In case you hadn’t already noticed what the newest face of Volkswagen looks like, the company has, in the space of the past two months, launched two fairly large examples of the new look that are bound to grab your attention. With the much talked about new Amarok in the process of shaking up the local pick-up segment, the slightly less high-profile new Touareg has been launched into the South African market.
That's not to say that the Touareg isn’t an important player in the luxury SUV segment but somehow, since its 2004 launch, the Volkswagen entrant in this tussle for top honours seems to have flown under the radar slightly next to competitors, both from within its stable (Cayenne and Q7), and from a wide variety of other manufacturers.
The original Touareg (including a 2007 facelift) found 3 569 homes in South Africa (500 000 worldwide), featured in one of the most memorable Volkswagen television ads in recent years (think Arno Carstens and a troubled father/son relationship), and can proudly boast that its slightly distant relative has two wins in the legendary Dakar rally under its belt. The new Touareg will have a go at a third Dakar win come January 2011 but, in the meantime, the road-going version will attempt to win the hearts of the South African SUV market.
The new car may be longer and wider than the version it replaces but, thanks to clever management of materials, it manages to weigh less than the old model. It has to be said too that, especially in the darker colours of our local launch vehicles, the newest Touareg actually hides its larger dimensions remarkably well – even managing to look compact from certain angles. The new VW nose looks good up front, especially with the LEDs lit up, and the new Touareg even manages a to pull off a sleek profile. Maybe it’s just me, but I could swear I saw some of the old Porsche Cayenne in the rear three-quarter view of the VW?
The larger overall dimensions of the new Touareg are immediately evident in cabin, and rear passengers are treated to grand saloons levels of leg- and headroom. VW has sent the housekeeping team in to get rid of some of the clutter associated with the previous model’s interior and the result is remarkably neat and simplistic centre console layout (This includes the fitment of an electronic park brake). That said, the wood trim fitted to all the launch vehicles tended to highlight this new-found sparseness and owners might find themselves a little short of bragging rights in the “mine has this function, what does yours have?” discussion around the braai. The wood finish on the steering wheel is also not ideal as your hands tend to get a bit sweaty on longer trips and the wheel becomes difficult to grip. A large touch-screen display unit dominates the facia and adds to the functionality of the cabin.
I drove all three of the new engine packages during the two launch days. The only petrol option available at launch is the 3,6-litre V6 FSI, producing 206 kW and 360 N.m of torque. This unit felt as refined as ever and proved more than capable of getting the 2-ton Touareg up to speed, and maintaining it. All three engines are mated with a new 8-speed automatic transmission that carries out its job with admirable fluidity. I noticed that this transmission can be caught hunting through the top three gears slightly as it struggles to determine what cruising gear is best suited to conditions, but the near seamless action of the changes doesn’t make this hunting too intrusive.
For the foreseeable future there won’t be a V10 engine in the Touareg lineup but power hungry buyers have the option of an 800 N.m 4,2-litre V8 TDI unit. Volkswagen claims a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 5,8 seconds and a top speed of 242 km/h for this model. Worth noting is that, despite the potential performance output of this engine, it still boasts a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of just 9,1 litres/100 kilometers.
The pick of the new range, and my favourite from the launch, will surely be the V6 TDI option though. This impressively refined common rail turbodiesel features BlueMotion technology for improved efficiency and delivers 176 kW at 4 000 r/min with 550 N.m of torque from 2 000 r/min. Admittedly the start/stop function takes some getting used to in a vehicle this size, and you’ll have to reassure your passengers that all is still in order when the engine cuts out the first time, but I was surprised at just how easily things get up and running again once the traffic light changes to green. Another feature of this technology is regenerative braking. Basically BlueMotion is Volkswagen’s answer to finding ways of lower emissions and increasing efficiency – without sacrificing performance – and is a culmination of TDI, TSI, and DSG technologies that have all been introduced already.
The new Touareg rides on an independent suspension at all four corners and this goes a long way to making it one of the most comfortable large SUV’s on the market. Gravel roads, in particular, are negotiated with impressive ease and comfort.
All models feature 4Motion all-wheel drive technology (with 40:60 split), while an optional 4XMotion kit adds a lockable centre diff, a low-range reduction gear, and raised body height, for those with more heavy-duty off-road expeditions in mind.
VW Touareg V6 FSI – R562 600
VW Touareg 3,0 TDI – R622 000
VW Touareg 4,2 V8 TDI – R776 000