Road test: 2013 VW Touareg TDI Execline

Tough on the outside, cosy on the inside

Decisions, decisions! Does one pay for the name fame or go for the “lesser” brand and get more bang for the buck?

Here’s the situation: The Volkswagen Group has this lovely 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel that is perfect for the mid- to full-sized sportutility segment. This fuel-sipping, big-torque engine — which sees a 15-horsepower increase to 240 ponies for 2013 — is available in the VW Touareg. It is also an optional power plant for the Audi Q7 and, now, the Porsche Cayenne. As all three SUVs are variations of common corporate engineering, does someone shopping for hauling power at the upper end of this segment go for pricey ($53,975 base price for the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel), pricier ($63,200 base for the Q7 TDI) or priciest ($64,500 base for the Cayenne Diesel)? Or, another way of looking at it — the aforementioned bang for the buck — is it better to grab the topline version of the Touareg TDI (the Execline — $63,800) or the base version of the Cayenne Diesel ($700 more)?

From where I’m sitting — which is in the leather-swaddled heated seat of the Touareg TDI Execline, grooving to Little Steven’s Underground Garage emanating from the 12 speakers that are part of a 620-watt Dynaudio sound system — it’s comfort all the way, baby.

Naturally, the advantages of the turbodiesel are superior fuel economy relative to the size of the rig — a portly 2,256 kilograms — along with massive torque for hauling, in this case 406 pound-feet available starting from a low 1,750 rpm.

The V6 comes standard with an eight-speed automatic, the top two gears being fuel-maximizing overdrives — eighth reduces engine revs by 33 per cent over sixth gear. In addition to the fuel economy benefits, it makes for quiet, relaxed, long-distance cruising. While I averaged 12 litres per 100 km during my week with the tester, much of it driving around the suburbs, during an extended trip on a relatively flat stretch of highway — where diesel engines show great efficiency — the Touareg was registering a thrifty 7.6 L/100 km at 110 km/h.

The transmission allows for manual shifting along with a Sport mode and a Dynamic Shift Program that adapts to one’s individual style and adjusts the shift points accordingly.

On its way to winning the Auto- mobile Journalists Association of Canada’s (AJAC) 2012 Utility Vehicle of the Year award, the Touareg TDI posted acceleration times of 8.4 seconds to hit 100 kilometres an hour, with a passing time (80 to 120 km/h) of 7.3 seconds — and that was the 225-hp version.

The VW Group turbodiesel is on the cutting edge of clean. Keeping emissions to a minimum is the catalytic converter, augmented by a special injection system that sprays a cleaning agent called AdBlue into the exhaust, which helps reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions by up to 90 per cent.

Other than the steering, which seems overweighted and a little slow to centre, the Touareg drives and handles well for something its size — certainly on a par with its Audi and Porsche brethren. The suspension is firm without being overly harsh and the brakes have the power to haul the big SUV to a stop from 100 km/h in a short 41.9 metres. As for visibility, the sightlines while in the driver’s seat are quite good, the exception being when backing up. With the Execline trim level, though, there’s a sonar-based system front and back as well as a rear-view camera.

VW offers a Touareg Hybrid model in the United States, yet has priced it at a premium, the result being sales are at a crawl in comparison to the TDI and gas-only models. No such conflict exists in Canada — for maximum fuel efficiency and hauling power in a Volkswagen product, it’s the Touareg TDI or nothing. It might not provide the same warm and fuzzies as a hybrid will, but it has proven technology that works, in a package that’s tough on the outside and comfy-cosy on the inside.