Volkswagen Touareg

Alex Ingram Alex_ingram@dennis.co.uk @Axleingram FIRST UK DRIVE Big SUV has all its posh cousins’ traits, without the big price tag

First UK drive of big SUV sharing Audi and Bentley bits

OUR first experience of the all-new Volkswagen Touareg (Issue 1,524) was promising, and now we’ve tried the car for the first time on UK roads.

Under the skin, the Touareg rides on the VW Group’s Mlbevo platform – the same that’s used by not just the Audi Q7, but also the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. It’s slightly shorter than a Q7, but marginally longer, wider and lower than the previous Touareg.

Sharing a platform system with its posher VW Group cousins grants it access to much of the same tech. Air suspension, four-wheel steering and active anti-roll bars are all on the options list, and all three trim levels get adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and leather seats.

The Touareg’s engine line-up will soon include a 228bhp diesel, a 3.0-litre V6 petrol and a plug-in hybrid. For now, there’s just one choice, but it’s a great one. We’ve tried the 3.0-litre V6 diesel motor, here delivering 282bhp, in various VW Group models before, and as ever it’s smooth, strong and an ideal match for a big SUV like the Touareg.

It’s just a shame that the gearbox doesn’t make the best of the 600Nm of torque on offer. The eight-speed auto is far too keen to kick down, and its slow responses cause a frustrating pause before the car surges forwards.

Gearbox aside, the Touareg is very relaxing from behind the wheel. On the optional air suspension (regular springs and adaptive dampers are standard) the ride is excellent. Road noise is perhaps a little more audible than in the Q7, but wind noise is impressively hushed.

But the Touareg isn’t one to be rushed. It feels every bit a high-riding two-tonne car through turns, and mid-corner bumps cause it to shimmy from its intended course. The steering, while precise, is short on feel, too.

On the plus side, the optional steering rear axle is brilliant – gracing this near-five-metre-long behemoth with the low-speed manoeuvrability of a Golf. It’s available as part of a package with the air suspension, and it’s an upgrade well worth considering, although it’s not cheap, at £2,370.

The Touareg saves its best for the inside, where the highlight is Volkswagen’s Innovision Cockpit, a combination of 12-inch and 15-inch screens which blend driving and infotainment functions together into what looks like a single, curved display.

The larger touchscreen in particular features gorgeous graphics, rapid loading times and an interface which

“The Touareg rides on a platform that’s used by the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus”

uses simple smartphone-style menus and a home shortcut. Even adjusting the temperature through the screen doesn’t seem like a chore, although a physical temperature dial would still be easier.

Some cheap plastics around the front occupants’ knees are disappointing, but otherwise the quality of the cabin is up there with the class leaders, too.

The Touareg lacks a seven-seat option that the Q7 provides, although this means that rear passengers have loads of head and legroom and the boot is enormous.

But how does it compete on cost? An introductory offer prices the mid-range R-line at £499 per month on a four-year deal, with a £10,489 deposit. With a similar payment up front, an Audi Q7 with comparable kit levels costs £16 per month more, but has to make do with 67bhp less from its V6 diesel.