The 2016 Volkswagen Touareg is a lavish vehicle with a premium price. Offered alongside the brand's more mainstream models, the Touareg is really more of a rival to models with luxury badges. The Touareg isn't just the most expensive and luxurious model VW sells in the U.S. It's also the larger of two sport-utility vehicles in the company's lineup, and its basic underpinnings are shared with the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne. After a 2015 refresh, the 2016 Touareg drops its Hybrid model and adds an automatic post-collision braking system that automatically applies the brakes after a crash to help prevent further damage. Regular-grade fuel is now acceptable for the gasoline V-6, and VW has shuffled some equipment as well. Although the Touareg got more of a road focus with its last redesign, it remains relatively rugged. The goal then was to give it broader appeal—though the price remains a hangup, and VW's new three-row SUV expected next year will close the market gap, with more value and a lower price. The exterior styling is elegant, with less of a butch appearance.
A slightly wider body, and somewhat longer wheelbase and length give the design more of a conventional crossover-wagon look (and functionally, more space), while the interior layout has a more upright orientation compared to other family crossovers. The Touareg used to be grossly overweight, but with its last redesign VW made it lighter overall, and better-detailed inside. Astoundingly—through the use of advanced materials and techniques—it engineered about 450 pounds out of the vehicle, gaining up to 20 percent better fuel efficiency. It still offers way more truck-like ability than most other crossovers do, and more off-road and towing ability than most shoppers are likely to need. Think of that as a plus or a minus, depending on priorities. The Touareg is still no crisp handler—few crossovers are, really—but it's as nimble and responsive as many of its rivals. The weight reduction is easily felt from one generation to the next, and the Touareg's steering is nicely weighted, with a calibration that's more suited to cruising down the highway than mixing it up in the twisties.
Ride quality is quite good, but the high seating position accentuates smaller motions and choppy pavement. Eight-speed automatic transmissions and full-time four-wheel drive are the building blocks in the powertrain department, while under the hood there is only a single engine option—for now. All versions get a conventional gasoline V-6, a 3.6-liter, 280-horsepower narrow-angle V-6 (VR6) that is plenty quick for most needs. Volkswagen has pulled its diesel-powered Touareg after the automaker revealed that those engines illegally cheated emissions tests. Functionally, the Touareg's high seating position affords a good view out ahead. The front seats are excellent, but the rather tall and very wide center console tends to make the front area feel more confining than it needs to be. There's space for five, and the adult-sized rear bench can slide fore and aft through six inches of travel. You won't find a third-row seat like the one in Audi's longer Q7, but cargo space is quite good in the Touareg, with a power-folding arrangement that yields a fully flat cargo floor. In all, the cabin appointments feel more in line with luxury rivals than the frugal set.
It's in sync with the other VW models in design, yet it's appointed with nicely finished materials that share more in common with Audi in look and feel. The Touareg continues to score well in IIHS testing, although it still hasn't been crashed by the NHTSA. The 2016 Touareg offers a long list of standard features, though some shoppers might find that it's not quite in lockstep with the luxury price. Standard equipment in the base Sport model includes 18-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon adaptive front lighting, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, leatherette upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, touchscreen radio, and power-adjustable front seats. The top-end Executive model adds such features as premium audio, rear-obstacle detection, a heated steering wheel, keyless ignition, heated rear seats, an impressive 620-watt Dynaudio premium sound system, and a navigation system with upgraded display and built-in music storage. The EPA rated the only available powertrain in the Touareg at 17 mpg city, 23 highway, 19 combined. The gas V-6 lands at the bottom of the fuel-economy scale for the Touareg—and that's about par for the class, really.
Radio, Media, Navigation, Traffic, Car Set-Up and Climate Control can all be accessed via the touch screen. Satellite Navigation works flawlessly thanks to an efficient and easy to use interface. Integrated with the media system is 60gb of storage and a single DVD drive. Bluetooth streaming is simple, yet access to AUX and iPod connections is a little difficult as they are located in the glove box (Be warned that separate cables may need to be purchased depending on your audio device). I can't finish up this section without mentioning the sound system. The Dynaudio Confidence 620W premium audio system is the BOMB. It is dead-set, the BEST car sound system of any car I have driven. The bass is simply phenomenal. All this is achieved without compromising a clean, modern and classy interior decor. SUV is pretty small. But, if you are a young family and have the cash, the V8 Touareg is a must-drive (at the very least). Despite the use of BlueMotion Technology, fuel efficiency is the obvious and main concern. However, the enjoyment gained from driving a car like this, combined with the extent of goodies on offer, should outweigh any qualms. Prices are manufacturer list prices only, for the drive away price please contact your local authorised VW dealer. Comments on the review?
