The 2017 Volkswagen Touareg’s interior is certainly classier than what you’ll find in the rest of the VW lineup. With woodgrain trim, metal finishes, and an array of high-grade materials, the Touareg’s interior exudes quality. Critics disagree over whether the attention to detail is similar to what you’ll find in similarly priced SUVs from automakers like BMW, Audi, or Mercedes-Benz. Some say the Touareg’s interior doesn’t quite match the level of refinement, while others say it earns its luxury designation. Regardless, the Touareg provides comfortable and supportive seating. Sliding and reclining seatbacks add versatility and long-ride comfort. The Touareg’s already long list of standard features gets even longer for 2017. Cargo space is about average for the class, but small-item storage is impressive. The 2017 Touareg seats five. The base model comes with leatherette upholstery, heated and eight-way power-adjustable front seats, and a heated steering wheel. Upper trims come with 14-way power-adjustable front seats, heated rear seats, and memory settings for the driver’s seat and sideview mirrors.
The front seats provide ergonomic comfort and support. In fact, according to test drivers, any seat in the Touareg would be great for a long road trip or highway commute. Rear-seat space is on par or better than many luxury midsize SUVs, and they recline and slide, allowing passengers the ability to get a little more comfortable. For the 2017 Touareg, Volkswagen added quite a few new items to the standard features list. Optional features include a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree parking camera, and a Dynaudio 10-speaker premium audio system. The 8-inch touch-screen display is newly standard for 2017, and it is easy to read and use, with sharp graphics and prompt responses to user inputs. Both audio and climate controls are intuitively organized and straightforward. The 2017 Touareg’s cargo capacity is about average for the class. Its 32.1-cubic-foot cargo hold expands to 64 cubic feet once you collapse the 60/40 split-folding rear seats. The rear seats don’t fold completely flat, but the Touareg’s boxlike roofline makes the available space more usable. With the standard setup, you’ll get a remote power liftgate with a hands-free opening function. Wolfsburg models come with an electric rear-seat release in the cargo area that lets you fold down the back seats with the touch of a button. The Touareg’s glove box and large center console and door pockets help maximize small-item storage space. Behind the Tiguan's rear seats, there's 32.1 cubic feet of cargo space. Fold the second row flat and you get 64 cubic feet of space.
In profile, the New Insignia range’s Hatch and Saloon models are better defined through their unique tailgates and rear spoilers. The crease line on the C-pillar of the Hatch fades out before it reaches the spoiler’s trailing edge, giving it a classic coupe silhouette. On the Saloon, the crease line continues along the edge of the spoiler to emphasise the body’s length. At the rear, the New Insignia range models appear wider and lower. The high-gloss chrome logo bar has been positioned lower on the tailgate. It extends into the tail-lights and incorporates the slim-look reversing lamps. The tail and stop functions of the two-piece tail-lights are illuminated by LEDs throughout the range. The Sports Tourer’s rear styling embodies a similar wider and lower appearance. The main visual enablers are again the stretched chrome brand bar, also framing the reverse functions, and an uninterrupted body-coloured division between the tailgate glass and the longer, slimmer light units.
The rear bumper moldings for all models also incorporate several black ‘cut-out’ inserts according to the powertrain choice, with or without visible exhaust tailpipes. The New Insignia range offers a raft of technology, safety and comfort highlights. These include state-of-the-art radar and camera-based assistance systems (including adaptive cruise control and second-generation park assist), premium seats, and ‘Open & Start’, the keyless entry and start system, to name just a few. Two new exterior colours - Emerald Green and Aurum Green - join the existing 10 colour choices. Vauxhall’s new Insignia is not only the lowest CO2 emitting car in its sector but now also the most streamlined vehicle in the world in its class. Thanks to clever changes to the body design of the new Insignia, Vauxhall’s engineers have reduced the vehicle’s drag coefficient to under 0.25 for the Insignia hatchback and 0.28 for the Sports Tourer. New extended underbody covers, wider front spoiler lips, tail lamp housings designed to enhance airflow separation and an integrated rear deck lid spoiler contribute to the new Insignia’s slippery shape. Insignia 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX (120/140PS) models with Start/Stop also feature an additional, ultra-modern aerodynamic element: an active front air shutter.
