The buoyant Volkswagen group of Germany, one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest in Europe, which savoured the grand success of its first luxury sedan Passat in India, is now eyeing the SUV segment.
Volkswagen had introduced the Passat a few months ago and received a very good response. Stimulated by this success, it is now rolling out the model Touareg, a luxury SUV with an upscale interior, a long list of top-of-the-line features and outstanding off-road capabilities in its class. The Touareg is available in one variant: V6 TDI which gets a 3.0-L V6 engine.
The roomy and spacious interior, distinctive exterior styling and solid body, and environmental-friendly engine are enough to empower the Touareg to rock the Indian SUV segment. It is pitted against the Mercedes-M Class and the BMW X5 and the yet to be launched Porsche Cayenne.
It comes with the world's first ABSplus system that plays a crucial role in spotting and detecting loose and sagging surfaces such as sand or gravel and shortens the braking distance by up to 20% through controlled locking of brakes. It also comes with a spare wheel mounted as an option on the tail gate.
Powertrain & Performance
The Touareg is offered in two-wheel drive configuration. Four-wheel drive can be added as option. It is available in one variant V6 TDI which is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 Turbo Diesel Direct Injection (TDI) V6 diesel engine that cranks out an impressive 225 bhp of power at 4000 rpm and 500 Nm of torque at 1750 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that delivers good fuel economy. The transmission also features a driver-oriented Dynamic Shift Program (DSP) that helps the driver to shift gears smoothly.
The Touareg possesses independent front and rear double wishbone suspensions with steel springs and anti-roll bars. The handling is hugely responsive and seats are comfortably fitted to offer a great comfort over long drives.
Build & Styling
Though the Touareg does not sport a cutting edge design, it comes with distinctive styling and contemporary look that surely match to the taste and lifestyle of the present generation. With its unshakeable charisma and aggressive design, the Touareg will surely become the cynosure of all eyes even in the middle of a huge crowd of SUVs.
The shield-shaped radiator grille embedded with a large VW badge in the middle is flanked by organically chiselled headlights and huge air intakes to give the SUV a muscular and dynamic look. It has new door mirrors and an optimized roof spoiler to improve its aerodynamics.
Though it looks rugged and aggressive from the outside, it is very soft, plush and soothing on the inside. The interior is plush with an impressive list of comfort and convenience features that gives the feeling of travelling in luxury saloon rather than in an SUV.
The plush interior features a 4-zone climatronic automatic climate control system, heated leather multifunction steering wheel with mounted controls for audio, telephone, navigation, and cruise control and a chrome edged dash.
Five persons can sit comfortably in the Touareg. The driver's seat offers high levels of comfort. Though all the leather seats are comfortably contoured, the legroom in the middle is quite tight and stiff. As there is no third row of seats, it offers generous cargo space for carrying luggage and other belongings.
The tailgate has a convenient electric closing system with power latching feature. Navigation system, Bluetooth technology, wooden trim multi-function steering wheel, 600-watt Danish hi-fi audio system are available as optional equipments.
The SUV is also packed with top-notch safety features including dual-stage airbags for the driver and front passenger, curtain air bags, deactivation facility in the glove compartment for passenger airbag, brake assist system with dual-rate function, Electronic Stabilization Programme (ESP), ABSplus system and traction control system (TCS).