The Volkswagen Touareg has a brand new lease on life.
Certain, it appears much like the pre-update mannequin, and it’s packing the identical engine as earlier than below the bonnet. The cabin has been tweaked somewhat than overhauled, and there’s little or no change about the way it drives.
However… Volkswagen has given the Touareg a serious value reduce. Whereas it’s not low cost at $109,990 earlier than on-road prices, the Touareg 210TDI R-Line on take a look at right here is round $7500 inexpensive than earlier than.
It was already a pointy purchase alongside the BMW X5, Audi Q7, and Mercedes-Benz GLE, which have been subjected to repeated value rises, however the newest iteration represents even higher worth.
WATCH: Paul’s video assessment of the Volkswagen Touareg R
There’s way more to this household four-wheel drive than a pointy sticker value, although.
How does the Volkswagen Touareg evaluate?
View an in depth breakdown of the Volkswagen Touareg towards equally sized autos.
Volkswagen
Touareg
How a lot does the Volkswagen Touareg price?
The facelifted Volkswagen Touareg lineup stays unchanged since launch.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-roads |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Touareg 170TDI | $86,790 |
| Volkswagen Touareg 210TDI Magnificence | $99,990 |
| Volkswagen Touareg 210TDI R-Line | $109,990 |
| Volkswagen Touareg R | $129,990 |
To see how the Touareg traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
What’s the Volkswagen Touareg like on the within?
Volkswagen hasn’t reinvented the wheel with the 210TDI, however it didn’t actually need to. That is nonetheless an enormous, snug household wagon, full with a powerful expertise suite.
Moderately than the open-pore wooden seen within the base grade, the 210TDI picks up steel trim throughout the dashboard and an R-Line steering wheel, as examined.
The basics are glorious. The driving force and passenger sit in generously stuffed armchairs with heating and acres of adjustment to dial within the good driving place for lengthy journeys.
Massaging and air flow characteristic, and additional reinforce the luxurious vibes. There’s not an enormous distinction in right here relative to the bottom variant, however the dearer leather-based seat trim, black headliner, and additional luxurious options on the entrance seats do elevate the expertise.
The flash Innovision display setup that was normal on the final Touareg 210TDI carries over, albeit with a number of selection upgrades. The graphics have been polished, whereas Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at the moment are wi-fi.
CarPlay now takes up the entire display, somewhat than sitting in a clumsy little window. It appears nice, however it’s unusual that utilizing the local weather controls or seat buttons on the base of the display blanks out that full display show.
Past that, the system is snappy to reply and simple sufficient to navigate. A lot of the icons are huge and vibrant, to allow them to be noticed and prodded merely on the transfer… for essentially the most half.
Our tester threw a hissy match at one level, necessitating a full manufacturing facility reset – as soon as that was completed, which took round quarter-hour throughout my drive residence, it performed good once more.
Volkswagen hasn’t killed the haptic steering wheel buttons within the Touareg, which suggests you’re nonetheless caught with fingerprint-prone gloss black on the spokes. The earlier that goes, the higher.
The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is crystal clear, and blends a spread of completely fashionable choices with one for classic-looking gauges. It’s additionally been massaged as a part of this facelift, with new colors and graphics.
With a storage bin below the dashboard (residence to the wi-fi cellphone charger), cupholders on the centre console, a good bin below the armrest, and spacious door pockets, there are many nooks and crannies for snacks, gadgets, and keys on lengthy highway journeys.
As you’d count on of a hulking household SUV, the Touareg has acres of house within the rear. There’s sufficient legroom for lanky adults to take a seat behind lanky adults, and the entrance seats are set excessive to unencumber sufficient toe room for chunky winter boots.
Prime tether factors characteristic on all three rear seats, and there are ISOFIX factors on the outboard rear seats.
Headroom is nice, however the angled C-pillar does make it really feel a bit tighter again there than possibly it must.
Youngsters will recognize the standalone local weather controls, and the auto-dipping air suspension makes this a better automotive to clamber into or out of.
Then once more, it places the mid-sized Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC within the shade for rear house – regardless of being priced in step with them, the Touareg is a extra substantial automotive.
The boot is a broad house, full with distant releases for the rear seats and a baggage cowl that slides mechanically up if you pop the boot to make loading huge gadgets simpler. There are additionally air suspension controls again there, permitting you to boost or decrease the automotive with out clambering into the entrance.
| Dimensions | Volkswagen Touareg 210TDI R-Line |
|---|---|
| Size | 4889mm |
| Width | 1984mm |
| Peak | 1718mm–1757mm |
| Wheelbase | 2888mm |
| Boot house (seats up) | 810 litres |
| Boot house (seats folded) | 1800 litres |
To see how the Touareg traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
What’s below the bonnet?
There’s no change below the bonnet for the 210TDI R-Line within the up to date mannequin.
| Specs | Volkswagen Touareg 210TDI R-Line |
|---|---|
| Engine | 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel |
| Gasoline | Diesel |
| Transmission | 8-speed auto |
| Pushed wheels | AWD |
| Energy | 210kW |
| Torque | 600Nm |
| Claimed gasoline economic system | 7.4L/100km |
| Gasoline tank | 90 litres |
| Towing (unbraked) | 750kg |
| Towing (braked) | 3500kg |
| Weight | 2249kg (tare) |
| Gross Automobile Mass | 2850kg |
| Gross Mixed Mass | 6350kg |
To see how the Touareg traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
How does the Volkswagen Touareg drive?
The Touareg 210TDI R-Line majors on relaxed long-haul consolation, however it’s additionally a surprisingly proficient metropolis automotive due to its rear-wheel steering and plush air suspension.
Refinement is superb. The turbo-diesel V6 engine fires with a muted grumble and infrequently raises its voice above a whisper, and there’s greater than sufficient shove within the mid-range to make this 2250kg beast really feel hot-hatch fast if you actually dig into the accelerator’s journey.
In regular driving the eight-speed computerized shuffles by way of the gears to the tallest potential ratio, and usually is snug leaning on the engine’s torque somewhat than dropping right down to ship the revs hovering. It means it is advisable be deliberate with the throttle if you’re in a rush, or flick the chunky gear selector into Sport.
There are few higher automobiles for freeway cruising. The Touareg chugs alongside silently at 100km/h, ticking over barely above idle and sipping from its huge gasoline tank like a a lot smaller automotive.
There’s minimal wind noise from the mirrors, and minimal highway roar from the tyres which suggests you don’t want to boost your voice to speak with passengers, or flip up the radio to drown it out. That’s not at all times the case in European automobiles.
We’ve collected two examples not too long ago, and each have proven a projected vary of greater than 1100km from their 90L gasoline tanks.
Volkswagen’s adaptive cruise management is clean and good, sustaining a spot to the automotive in entrance with minimal fuss, and the energetic lane-centring operate included as a part of Journey Help retains you between the white traces with out attempting to wrench the wheel out of your arms.
Below the pores and skin is an air suspension system able to elevating or decreasing the physique on the press of a button, and making the experience firmer or extra relaxed primarily based on the drive mode.
Some automobiles have drive modes that don’t actually do a lot, however flicking by way of the modes within the Touareg meaningfully adjustments its character. The place the bottom 170TDI has a set metal suspension setup, the air suspension within the 210TDI opens the door for way more.
Consolation provides it a languid feeling, floating over the worst the town can throw at it, whereas the experience corporations up in Sport.
Flicking into Sport additionally brings the energetic anti-roll bars into play. Nicked from the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, they’re in a position to push up one aspect of the physique if you flip right into a nook to cease the automotive rolling.
Flip left and the right-hand aspect stiffens up, flip left and the right-hand aspect is actively propped up. Drive in a straight line or flick right into a extra relaxed drive mode and the anti-roll bars chill out for a looser, extra snug experience.
Flicked into Sport, you possibly can actually throw this bus round and it dances like a smaller, lighter automotive.
What’s extra, the energetic anti-roll system is tech you don’t get within the Touareg R, regardless of that automotive’s increased sticker value and extra overt deal with efficiency.
Arguably extra helpful than the energetic anti-roll is the rear-wheel steering system, which makes the Touareg simple to park.
The rear wheels flip in the wrong way to the fronts at low speeds, just about shortening the wheelbase and making this large SUV really feel extra like a Tiguan in small parking areas.
It’s vastly useful on busy streets, the place it may be the distinction between a clumsy three-point flip and a neat U-turn within the face of oncoming site visitors.
To see how the Touareg traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
What do you get?
Touareg 170TDI contains:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Energy tailgate with kick activation
- Energy-folding exterior mirrors with reminiscence and auto-dip
- IQ.Mild HD matrix LED headlights
- Innovision Cockpit
- 15-inch touchscreen
- 12-inch digital instrument display
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- FM, AM, DAB+ digital radio
- Wi-fi cellphone charging + 5 x USB-C ports
- Heated, power-adjustable entrance seats
- Vienna leather-based seat trim
- 30-colour ambient lighting
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Open-pore dashboard wooden trim
- Illuminated door scuff plates
- Cargo administration system for boot
Touareg 210TDI Magnificence provides:
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- Varenna leather-based seat upholstery (Blue, White inside non-compulsory)
- Ventilated entrance seats
- Massaging entrance seats
- Auto-levelling air suspension
Touareg 210TDI R-Line brings:
- R-Line inside/exterior styling bundle
- 21-inch alloy wheels
- Puglia R-Line leather-based inside trim
- Brushed stainless-steel pedals
- Chrome steel scuff plates with R-Line emblem in entrance doorways
- Rear privateness glass
- Rear-wheel steering
- Energetic anti-roll stabilisation
- Heated sports activities steering wheel
- Brushed aluminium inside trim
- Black headliner
To see how the Touareg traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
Is the Volkswagen Touareg secure?
The Touareg has a five-star ANCAP security score primarily based on testing carried out in 2018.
| Class | Rating |
|---|---|
| Grownup occupant safety | 89 per cent (34.0 out of 38) |
| Baby occupant safety | 88 per cent (43.4 out of 49) |
| Weak highway person safety | 72 per cent (34.6 out of 48) |
| Security help | 78 per cent (10.2 out of 13) |
Customary security tools contains:
- Entrance, front-side, rear-side, entrance and rear curtain airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Entrance cross-traffic help
- Blind-spot monitor
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Adaptive cruise management with energetic lane centring
- Dynamic highway signal monitoring
- Encompass-view digicam
To see how the Touareg traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
How a lot does the Volkswagen Touareg price to run?
Just like the broader Volkswagen vary, the Touareg is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
| Operating prices | Volkswagen Touareg 210TDI |
|---|---|
| Guarantee | 5 years, limitless kilometres |
| Roadside help | 12 months, prolonged with every scheduled service |
| Service schedule | 12 months or 15,000 kilometres |
| 3-year service plan | $1900 |
| 5-year service plan | $3500 |
To see how the Touareg traces up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Volkswagen Touareg
Though the bottom 170TDI represents distinctive worth, the additional package on the Touareg 210TDI R-Line is fairly rattling interesting.
Together with the additional punch from the higher-output V6 diesel, the addition of air suspension and rear-wheel steering add an additional few levels of functionality.
I additionally occur to assume that is the best-looking member of the up to date Touareg vary, with its neat mixture of chrome and black on the surface… together with these tidy aerodynamic wheel covers.
Do it is advisable stretch all the best way to a Touareg R? Sure, its plug-in hybrid expertise will win you some inexperienced factors on the college run, however the R-Line counters with a less complicated powertrain, rear-wheel steering and energetic anti-roll expertise lifted from Bentley and Lamborghini.
I’d be pocketing the additional $20,000 the R calls for and investing in a household vacation.
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