Volkswagen Touareg (2010-2018) Review

The Volkswagen Touareg is a very easy-going premium SUV choice that’s more discreet than some others in this burgeoning sector. That alone is enough for some to prefer it over louder, shoutier alternatives. It’s very refined, smooth and plush to drive, and it gives off an understated, classy image that’s an appealing contrast to some of its rivals.

It’s roomy, too, and will be a lovely family five-seater if you’re after something a bit different to the norm. The boot is big and standard equipment levels reflect the upmarket profile Volkswagen intended for it. Better reliability than the first Volkswagen Touareg is reassuring as well.

The 3.0-litre TDI V6 diesel dominated sales when new and it’s still the best engine to choose today. It sounds pleasant, runs smoothly and offers ample response to the accelerator. You really don’t need the step up to the V8 TDI, although those who’ve tried it might easily be lured in.

The petrol alternative is the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid. This pairs an already-powerful 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine with an electric motor, allowing pure electric driving at lower speeds. It’s curiously fast and potent for a machine focused on economy, we feel.

As for variants, they’re all nice, even the basic SE. The Escape is an off-road-focused version, with a more rugged four-wheel-drive system and added underbody protection, while R-Line takes the alternative route and dials up the sportiness with wheelarch extensions and 20-inch alloys.

If you’re after a more in-your-face SUV, you might prefer something like a BMW X5 or Audi Q7. Alongside a Mercedes-Benz though, the Touareg is an interesting option that gives you much more for your money. It’s comfier and more car-like than a Land Rover Discovery and classier than a Volvo XC90.

It’s similar in size to a Range Rover Sport, but costs much less (and is rather more dependable). Or if you’re feeling really brave, you could look to its near-sibling, the Porsche Cayenne, and discover just what those underpinnings are capable of.

Quality is a notch above even the high standards normally found in Volkswagens. The trims and plastics seem a bit more Audi- or Porsche-like, which is no great surprise given how much the Volkswagen Touareg shares with those more premium SUVs beneath the surface. It feels more like a quiet, luxury cocoon, with damped controls and satin-finish surfaces.

There’s great attention to detail: we love the tactile controllers on the centre console, and the little metal inlays in the electric window and door mirror switches. The precision-fit metal strip on the door panel is laser-like in accuracy, and even the infotainment screen gets its own metal finishing surround. Each of the instruments sits within its own chrome ring, with a high-resolution colour display positioned within.

The leather upholstery is soft and plush, adding to the quality feel. And because it’s a Volkswagen, it’s all built to last, so should wear well over the years. You shouldn’t hear many rattles or buzzes over time. It’s far too cultured a car for that.

All Volkswagen Touaregs came fitted with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, which featured standard sat-nav, DAB digital radio and Bluetooth. It’s a system familiar from other Volkswagen models, and is generally quite straightforward to use – not BMW iDrive-slick, but easy to figure out once you’ve got used to the combination of touchscreen jabs, knob twiddles and shortcut keys.

Navigation guidance is replicated in the screen between the instruments, so you don’t have to keep glancing down at the centre console, which is handy. That second screen can be toggled to show a range of other information, too. In the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, it can show where power is flowing.

Facelifted cars from 2014 received an enhanced nav system that was even crisper and better-looking. Google Earth and Google Street View maps were included, which look amazing.

A premium Dynaudio sound system was optional. This was a good-value £1,000 option when new, so you might find it fitted to a few second-hand models. The system delivered plenty of power, particularly in the mid-range, making Volkswagen Touareg drivers’ favoured Radio 4 seem more vivid and audible than it usually is when driving. Look out for the Dynaudio branding on the tweeter speakers near to the door handles.

The Volkswagen Touareg is a big vehicle, more than 4.8 metres long and nearly two metres wide. And it’s a straight five-seater. So, yes, there is plenty of space inside to keep everyone happy. As is common with German cars, the driver’s seat has a huge range of adjustment, particularly fore and aft. With a fully adjustable steering wheel, it’s easy to find a good driving position no matter in what proportion your legs and arms are. The layout itself also feels less van-like than some SUVs.

The Volkswagen Touareg gives a good view out, courtesy of sitting over 1.7 metres tall. It’s a commanding feeling that seems safe and powerful. The lofty view out of the side windows is also practical, as you can see so much more, while a tall roof gives an airy feel (enhanced further on those models fitted with the panoramic glass roof).

Rear-seat passengers have nothing to fear. It’s a bit of a climb up into the Volkswagen Touareg, but access is wide and, once there, occupants have ample room for feet, knees, arms and heads. The rear seat base is particularly comfortable, and it’s a very relaxing place to while away the motorway hours. The kids will love parents playing chauffeur.

The voluminous boot is 580 litres in size with the seats up. It’s an easy-to-load space with a flat load bay, so you can simply slide heavy items in and out. It’s also wide, and the shape is nicely squared off, so you won’t get big objects half-way in and then find there’s something blocking their way. Folding the rear seats down extends it to 1,642 litres, which is almost as big as a large estate car. A power-assist electric tailgate is a handy extra.

We also like the fact it has rails down either side, which you can use to lash things down using the load securing kit. This comprises straps, nets and other practical gadgets to keep things in place. Below the boot is a space-saving spare wheel. The rear seat also slides back and forth, so you can vary luggage space with rear legroom – and the backrest reclines, so passengers can lie back and snooze if there’s nothing much in the boot.

The Volkswagen Touareg has two ISOFIX mounting points, on each of the outer rear seats, and you could choose an optional front passenger seat Isofix mount, too. The front airbag can be disabled, naturally.

The Volkswagen Touareg dimensions are 4801mm long, 2208mm wide and 1709mm tall.

The core engine in the Volkswagen Touareg, the one you’ll see most often, is the 3.0-litre TDI V6 diesel. At launch, it came in two power outputs: 204PS and 245PS. Even the less powerful version took this big SUV from 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds. The 245PS variant cuts this by almost a second. Both engines are silky-smooth and creamy, with an upmarket feel.

They also both have lots of torque – more than 540Nm, in fact. Floor the accelerator and the Volkswagen Touareg feels genuinely muscular. On the move, it responds strongly and picks up speed without fuss. You’d never believe it weighs over 2.1 tonnes.

The amusing alternative at launch was the 4.2-litre V8, a riotous engine with rip-roaring performance, but was expensive and therefore a bit of a rarity. The Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid supercharged V6 was amusing too, and it could run silently on electric power at slow speeds. Most made good use of its nearly 400PS power output,though, which negated any possible fuel savings.

All Volkswagen Touaregs came with an eight-speed automatic gearbox. This is the ZF unit used in so many other premium cars, and it’s as flawless here as everywhere else.

After the facelift, the range was rationalised to just the two V6 TDI engine options. The higher-power version now had even more power, 262PS, giving 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. They also had ‘green’ Bluemotion Technology features such as SCR selective catalytic reduction.

The Volkswagen Touareg is without doubt one of the smoothest, quietest-running SUVs you can get for the money. Noise levels are extremely low, barely lifting above a whisper even when you start the engines. In town, it oozes luxury and feels like a sanctuary away from the world.

The ride is plush and doesn’t grumble over bumps: it cushions away road harshness, so you’re barely aware of it in practice. Models with air suspension are even better here, with the high-tech setup giving a luxury car experience in terms of refinement, too.

The V6 engines are so muscular, you rarely have to rev them hard. They err a little towards clatteriness when you do, but you don’t have to do it often, so it shouldn’t annoy. The Hybrid is literally silent when running as an EV in town, but noisier than the TDIs in daily use, because it revs that bit higher. As for the V8, it sounds so lovely, you simply wish you could hear more of it.

The Volkswagen Touareg was launched before the time when Euro NCAP routinely tried to crash-test every single car on sale. It therefore doesn’t have a star safety rating, but we have no doubt it would perform well, such is the integrity clearly in evidence.

Six airbags were standard, as was electronic stability control, while anti-theft safety kit included an alarm and immobiliser. There was also a standard driver alert system, which pinged to warn you when it detected any dangerous driver tiredness.

Four-wheel drive is an obvious safety feature, giving more secure traction in all weathers. With the UK’s increasingly varied winter weather – and frequent summer floods – this is a feature always working for you in the background. Models with air suspension have adjustable ride height, too.  

Radar cruise control – called Automatic Distance Control – is optional. This keeps a set distance from the vehicle in front, which can be easily adjusted depending on how many people cut you up. With the 2014 facelift, it was enhanced, with standard city emergency braking and a clever auto pull-away function for use in city traffic.

Automatic post-collision braking was standardised in 2014. Safety studies showed that in high-speed collisions, drivers’ feet can get bumped off the brake pedal after the first impact – yet the vehicle will still be moving. Post-collision braking automatically applies the anchors, so the car comes to a complete halt.

The Volkswagen Touareg scored an impressive 9.33 out of 10 for reliability in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, making it one of the better-performing Volkswagens of this generation and likely reflects the shared parentage with its more expensive Audi and Porsche cousins.

As a brand Volkswagen also finished a solid 10th out of 30 manufacturers overall in the same survey.

TDI V8 models were rated as high as group 46 for insurance. That’s almost unheard of for a Volkswagen, and is evidence of how far upmarket they were pitched. This is an insurance rating normally associated with Porsches and Audis, not Volkswagens. The Volkswagens Touareg Hybrid wasn’t much better, mind: it was rated group 45, which is slightly staggering for, again, a supposed green machine.

Other versions were more affordable. The entry-level 3.0 TDI 204 SE came in at group 35 from launch, although it did step up rather notably in 245PS guise – by no fewer than five insurance bands, to group 40. If you’re looking at both versions, make sure you get insurance quotes beforehand, to make sure there are no nasty surprises when it comes to costs.

Petrol engines always put out slightly higher CO2 emissions – the basis for VED (road tax) – than diesels. The Touareg Hybrid has a 193g/km CO2 rating, which places it in band J for VED – and because it’s officially classified an alternative fuel vehicle, there’s a £10 saving on the annual bill, taking it down to £295 a year.

The TDI 204 emits 184g/km CO2, for annual VED of £265 a year. The TDI’s higher CO2 emissions push it up from band I into band J, for an annual bill of £305. And the V8 costs a hefty £565 a year, because it emits 239g/km CO2.

Post-facelift models with Bluemotion Technology enjoy a further cut in CO2 emissions, which places them both in band H for VED, costing £240 a year.

Remarkably, latter models registered after April 2017 will be cheaper to tax - you'll pay a modest £165 for most versions.

You’re guaranteed a very healthy level of standard equipment with the Volkswagen Touareg. From launch, entry-level Volkswagen TouaregSE models had 18-inch alloys, leather upholstery with heated front seats, two-zone climate control, folding door mirrors, auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers, sat-nav, parking sensors and hill-start assist. The off-road-biased Volkswagen Touareg Escape models added more rugged styling and Land Rover-style adjustable off-road traction control.

Wheels grew to 19 inches on Volkswagen Touareg Altitude variants, which also had heat-insulating glass, sports suspension, standard Bluetooth and steering wheel paddle shifters. The Volkswagen Touareg Altitude V8 had 20-inch alloys, xenon headlights, enhanced Vienna leather and electric-adjust seats that included built-in air-cushioned side bolsters. The Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid was an alternative take on SE with 19-inch alloys, Vienna leather, xenon headlights, Bluetooth and electric seats.

Volkswagen Touareg R-Line trim followed in 2013. This featured 20-inch alloys, R-Line front and rear bumpers, LED running lights, a panoramic glass roof and an R-Line-branded interior. Following the facelift, SE, Escape and R-Line grades were carried over.