Test drive: Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI - Lumberjack in Armani suit
The Volkswagen Touareg is a truly impressive car. Massive and tall with pronounced muscles, but at the same time elegant and harmonious. At the same time, the attractive color of the test model, tinted windows and chrome parts on the body already dispel any hopes of artists, artists, athletes, politicians and even the most hardened criminals that one day they will be behind the wheel of this by no means popular car.
After the Phaeton, the mass-market car manufacturer dared to create an SUV and enter the premium league of modern SUVs decisively against direct rivals from the factories of Mercedes and BMW. From 300.000 to last year, exactly 2003 Volkswagen Touaregs were delivered to customers, and Volkswagen decided it was time for a change. And, just like the first, Volkswagen succeeded in the second attempt: the giant from Wolfsburg, parked, exudes masculinity, strength and power. Although the changes are noticeable, the less attentive observer on the new Touareg will not notice them immediately. Another look - new headlights, a radiator grille "extra chrome" ... Interestingly, the number of changes on the modernized Touareg has reached 2.300. Of the most important and commercially interesting innovations, the ABS plus system, which was identified as the first to reduce the braking distance to 20 percent on slippery surfaces such as sand, gravel and crushed stone. “The updated model really looks much fresher and more aggressive than the first version. The appearance is aggressive, but at the same time elegant. The car constantly draws the eyes of passers-by and other drivers.” – Vladan Petrovich briefly commented on the appearance of the Touareg.
The modernized Touareg owes its aggressiveness and reliability, first of all, to its dimensions of 4754 x 1928 x 1726 mm, a wheelbase of 2855 mm and a high floor. Either way, it's a visually impressive car. The interior of the Touareg follows its exclusive exterior. High-quality leather, four-zone air conditioning, multimedia systems, full electrification, aluminum inserts and a cabin that even Airbus would not be ashamed of will satisfy even the most fastidious. At the same time, passengers enjoy plenty of space, and in the tail section there is a spacious trunk with a base volume of 555 liters, which increases to 1.570 liters when the rear seat is folded down. More than enough for four Powys Vuitton travel bags and tennis gear, right? Only controls and switches, in accordance with the image of the field, are a little more massive, which is certainly welcome. “Given the various options for electric seat adjustment, finding the perfect driving position is easy. The seats are comfortable and large, and I would especially like to highlight the firm feeling that is characteristic of the new generation of Volkswagen cars. Although the console is full of various switches, the time to get used to this machine is minimal, and the command registration system is well done. The interior is up to the mark." concludes Petrovich, a six-time rally champion of our country.
The tried and tested V6 TDI engine proved to be the best solution for the Touareg. Because the 5 hp R174 TDI was a little underpowered and the 10 hp V313 was too expensive. So, for someone for whom the R5 TDI was too old and the V10 TDI too expensive, the 3.0 TDI is the best solution. The machine wakes up with a slight buzz, and then starts strongly from the very beginning. Thanks to the large torque of the “bear” of 500 Nm (the same for the Grand Cherokee 5.7 V8 HEMI), the engine does not know fatigue in any mode. By far the most competent person to evaluate a transmission is six-time state champion Vladan Petrovich: “As you just said, I think this is the right 'measure' for the Touareg. The combination of turbo diesel torque and automatic transmission is a real hit. The engine impresses with its performance on asphalt. It pulls well in all modes of operation, is extremely agile, and when going off-road, delivers plenty of low-end torque for high climbs. Given that this is an SUV weighing more than 2 tons, acceleration to “hundreds” in 9,2 seconds seems very interesting. I also notice that the soundproofing of the unit is at a high level and it often happens that at high speeds we are more worried about wind noise in the mirrors than the sound of the engine ".
-Acceleration: 0-100 km / h: 9,7 s 0-120 km / h: 13,8 s 0-140 km / h: 19,6 s 0-160 km / h: 27,8 s 0-180 km / h : 44,3 s -
Intermediate acceleration: 40-80 km / h: 5,4 s 60-100 km / h: 6,9 s 80-120 km / h: 9,4 s
The power plant definitely passed the exam, but the transmission is important for an SUV, about which Petrovich said only praise: «The transmission is fantastic and I can only praise the engineers who worked on the transmission. Gear shifting is smooth and jerky and very fast. If the changes are not fast enough, there is a sport mode that "keeps" the engine at very high revs. Like the engine, the six-speed tiptronic is commendable. What is very important for SUVs is that the automatic triggers without too much delay when shifting gears, and this is where the Touareg does the job. " One cannot but praise the engine consumption. Thanks to the modern Bosch common-rail injection system, we were able to reduce consumption below 9 liters per 100 km on the open road, while the consumption when driving in the city was about 12 liters per 100 km. The Touareg is very pleasant and runs smoothly at speeds from 180 to 200 km / h. In these conditions, consumption is more than 15 liters per 100 kilometers.
Statistics show that the vast majority of owners of modern SUV models do not have off-road experience. It's the same with Touareg owners, which, on the one hand, is a shame, because this car really has the potential to provide owners with much more than they themselves think. The Touareg is equipped with 4×4 all-wheel drive and a Torsen central self-locking differential that automatically distributes torque between the front and rear axles depending on road conditions. Locking middle and rear differentials can be activated manually. Under normal conditions, power is distributed half to the front and half to the rear axle, and depending on the need, up to 100% of the power can be transferred to one axle. The test car was also equipped with air suspension, which does its job perfectly. Depending on the speed, the car determines the height from the ground, and the driver has the right to choose a constant height from the ground (from 16 to 30 centimeters), stiffer, sportier or softer and more comfortable cushioning (choice of Comfort, Sport or Auto). Thanks to the air suspension, the Touareg is able to overcome water depths of up to 58 centimeters. On top of all that, another detail proving that Volkswagen hasn't played with off-road capabilities is the "gearbox" that reduces power transfer by a ratio of 1:2,7. Theoretically, the Touareg can climb up to 45 degrees of hill, although we haven't tried it, but it's interesting that it can climb a similar side slope.
Vladan Petrovich shared his impressions of the off-road capabilities of this SUV: “I am surprised by the Touareg's readiness for field conditions. While many consider this car to be an urban make-up artist, it must be said that the Touareg is quite capable off-road. The body of the car looks as hard as a rock, which we tested on the uneven rock on the river bank. When slipping, the electronics transfer torque extremely quickly and efficiently to the wheels, which are firmly in contact with the ground. Pirelli Scorpion field tires (size 255/55 R18) withstood the onslaught of the field even on wet grass. In off-road driving, we were greatly helped by the system, which ensures the immobility of the car even on the highest inclines. After you apply the brake, the system is automatically activated and the vehicle remains stationary regardless of whether the brake is applied, until you press the accelerator. The Touareg performed very well even when we overdid it in water over 40 centimeters deep. First they raised it to the maximum by pressing the button next to the gearbox, and then they walked through the water without any problems. Pogloga was rocky, but this SUV showed no signs of fatigue anywhere, it just rushed forward. "
Despite all of the above, the Volkswagen Touareg handles best on asphalt, where it offers the comfort of a luxury sedan. Although the floor is raised and the car's center of gravity is high, in normal driving conditions it's hard to see that the Touareg is actually an SUV and not a family sedan. Petrovich confirmed this to us: “Thanks to the air suspension, there is no excessive rocking, especially when we lower the Touareg to its maximum (pictured below). However, already on the first connected curves, we understand that the Touareg's large mass and high "legs" resist sudden changes in direction, and any exaggeration immediately turns on the electronics. Overall, the driving experience is very good, driving a powerful and powerful car with fantastic looks. That being said, the accelerations are very good and overtaking is a real chore.” concludes Petrovich.
At its price, the Volkswagen Touareg is still the car for the elite. The Touareg V6 3.0 TDI, equipped with an automatic transmission, in the basic version has to pay 49.709 60.000 euros, including customs duties and taxes, while the more equipped test car must pay more than XNUMX XNUMX euros. More expensive cars should be better, so we looked at the test car through a special lens, which was difficult for us to find a flaw in. However, even without the equipment we really liked, the Touareg has no problem competing against the biggest competitors in all disciplines. If you want to know the cost of your Toareg, you can do so on the official website.
Video test drive Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI
