Nomadic people living in the Sahara desert, the Touareg are a tribe

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Nomadic people living in the Sahara desert, the Touareg are a tribe characterised by their quest for
freedom. With over 500,000 units sold throughout the world since 2002, the Touareg is one of the pioneers in the SUV segment.
Since then, the market has become highly competitive and the fine German 4x4 has slightly lost the
edge in recent years, in the face of its ultra-modern competitors. So Volkswagen has got on the case,
and made sure it pulls its weight again in this field. On the agenda: weight loss, improved equipment
and reduced fuel consumption.
In fact, correcting its imperfections....
Presentation
At the launch of the preceding model, the
Volkswagen Group offered two versions of
its SUV based on the same chassis, the Volkswagen Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne.
Both have just been given a facelift and were
presented at the last Geneva Show. Diplomatic World has the privilege of presenting the
Touareg in the V8 TDI version, which replaces
the V10 TDI of the previous generation.
The face may have been refined, but the
silhouette is still sober and distinguished. The
Touareg remains clearly identifiable. 41 mm
longer, 12 mm wider and 17 mm lower, its
new proportions simply make life on board
more comfortable. The general look reflects
the new Volkswagen house style, a combination of expressive dynamism and calculated
purposefulness. We think the new Touareg
is really better looking than its predecessor;
it looks more powerful, and sits firmly on its
haunches.
The cab is, as always, a model of quality:
the design of the dashboard is simple, with
no embellishments but designed for optimum
ergonomics. The materials used are excellent,
the finish and trim almost perfect, and - a
practical detail - the storage compartments
are huge and many. The main visible modifications lie in the slimmed-down centre console:
the air conditioning controls are more discreet,
the vents are spaced to the sides of the GPS
which itself is simplified, higher and larger.
The ergonomics have improved and the style
is less "tank-like". Less boring too, thanks to
the three-spoke steering wheel. The Touareg
spirit is still there, this car is made for all terrains!
Engine & Chassis
Beneath the bonnet, the W12, V10 TDI
and R5 have gone. The engine range is restricted to four blocks, revised and modified to
consume less: a V6 petrol 3.6 FSI with 280 HP,
two of the latest generation diesels in 3.0 L V6
or 4.2 L V8 - which we particularly liked - and
a hybrid version.
New this year to the Audi A8 (tested in this
issue of Diplomatic-World), it is the new V8 4.2 TDI with 340 HP which has the hard job
of replacing the powerful V10 TDI. With 9.1
litres / 100 km on average, this block is less
thirsty than its predecessor by 2.8 litres / 100
km despite its higher torque: 800 Nm! The
performance is simply incredible: 5.6 seconds
to get to 100 km/h. In the Audi A8, this engine
totally won us over; in the Touareg it's the
same…what torque! This diesel engine is perfectly adapted to modern needs: as quiet - not
to say inaudible - in town as on fast roads. At
130 km/h, the V8 TDI is only doing 1800 rpm!
A performance which could not be achieved
without the new automatic 8-speed Tiptronic
S gearbox. At speeds close to idle, you only
have to press the accelerator to change down,
gently and immediately, through one or more
gears.
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If the Touareg was already a comfort model
with its soft suspension, the new one is even
more so, with new seats with long bases. Available as standard on the V8 TDI, the pneumatic
suspension is also more effective. It is impressive to see the Touareg corner without rolling,
and steer without pitching when sport mode is
activated.
On the road
We have to say that twinned to the diesel
4.2 L V8, we particularly liked the new Volkswagen Touareg with its virile looks. Although our
escapades off the beaten track were not that
adventurous, I'd say that the few times we had
to cross rough ground, we were literally carried
away by the feeling of power and invulnerability.
On the open road, the driving comfort is close
to that of the best saloons on the market, and
allows long distance cruising without fatigue.
This Touareg is offering its quest for freedom,
it's up to you to take it!
From the very first moment behind the
wheel, we noted straight away how brilliantly it
sticks to the road. Of course the huge tyres, size
275/40R20, fitted to our test vehicle gave us a
large area of rubber which constantly gripped
the tarmac. Not surprising either that on tight
corners, the Touareg succeeded where several
others in the category would have had no
choice but to slow down. So driving pleasure is
always part of the mix, despite weighing 2406
kg…. Almost imperceptible with such power
below your right foot!
Conclusion
In the difficult context of luxury SUVs, Volkswagen has succeeded in steering the Touareg in
the right direction. A real alternative to a prestige saloon, below its less typical 4x4 body it
offers driving performance at the highest level.
The comfort and damping provided by the pneumatic suspension are also excellent. With its
choice of transmissions, the innumerable hightech equipment and active and passive safety to
the highest level, the Touareg has an exemplary
production quality combined with ecological
virtues. This test confirms that never before has
the Touareg come so close to the performance
of a top-range saloon, with the comfort of a
raised driving position on top. More comfortable, better driving, more sober - it has superbly
reinforced its status as a multipurpose SUV.
Info : www.vw.be
Thanks to Philippe Somers
(D’Ieteren Press)