The VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG at a glance
- Price from* £30830
- CO2 emissions from 219g/km
- MPG up to 39.8
- Insurance group from 15
- *Price PLUS 1st Reg Fee & Road Fund Licence
The Volkswagen Touareg is a commanding 4x4 that's versatile enough to cope with urban roads and rough terrain with ease.
Considering its relatively modest starting price, the sharp driving Touareg is generously loaded with kit. It provides genuine on-road comfort and yet comes with real 4x4 endurance levels, sailing over mud, sand and snow as effortlessly as its more expensive counterparts.
The experience
The Touareg is a full sized 4x4 but the handling is much sharper and agile than you usually find in a car of this class. The result is the Touareg is ideally matched to about town driving and handles the stop and start of heavy traffic like a snappy citycar. Hill descent control systems are fitted to all Volkswagen Touareg models as standard, making them more than a match for off road conditions. Despite its rough and tumble credentials, the Touareg is refined and calm inside the cabin with wind and engine noise well contained. There's oodles of room for five adults inside and a large boot for their luggage.
The performance
In all five engines are offered with the Volkswagen Touareg, one petrol and four diesel options. The petrol is a punchy 3.6 litre V6 280PS unit that hits 62mph in just 8.5 seconds and cruises at 135mph. The starter diesel is a 2.5 litre 174PS followed by a 3.0 litre V6 240PS engine. At the top of the scale there's two 5.0 litre V10 powerplants with 313 or 350PS. They are both extremely fast and quick out of the blocks, with an average top speed of 145mph and sprint time of just 7 seconds.
The technology
Safety provisions are well catered for and each Touareg comes equipped with twin front, side and curtain airbags. There's also ISOFIX child seat anchorage points, electronic stability control and anti lock brakes. Go for the entry level model and air conditioning and electric windows are included as standard. But it's only one step up to Volkswagen Touareg SE to bag all-leather upholstery, climate control and a slick sat-nav.
Models within this range: BEETLE, CADDY MAXI LIFE, CALIFORNIA, CARAVELLE, EOS, FOX, GOLF, GOLF PLUS, JETTA, PASSAT, PASSAT CC, PHAETON, POLO, SCIROCCO, SHARAN, TIGUAN, TOUAREG, TOURAN.