Volkswagen Touareg | Test Drive
COLOSSAL
Words by Marco Mancino / Photos by Daniél Rikkard
I am going to take a seat behind the wheel of a car showing off one of the most impressive front-end of the entire catalogue and as I approach the driver’s door, the overall dimensions of the third generation Touareg do everything except proportionally decrease to the number of my steps. So I begin to wonder if I am not in some film inspired by the legendary “Honey, I shrunk the kids”. Reality is that the model introduced in 2018 is really huge and although it shares the chassis with relatives of the likes of Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus, it has no intention of sitting on the sidelines watching its brothers. To reiterate it, every time you look this direction, it is precisely that front grille which, thanks to its horizontal profiles that go from one side to the other, overlook the road in front of you. If you then opt for the more aggressive R-Line package, in addition to having a more lowered and stiffened set-up, the same grille, as well as the numerous other chrome finishes scattered throughout the car body, will be tinted in black, on one side showing how this SUV does not hide the desire to grind its teeth, on the other, remembering that you can even move on to the next step, the one that on a mechanical point of view but especially performance-wise transforms your Touareg into a grotesque adventure film that responds to the name of Touareg R, a gigantic 462 horsepower hybrid plug-in monster.
Today, however, we are grappling with a version that is more suitable for the real world, the intermediate step that is able to respond affirmatively to the most disparate needs, trying as much as possible to keep the final price within logical limits. If the new generation Touareg is in fact a completely new car, updated inside and out, the starting price for a 286 hp V6 diesel like this one of my test starts at € 67,200, but with some options you will soon arrive on the threshold of € 90,000 (for an R-Line with a similar engine, consider to pay something over € 100,000). Well, having said that I think it is right to take a step back and start again from the moment I jump on board and close the door, setting aside any reasoning and focusing only on the fundamental practical side.
Even holding the steering wheel in your hands, the perception of the generous shapes of the new Touareg remains unchanged, a width that touches 2 meters (1.98 cm) and a length of 4.88 cm ensure how much space on board will never be a problem, neither for the three rear occupants (there is also the option for 7 seats), nor as regards the luggage compartment, where moreover I point out the possibility of electronically lowering the cargo area, so as to facilitate the accommodation of heavy objects. Turning your eyes on the dashboard you are immediately struck by the immense touch display that occupies in no uncertain terms the central part of the same, a 15” almost as good as your laptop, quick and complete with any function and information, sometimes guilty for distracting the driver from the road ahead, since it also includes climate controls and requires user action to return to the navigation screen, for example, even after having activated a simple command such as that of the defroster. Exactly, its only flaw is that of being too protagonist in the coexistence with the Touareg. In front of the driver there is instead an entirely digital display, customizable according to preferences and which shows some of the main infotainment controls, such as navigation, radio, etc.
Time to drive, I give life to the 3.0-liter V6 and through the equally mammoth gear lever, I put it in “drive”. The Touareg moves as gracefully as a leaf, not caring about weighing 2,070 kg and having the size of an apartment, thus forcing you to take care, especially in city use and in the narrowest streets. After a few days, I admit that I have acquired that confidence that at first I would never have believed I would be able to establish with this VW giant, so much that we found ourselves spending and traveling kilometers of all kinds and in addition to noticing excellent fuel consumption declared in 6.9 l/100km, I also had the opportunity to prove how the 286 hp and above all the 600 Nm of torque are able to make you move very easily in any situation. The engine, especially on motorway sections, is very quiet and incredibly elastic, accelerating this huge metal box with a chromed front grill from 0 to 100 kph in just 6.1 seconds, or accompanying you in the maximum comfort offered by comfortable leather armchairs equipped with heating, refreshing and massage system – I admit, this last item is the one I miss the most now that we no longer have the car parked outside our office.
Coming back to its aesthetics, where the solid front is undoubtedly the distinctive feature of the car, the rear is instead softer and much more in tune with the previous model, but in the end the circle closes with favorable impressions in every respect. Mechanically, the 8-speed automatic transmission is precise and responsive (if you are in 8th gear, slowing down and press hard, it will take a few moments before something happens), while the all-wheel drive offers great satisfaction, thanks to the Torsen limited slip diff that can distribute traction up to 70% at the front or up to 80% at the rear, not to mention you have 6 driving modes to choose from: Eco, Normal, Sport, Individual, Offroad and Snow . If you then consider using it on some rough road, I suggest the Off-Road package, which for € 670 will offer you extra safety in case of rough terrain. The third chapter of the Touareg saga is undoubtedly the most mature, the most aware and the most complete on all points of view, capable of combining amazing journeys, an engaging drive and lower running costs than what one might expect from an SUV that for its part, however, is not sold for a few pennies. Don’t mind the steering wheel, obsolete, and a display with some protagonist mania, it is one of the most interesting proposals on the market. If it were a movie, it would be a colossal, not for everyone, perhaps exaggerated in some aspects, nevertheless imposing.
VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG
Layout – front-engined, all-wheel-drive
Engine – V6 cylinder 2.967cc – turbodiesel
Transmission – 8-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 286 hp @ 2.250 rpm
600 Nm @ 2.250 rpm
Weight – 2.069 kg
Acceleration – 6,1 sec.
Top Speed – 235 kph
Price – from € 67.200