Touring in the Volkswagen Touareg

1.697110-2113674111 — Image Credit: Supplied

VW's Touareg has long been a bit of an unsung hero, the intelligent choice of drivers who wanted genuine ability without the fancy price of a prestige badge. A variant of the same PL71 platform that gave us the Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7, the Touareg managed to combine many of the best features of both, but not the glamour. And just as the Cayenne and Q7 have been reworked, so now it is time for the VW version to test its mettle in the sands of the region.

This latest incarnation of the Touareg is the first to reach the Middle East, a road-biased version equipped with VW's full-time 4Motion drive system. There is another ‘Off-Road Pack' which provides a true low range option and locking diffs all round, but VW was confident enough of our test fleet's abilities to let us play in real desert sand. Was that confidence justified?

The one thing that let the previous version of the Touareg down was its weight — it was big, solid, heavy, not terribly exciting but very competent, a Teutonic mass that rather overwhelmed the modest V6 engine fitted. Most of all it felt a bit like driving a mountain. So it was with a considerable amount of trepidation that I pointed the new Touareg up a steep hill of soft sand out in the dunes near Ras Al Khaimah. But I was not going to get stuck, I had the pride of my entire gender at stake here. No pressure then.

"Keep the power on, keep the car straight and let the technology do its work," was the instruction from the experts. Which was exactly what it did. While the old Touareg felt like it would have simply tunnelled through the dune, the new one almost floated up, nimble as a mountain goat. It was no less impressive on the downhill slope, which as I went over the lip of the dune felt almost vertical but the Hill Descent Assist took over and we sailed down effortlessly. This is a car that gives you confidence, though it is a bit disconcerting taking your feet off the pedals and letting the technology take over.

Over the bumps it felt light, responsive and extremely stable, flying across washboard roads with hardly any complaints from the passengers, a very different experience from its leaden predecessor, which simply pounded the countryside flat into submission. In fact, the new Touareg was a revelation.

Despite the fact that it now does without the old low range transmission (a move which saves a substantial amount of weight), this version uses electronics to achieve pretty much the same result. It feels sure-footed even in soft sand and accomplishes that neat trick of floating over the surface rather than cutting down through it. Sure, you have to keep up the momentum and the V6 engine needs to be pushed hard sometimes, but under the conditions which we tested it, the new Touareg never felt compromised by its lack of low range. Even the standard steel suspension offered enough extension and compliance to cope with the roughest terrain we encountered. As I mentioned earlier, there's an optional ‘Off-Road Pack' which includes adjustable air suspension and reinstates the low range transmission, but these haven't made it to the Middle East yet. Just gives us another chance to go out and explore when it does.

The new Touareg is considerably lighter than the old one — 200kg lighter to be precise — which, combined with a more aerodynamic shape, makes it significantly more fuel efficient. And strangely, although it looks more compact, it's actually 41mm longer than the old model. In fact, it's bigger all round — it's now 4,795mm long, but at 1,709mm tall, nearly 17mm lower than before. Most of the increased length went into the wheelbase which is up 38mm to 2,893mm and the Touareg's width has also grown, by 12mm to 1,940mm. It's in the back that you most appreciate this increase in size. The interior itself is bright and spacious, beautifully finished and withvery luxurious materials. The front seats adjust almost infinitely and while they hold you firmly over the bumps, they are supportive but soft enough to feel comfortable over long distances. Butthe back seats were a revelation —legroom in the rear is increased by 41mm, which doesn't sound like a lot, but makes a world of difference — normally I would use every excuse in the book to avoid the back seat but here I would have been perfectly happy to stay there all day, if it wasn't for the fun to be had driving. This is realbusiness-class travel.

The dashboard, while loaded with technology, manages to be elegant and uncluttered and the technology itself is fairly intuitive — this from someone who never reads instruction manuals. We did manage to frustrate the sat nav to the point where it stopped talking to us but I suspect that was because we were driving on roads that it thought didn't exist. Despite its apparent early obsolescence (just how do you keep up-to-date with our ever-changing infrastructure?), the display was clear and navigation easy.

The rest of the interior has been thoroughly refreshed. Our test car was kitted out with leather and light wood, which was very beautiful, but I wonder how long those cream seatbelts would stay that way? Asking your passengers to wash their hands before boarding seems a little extreme.

Our car was fitted with VW's VR6 FSI engine, in this guise putting out 280bhp and a very useful 360Nm of torque. Amazingly, it also manages to be less thirsty, offering nearly 20 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency and at 23.76mpg, saving you a useful 2.5 litres for every 100km you travel. That also means a reduction of 60g of CO2 to reinforce your green credentials. Helping in this regard is the all neweight-speed automatic gearbox, a first in the SUV sector. The seventh and eighth gears are especially long to improve fuel efficiency and provide for very relaxed cruising indeed.

Like all modern VWs, the Toaureg likes to lunge for as high a gear as possible as quickly as it can, but there is a switchable Driving Mode controller that allows for more spirited response if you desire. The "Offroad driving programme", controlled via a two-position rotary switch, tunes the ABS, EDS and ASR for off-road duty, activates Hill Descent Assist and adjusts the shift points of the gearbox.

On the open road it is quiet and smooth and deceptively fast, sprinting to 100kph in a shade under eight seconds and running on to a (restricted) top speed of 228kph. Such is the ease with which it accelerates that using the cruise control is essential if you want to avoid speeding tickets. The cruise control itself is easy to use and effective and has all sorts of clever tricks up its sleeve to make driving safer: Adaptive Cruise Control managesa safe distance to traffic ahead and cannot only accelerate but also brake to a stop in an emergency. The space in front of the vehicle is monitored by two radar sensors and when a slower vehicle appears in the Touareg's driving lane, the system automatically brakes to maintain a safe distance ahead. The way many people drive around here, I think all cars should be fitted with this.

The adaptive cruise control system even works in traffic jams, closing the gap to the car in front automatically and following on at a safe distance as the traffic moves forward. You could almost drive this car in traffic with your eyes closed. The Lane Assist programme warns you if you make unexpected lane changes without indicating — again, this should be fitted as standard on all cars here.

All this technology is fantastic but I do wonder if it takes responsibility awayfrom the driver and all the beeps and warning signals could get a bit wearing after a while, to the point where you might be tempted to ignore them. Or maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

My only major criticism is there is a huge blind spot behind the driver's shoulder. I know the technology takes care of this; there are cameras that show you every angle of the car, but relying on technology to compensate for this is a little risky.

That aside, I'd put the new Touareg on my shopping list any day.

Off-road antics

The Touareg has lost its 4XMotion permanent four-wheel drive system, and Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive system is now standard on all models. While that means the Touareg weighs less and is more nimble, it also means the VW is no longer an all-out off-roader. Though VW hasn't yet confirmed it, the Touareg will offer a Terrain Tech package that will allow it to conquer the rough stuff.

Fully loaded

There's plenty of technology to keep you interested in the new Touareg.

The highlights include an electronic parking brake, electronic engine oil level display, a stop-start button on the keyless entry model and a key that can be turned either right or left to start the car on all models, an electronic height programmable tail gate, ambience lighting, four Area View cameras that provide a 360-degree view around the car, a panoramic sunroof, park distance control and bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. Phew...

Specs & rating