weather conditions.

Also fresh to the Touareg range is the aforementioned Travel Assist, which is said to allow for “partially automated driving across practically the whole speed range, from commuter traffic to freeway speeds”.

About the only obvious item missing from the V8 TDI’s standard features list is a digital radio.

The Touareg V8 TDI is backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. According to Volkswagen, the V8 TDI is offered with a three-year or five-year service plan priced at $1350 and $2500 respectively when purchased up front.

The V8 TDI has a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity and comes with a space-saver spare wheel.

Powered by a 310kW/900Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo diesel V8, making it Volkswagen’s most powerful production SUV, the first eight-cylinder version of the new Touareg is claimed to hit 100km/h from standstill in just 4.9 seconds.

Unlike the 320kW/900Nm Audi SQ7, the Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI foregoes an electric compressor and 48-volt electrical system. Yet it still claims a fuel consumption average of 7.5L/100km.

The EU6-compliant bent-eight employs two sequential turbochargers and, in PR speak, the “ability to switch the four-valve cylinder-heads to three valves at low revs”.

“Until 2200rpm the twin-turbo V8 diesel slides the camshaft to close one of the exhaust valves, so all of the gases are directed at one propeller wheel,” says VW. “This assistance results in spinning up the variable-geometry turbocharger and providing full power with exceptional smoothness and rapidity as it revs to 5000rpm.”

The engine is mated standard to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, and sends drive to all four wheels.

The Touareg V8 TDI rides on air suspension with adaptive dampening control, while its dynamic wares are underlined by four-wheel steering and electromechanical active roll stabilisation.

Engine aside, there is a decidedly upmarket theme to the Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI. Nowhere is this more pronounced than its svelte, sophisticated interior.

The five-seat cabin lends a true sense of occasion, softly lit by ambient hues, adorned in soft-touch premium materials and replete with excellent day-to-day storage.

Space is generous across the first and second rows, complemented by an 810-litre boot underslung by a space-saver spare wheel.

Not everyone will love the absence of third-row seats, however loading and unloading into the wide-aperture boot opening immediately strikes a chord – a trait facilitated by the ability to raise or lower the car via air suspension.

Elsewhere, the front chairs are supportive and comfortable on longer journeys while outward vision is strong irrespective of which row you’re sitting in.

Incidental storage is another obvious but nonetheless redeeming feature – with central cup holders worthy of a coffee keep-cup or servo-spec slurpee (it’s surprising how many vehicles aren’t) and cavernous door pockets with space for bottles and iPads.

It’s a similar story with the Touareg’s integrated rear sunshades and 82 per cent window tints.

The huge 15-inch centre screen is user-friendly in its operation, occasionally employing a two-stage menu approach that is easy enough to live with. Matched with the brilliant digital cockpit and new capacitive steering wheel, the screen is simple to navigate on the move and fairly intuitive.

Ever heard the old adage ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’? Well, from a refinement and ease-of-use point of view, it rings true with the Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI

Go-forward is simply effortless and accessible. Irrespective of speed, congestion or outside conditions, the V8 TDI plies its power with supreme smoothness and comfort, working in concert with the eight-speed automatic transmission for a seamless passage around town and up to highway speeds.

Against the existing V6 TDI, it feels like it’s in another league in terms of noise and vibration, but also its instantaneous torque.

The V8 is partial to headier pursuits as well, at which point it validates its 4.9sec 0-100km/h claim by finding peak torque from a lowly 1750rpm. From a performance standpoint, the engine’s natural cadence lies between 2000rpm and 3000rpm, but the reality is there is useable surge across the dial, with peak power found at 4250rpm.

The redeeming feature here is that of efficiency. Based on our initial test over a 500km loop, we reckon you’d have little trouble matching the V8 TDI’s official combined-cycle fuel claim of 7.5L/100km on the open road, which correlates with 1000km-plus mileage from a single tank.

The flagship Touareg engine’s performance credentials are matched by a capable chassis that yields both reliable response and comfort.

Over pitter-patter bumps the Touareg V8 310 TDI dispatches imperfections with minimal fuss, while larger hits are cosseted by air suspension to ensure the cabin feels refined at all times.

From a dynamic standpoint, the Touareg does an admirable job of masking its 2.3-tonne mass with accurate steering and surefooted body control through faster changes in direction.

These elements complement a general ease of use in daily conveyance, wrought by the Touareg’s open field of vision and myriad driver aids.

There’s little doubt the Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI thrusts Volkswagen’s large SUV into genuine luxury territory.

A lack of seven seats and the lofty premium over the existing V6 TDI are legitimate points, but they pale into comparison with the V8’s proven on-road ability and luxe-factor.

If rumours are true and this really is the end of the line for Volkswagen’s diesel V8, all we can say is whatever replaces it needs to be good.

How much does the 2020 Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI R-Line cost?
Price: $136,490 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo diesel
Output: 310kW/900Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 198g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)