The Touareg is all set to make it’s big comeback. How good is it?
RATING
DETAILS
- Make Volkswagen
- Model Touareg
- Edition V6 TDI 2012
You would have to be blind to mistake the Touareg for anything other
than a Volkswagen. The headlights look like they’ve been taken straight
off a Passat, as do the taillights, and that rather round shape isn’t
anywhere as adventurous as its exotic name suggests. Also missing is the
old Touareg’s decidedly SUV-ish feature – the tailgate-mounted spare
wheel. This new one makes do with a space-saver and a portable
air-compressor stored away under the boot floor. Still, it’s an
inoffensive design and the Touareg’s got tremendous presence – a fact
confirmed by the number of heads it turned everywhere we went.
This Touareg (codename: 7P5) shares VW’s PL71 platform with the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. Volkswagen is quite proud of the fact that, despite being bigger than the car it replaces, it weighs at least 203kg less. Look at the spec sheet and you can see where Touareg 2 has grown – it is longer, wider and more importantly, has a 40mm longer wheelbase that substantially improves cabin space. More impressive still is the Touareg’s fundamental rigidity, which has risen by more than five percent, making it one of the stiffest vehicles in it class.
Suspension is by way of independent double wishbones all around and adjustable air springs. The air suspension has five settings – Loading, Sport Normal, Comfort Normal, Off-Road and Special Off Road. At its Special Off-Road height, the Touareg has an impressive 300mm of ground clearance and looks quite formidable standing tall on its springs. At this height, it can ford 580mm depths too and in VW’s own words “ensure fish stay outside the Touareg.”
In other markets, Volkswagen offers a low-range transfer case and lockable differentials for serious off-roading, but Indian cars will have to make do with the regular all-wheel drive system and a special off-road program that activates hill-descent control and tweaks ABS, ESP, traction control and electronic differential lock settings. Not offering the full-blown off-road kit
is a good move – it will help keep costs down. Most owners won’t venture too far off tarmac and if they do, this standard Touareg is pretty good on the loose stuff anyway.
Fuel Efficiency
Thanks to the torque and the eight-speed gearbox, you can expect a reasonable 7.5kpl in the city. The tall cruising gears also help it achieve a decent 11.8kpl on the highway. This and the simply humongous 100-litre fuel tank means you can comfortably go 1000km between fill ups. Volkswagen isn’t offering the fuel -saving Bluemotion tech here tough.
Verdict
We tried really hard to find faults with the Touareg and apart from the five-seat limitation and slightly plain cabin, we really couldn’t find any. The Touareg gets a lot of things right – the engine is strong and refined, it rides comfortably and the handling is much better than what you could expect from a two-tonne SUV. It is well-built, spacious, generously equipped and is generally a comfortable place to be in. It does everything you expect of a premium SUV and, more importantly, feels expensive. Its just that at the pre-Budget-estimated Rs 60-65-lakh price, it is quite a big jump over the previous Touareg. Sure you get a lot more, but now VW’s premium SUV is periliously close to some of the more prestigious brands.
This Touareg (codename: 7P5) shares VW’s PL71 platform with the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. Volkswagen is quite proud of the fact that, despite being bigger than the car it replaces, it weighs at least 203kg less. Look at the spec sheet and you can see where Touareg 2 has grown – it is longer, wider and more importantly, has a 40mm longer wheelbase that substantially improves cabin space. More impressive still is the Touareg’s fundamental rigidity, which has risen by more than five percent, making it one of the stiffest vehicles in it class.
Suspension is by way of independent double wishbones all around and adjustable air springs. The air suspension has five settings – Loading, Sport Normal, Comfort Normal, Off-Road and Special Off Road. At its Special Off-Road height, the Touareg has an impressive 300mm of ground clearance and looks quite formidable standing tall on its springs. At this height, it can ford 580mm depths too and in VW’s own words “ensure fish stay outside the Touareg.”
In other markets, Volkswagen offers a low-range transfer case and lockable differentials for serious off-roading, but Indian cars will have to make do with the regular all-wheel drive system and a special off-road program that activates hill-descent control and tweaks ABS, ESP, traction control and electronic differential lock settings. Not offering the full-blown off-road kit
is a good move – it will help keep costs down. Most owners won’t venture too far off tarmac and if they do, this standard Touareg is pretty good on the loose stuff anyway.
Fuel Efficiency
Thanks to the torque and the eight-speed gearbox, you can expect a reasonable 7.5kpl in the city. The tall cruising gears also help it achieve a decent 11.8kpl on the highway. This and the simply humongous 100-litre fuel tank means you can comfortably go 1000km between fill ups. Volkswagen isn’t offering the fuel -saving Bluemotion tech here tough.
Verdict
We tried really hard to find faults with the Touareg and apart from the five-seat limitation and slightly plain cabin, we really couldn’t find any. The Touareg gets a lot of things right – the engine is strong and refined, it rides comfortably and the handling is much better than what you could expect from a two-tonne SUV. It is well-built, spacious, generously equipped and is generally a comfortable place to be in. It does everything you expect of a premium SUV and, more importantly, feels expensive. Its just that at the pre-Budget-estimated Rs 60-65-lakh price, it is quite a big jump over the previous Touareg. Sure you get a lot more, but now VW’s premium SUV is periliously close to some of the more prestigious brands.
act File
What it costs
| Ex-showroom (Delhi) | Rs 60-65 lakh (est) |
| Warranty | NA |
Engine
| Fuel | Diesel |
| Installation | Front, longitudinal |
| Type | 6-cyls in vee, 2967cc |
| Bore/stroke | 83.0/91.4mm |
| Compression ratio | 16.8:1 |
| Valve gear | 4 valves per cyl, DOHC |
| Power | 240bhp at 3800rpm |
| Torque | 56kgm at 1750-2750rpm |
| Power to weight | 111.47bhp per tonne |
| Torque to weight | 26kgm per tonne |
Transmission
| Type | All-wheel drive |
| Gearbox | 8-speed automatic |
Dimensions
| Length | 4795mm |
| Width | 1940mm |
| Height | 1709mm |
| Wheel base | 2893mm |
| Boot volume | 580-1640 litres |
Chassis & Body
| Construction | Five-door SUV, monocoque |
| Weight | 2153kg |
| Tyres | 255/55R18, Bridgestone Duelers |
| Spare | SpaceSaver |
Suspension
| Front | Independent, double wishbone, air springs |
| Rear | Independent, air springs |
Steering
| Type | Rack and pinion |
| Type of power assist | Hydraulic |
| Turning circle | 11.9m |
Brakes
| Front | Ventilated discs |
| Rear | Ventilated discs |
| Anti-lock | Yes |
Performance
| 0-20 | 0.63 |
| 0-40 | 1.71 |
| 0-60 | 3.23 |
| 0-80 | 5.21 |
| 0-100 | 7.47 |
| 0-120 | 10.44 |
| 0-140 | 14.26 |
| 0-160 | 19.26 |
| 0-180 | 26.66 |
| 0-200 | 38.67 |
Economy
| City | 7.5kpl |
| Highway | 11.8kpl |
| Tank size | 100litres |
Range at a glance - Engines
| Diesel | 3.0 Diesel, 240bhp, Rs 60-65 lakh (EST) |
No comments:
Post a Comment