First Drive: VW’s new Touareg is a technological tour de force and a deserving flagship

What is it?

In the world of Volkswagen Group SUVs, the Touareg is actually the budget-friendly baby sibling. Its sister cars include – in ascending order – the Audi Q7, the Porsche Cayenne, the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga. That’s quite the family reputation to uphold.

As the cheapest member of the group, the Touareg has stiff competition from cars such as the Land Rover Discovery. But its premium leanings bring it into the running as a rival to upmarket cars such as the BMW X5 or even its Audi Q7 sibling.

What’s new?

The Touareg now sits on the same MLB Evo platform as its upmarket siblings, which brings a number of benefits for ride and handling, not to mention the cost saving in using a single, scalable platform for each car. It’s also significantly lighter than the outgoing model.

The cockpit is where the Touareg’s new tech really shines, as it’s the first VW Group car to use the firm’s new ‘InnoVision’ dashboard. This merges the Virtual Cockpit digital dials virtually seamlessly into a massive, 15-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

What’s under the bonnet?

Though there’s likely to be more options coming – including a plug-in hybrid powertrain – from launch, buyers will more than likely choose the engine we have here. It’s a 3.0-litre V6 diesel unit producing 282bhp and a juicy 600Nm of torque. It’s mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, with power sent through all four wheels. That translates to 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds with a top speed of 148mph possible.

Despite the weight-saving, the Touareg is still a big, bulky, heavy vehicle, so that torque is appreciated. Pace certainly isn’t in abundance, but the Touareg will be plenty fast enough for most buyers.

Push the car hard and the engine’s throaty note is surprisingly pleasant to listen to – but this is a car best enjoyed at a more smooth and sedate pace. We suspect the ‘Sport’ mode switches will gather dust under most owners.

As for efficiency, Volkswagen claims 40.9mpg on the combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 182g/km.

What’s it like to drive?

The Touareg never strays far from total predictability in the handling stakes, which is what most owners will expect and demand. There’s a sense that the huge number of electronic suspension and steering aids under the skin could drive the car themselves – the end result is very good cornering ability with a total absence of road feel.
The Touareg can be offered with four-wheel steering, which improves agility around town and stability at high speeds.
Occupants are isolated from the outside world by ample sound insulation and, on our cars at least, air suspension, which kept proceedings supremely comfortable without wallowing around too much. We’ll have to try a car with the standard springs on dappled British tarmac to see if the rest of the range performs so admirably, though.

How does it look?

This generation of Touareg has grown significantly in length and width but lost a few mm in height. The result looks planted on the road with less of an off-road focus than its predecessors.

Up front, there’s a bold and upright chromed grille flanked by sophisticated LED headlamps lending a precise feel to the nose. VW says the car’s silhouette is reminiscent of ‘a stretched sail blown by a tailwind’ – which we’re not too sure about. However, it’s handsome enough, with the body creases that characterise a modern VW.

There’s less to say about the rear of the car, though the fake tailpipes are painfully obvious — but a simple tailgate and smart LED lights do soften the blow. Though the car’s available in the usual black as well as deep red, blue and green shades, the lighter hues show off the details better.

What’s it like inside?

Volkswagen’s hard work is best seen in the interior, which is dominated by the brand’s ‘InnoVision’ cockpit. It melds the trademark ‘Virtual Cockpit’ with a 15-inch touchscreen infotainment display. The two give the illusion of being one giant screen across the whole car.

On the whole, it works very well, though owners will need to spend several hours familiarising themselves with all of the display’s functions before attempting to use them on the move. Some physical controls for the ventilation would be a nice addition, too.

The cabin’s roomy but only seats five, unlike the Audi Q7 and Land Rover Discovery which both offer seven seats. Depending on trim it can also be a little drab, too.

What’s the spec like?

UK specs have yet to be finalised but you can expect the Touareg to come with all of the basics for its £49,000 starting price. Key tech – such as the air suspension, four-wheel steering, InnoVision cockpit and excellent Dynaudio sound system are likely to be optional extras, though, or require a step up from base trim.

Stylish R-Line trim brings some glitz to the show – it’s the only trim that’s offered on the outgoing model, and is likely to be a popular choice among UK buyers.

Verdict

The biggest difficulty with the Volkswagen Touareg is justifying it against its own siblings, especially the brilliant Audi Q7 which is only a whisker more expensive in base trim. We’ll have to wait for final specs and pricing, as well as finance packages to make a judgement on that.
Taken in isolation, though, the new Touareg is a very convincing premium SUV and one that melds class-leading interior tech with good manners on road. It’s smart to look at, comfortable to ride in and showcases the best that VW has to offer.