Like a true-blue Volkswagen, the Touareg is a fascinating drive, but will it be able to overcome the price barrier?
The new Volkswagen Touareg has a lot more character and, unlike the older and more conservative version, the 2012 model stands head and shoulders above other cars. however, even with the spiced up style quotient, one can’t miss the familiar VW family features.
It has Passat-like headlights with daytime running leDs and a sleek front grille, which give it a wide and imposing stance. although it shares the platform with the Porsche Cayenne and it has a longer wheelbase of 2,893 millimetres, the designers have tactfully used the short overhangs to conceal the overall length. hitting two birds with one stone, the short overhangs also come useful while off-roading as they reduce the chance of scraping the bumpers’ underbody. Then the large 18-inch wheels and a three-stage adjustable ground clearance help it further to take on off-roading in an able manner.
The rear design, specially the boot and tail-lamps, has a striking resemblance to the audi Q7. The luggage space of XXX litres sounds ordinary for an suV of this size, but the luggage compartment can be doubled by folding the rear seats at the touch of a button. Then there is another set of buttons that lower the air damper at the back to make loading luggage in the boot easier. a space-saver spare wheel is a let-down, especially because the Touareg can and should be taken off the beaten track every once in a while and a full-size wheel as back-up would have been a lot more reassuring.
The name Touareg might sound like a tongue-twister to some of us, but is pretty relevant to the vehicle’s character. apart from the fact that this seven-letter name has all the vowels except ‘i’, it has been derived from the Taureg people. a hardy, nomadic race of people who live happily in of one of the harshest regions of the world, northern sahara. similarly, the Touareg comes with the Vw promise to be tremendously sturdy and capable of taking on the most extreme environments. Yes, sand-dunes included. and just like all the vowels in the name, the touareg is laden with most features that one expects in an suV and enough to keep you occupied while you wait for aeons in traffic jams. There is a large screen, three pre-set driving modes, reverse camera, proximity sensors, on-road and off-road settings, sunroof, telephone Bluetooth connectivity, climate control air-conditioning with vents even on the rear pillars and adaptive headlights that turn the focus with your steering action. Then you get electronically adjustable front seats with three set memory and manually adjustable and split rear seats.
As I hop in, I’m greeted by Vw’s understated but eminently executed cabin. It has got a multi-layered, but sparsely designed dashboard with little to complain about. I mean, except the chocolate brown colour of the dash. why didn’t they use black or beige? There is a larger touch-screen to operate the infotainment system and other settings and it also acts as the display for the rear camera. The wood-rimmed steering wheel is large and come equipped with audio and phone controls, but without paddle shifters.
The cabin has several pockets and cubbyholes to store coffee cups and other knick-knacks. The front arm-rest does not intrude and has auX and 16 volt ports. a couple of dials next to the gear stick, on the centre console, adjust the suV’s ground clearance, while the other dial gives the option of ‘on-road’ or ‘off-road’ options. Between the dial is a trendy scroll that changes the dive mode from ‘Comfort’, ‘normal’ and ‘sports’. as the names suggest, the suspension, gear shifts and power delivery get tuned according to the choice made.
The seats are on the firmer side, well bolstered and can be adjusted in various ways, 14 to be precise, to give a snug fit. The driver sits high, in a commanding position, which goes well with the SUV’s large proportions and stance. A large windscreen, windows and relatively narrow outer rear view mirrors offer an open view of the surrounding. A panoramic sunroof brighten things further. The second row of seats offer good legroom and are also adjustable. Sadly, the longer wheelbase hasn’t influenced the interior as the Touareg does not come equipped with a third row of seats.
Under the massive bonnet of this SUV is a familiar 3.0-litre V6 oil-burner that can belt out 245 PS of power and a staggering 550 Nm of torque. Even though it’s not mated with VW’s dual-clutch DSG transmission, this eight-speed tiptronic does an impressive job none the less. The eight shooter shifts seamlessly and gathers speed with hardly any lag. Being a massive SUV, the Touareg manages to do 0 to 100 km/h in less than eight seconds, even in the ‘Normal’ drive mode. It’s not just its grunt that makes this German such a great drive, but it is the nicely spread power-band. There is this pleasing gush of power at you beck and call, all you need to do is tap the throttle.
Among the three modes, I preferred to use the ‘Normal’ mode the most, as ‘Sports’ became too firm and over enthusiastic while ‘Comfort’ softened everything and also increased body-roll. The air suspension filters out almost everything, except very harsh jolts. The steering is pretty direct, has decent feedback and becomes firmer as the SUV gains speed. However, in spite of the massive proportions, the Touareg’s drive is surprisingly nimble, pretty much like a luxury sedan’s.
It munches miles like a Grand Tourer, but also has an all-time four-wheel drive. So we had to put the SUV’s off-roading abilities to test and the Touareg again delivered with aplomb. But first we must run the usual checks. Increase ground clearance? Check. Twist dial to ‘Off-road’? Check. Car insurance? Double check!
The VW has been built for this terrain. The multi links in front and rear take the battering like a seasoned boxer without a flinch. Even if you release the accelerator on an incline, the Auto-hold won’t let the SUV roll back. Step on the pedal again and you’re rolling again. The torque converters feed the four wheels with ease as I scale right on to the top of a rather steep hill. On to the other side, Hill Descent takes charge and the Touareg carefully crawls down one step at a time. It is reasonably fuel-efficient for a 4×4: the best we got was 10 km per litre and the worst was 8.2 kpl. The 85-litre tank of this SUV should give a range of 700-800 km.
I can almost imagine a room full of German engineers sitting around a round table and making initial sketches and outlining the engineering that would go into the new Touareg. It’s no surprise that under the Volkswagen high command, Audi, Porsche and VW boffins worked on this common, yet challenging project to develop an able SUV and which is also as comfortable and luxurious as a premium sedan.
Pat on their backs, as the engineers have managed to pull this off really well. But in India this VW has some major obstacles to face, such as insanely high taxes and duties, which make it cost around Rs 65 lakh on the road, Pune. Then even after signing a cheque for that amount, one still does not get a third row of seats, which doesn’t give it enough bang for the buck. If you are ready to compromise a little on the off-roading abilities you can get the Q5 2.0 TDi with the more prestigious Audi badge and still save close to Rs 10 lakh in the bargain.
Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
