2011 VW Touareg: Long-term test

I'm usually hopelessly lost within minutes whenever I set off to go anywhere. And if I'm not, it means I haven't bothered to begin my journey at all and I'm still sitting on the sofa probably watching Smokey and the Bandit. So, last week, when I had to drive to Al Ain, I was understandably a little worried.

I'm not talking about the single, straight Dubai-Al Ain road, no. Once in Al Ain, I would have to negotiate a thousand roundabouts to reach my destination, the Al Ain Rotana Hotel. Fortunately, I was in our long-term VW Touareg and thanks to its superb satellite navigation, I made it without any hassle, on time, and as fresh as a daisy.

Using the 6.5in touch screen, I programmed the address into the sat-nav and up popped a prompt in my multifunction display in the dash telling me that it was calculating the quickest route. It did this in a matter of seconds, highlighting the direction I ought to take with a 3D view of all the major landmarks. It also gave me an estimated time of arrival. Suitably impressed, I selected D and set off.

It only took a couple of metres to realise just how comfortable the ride was going to be. I was parked on a sandy lot and as I crawled out, I could hardly feel a bump. When I hit the tarmac, the Touareg felt silky smooth.

It seemingly hovers over most road surfaces, no matter how bad they are. And with a steering wheel which is deliciously slick at each turn, you actually look forward to speeding up into a corner. Too fast and you will notice some body roll.

So, you get a smooth ride, great seats (Sony and Dejan may argue otherwise) if you're under six-foot tall and perhaps best of all, a user-friendly interface which controls functions such as the temperature, media and sat-nav to name a few. I hooked up my phone via Bluetooth and was making calls to everyone I knew and was amazed at the life-like voices through the 12-speaker, 620-watt Dynaudio system.

The big 3.6-litre V6 feels like it's hardly trying as it glides along as steady as a rock at 120kph. With 280bhp and 360Nm of torque, it has plenty of guts for the daily school run and then some for your off-road adventures at the weekend. It also features a new eight-speed automatic and 4motion permanent all-wheel drive.

In the dark, it lights the way with its powerful bi-xenon headlamps with dynamic and static cornering, meaning these cleverly follow your steering movement, illuminating bends on turn in. The new LED daytime running lights give it a fresh new look but best of all are the low beams. They actually emit a longer beam of light when you drive faster. Now, that's smart.

Facts

Driven by Imran

Start mileage 3,325km

Recent cost Fuel

Average fuel economy 21-22mpg

Highs Excellent sat-nav, super smooth ride

Lows Space at the back has been compromised