Apart from the air suspension, the only other thing I’m regretting not ordering is the Area View camera-based parking sensor kit. But other than that, I think I got the spec about spot-on. I like how generally uncomplicated it is. No tediously slow electric tailgate, no tv that would never get watched, and just good old-fashioned non-adpative cruise control, operated by what must be the most intuitiuve set of controls in the car world. I have been caught out occasionally by the stop start system though. More than once I’ve pulled up, the engine has died, and after being distracted collecting my phone and wallet, I’ve mistakenly presumed I’ve killed the ignition and got out. You can’t lock the door, but with a toddler wailing in your ear, you can’t always hear that it’s failed to lock. Overall though, I’m impressed. The Touareg is quitely handsome, fast, roomy and a real surprise on a good road. But I think Volkswagen should take another look at the chassis settings, because a poor ride is about all that’s preventing a very good car from being truly brilliant.
The W12-powered first-gen Touaregs are a rare sight in the UK, but this one has had a couple of turbos bolted on for good measure plus the ability to send all that grunt to the rear wheels. Makes the Paris-Dakar Touareg look almost sensible. Almost since the birth of the car, we’ve been able to tell one design from another (often very similar one) by the radiator grille, and more recently, air intakes. Fine in daylight, but not much good in these winter months. Modern light technology though, makes it easy for designers to create a distinct, and instantly recognisable, face (and backside) for their cars. Our Touareg’s LED daytime running lights came as part of the £1330 Bi-xenon option pack that includes cornering lights. They’re not cheap, but once you’ve had xenons, it’s difficult to go back. These work brilliantly too, don’t flicker over bumps despite the iffy ride, and the cornering function is useful and unobtrusive.
And they look great, much less tacky than some manufacturer’s efforts. The rears are even more handsome, and combined with the Touareg’s pronounced hips, help make this one of the best looking SUVs on sale. I bet it looks superb when you’re following behind. But of course, I’m unlikley to ever find out. LED daytime running lights (as opposed to true LED headlights) are a strange idea, because as a driver you’ll never really get to enjoy personally. Choose a wheel upgrade or a unique colour scheme and you can admire your good taste every time you walk up to your car, as well as showing off to everyone else on the road. But generally, your pretty LED lights are only ever illuminated when you’re behind the wheel. So they’re pure pose, but I have to admit that knowing they look good gives me a warm xenony glow. The large SUV-shaped hole in CAR’s long-term line-up is about to be filled with a second-generation Volkswagen Touareg.
Once again the big VW is twinned with Porsche’s Cayenne, though the new VW corporate nose means you’ll not mistake one for the other. There’s still no seven-seat option, but a longer wheelbase means it’s much more roomy inside, and we know from the short-term test cars we’ve driven that it handles brilliantly for its size. In the old days speccing your car meant a trip to the local dealer for a brochure, but now you can research and option-out your car without leaving the house. So I should take an opportunity to praise the Volkswagen UK retail website, and in particular, its car configurator. The web is such an important tool in the car buying process, yet so many manufacturers get it wrong. The VW configurator is simple and logical, with every option clearly explained. The Touareg range includes four engines, but at £60k apiece, the thirsty 3.0 V6 hybrid and 4.2 TDI V8, are of minor interest.
