Volkswagen and Porsche jointly developed the Touareg, no wonder it's got a rumble in its belly
By Tushal Bhadang
LAUNCHED IN 2003, VW AND PORSCHE WANTED to add a luxury SUV to their line up, the goal was to develop a car that could handle the chicane as well as the swamp. The 2007 Touareg (The name is derived from the French moniker for the nomadic Tuareg tribe and is pronounced “TWAH-reg” ) has a new dynamic face, a bigger goatee (Audi Q7) and even more aggressive headlamps (enabled with VW’s bi-xenons with static cornering lamps). New features also include a new taillight cluster and a fresh set of wheels.
The car we had on test was the 280 hp V6 FSI gasoline powered mini monster. VW also have on option a more powerful 350 hp V8 engine on offer. The V6 developed 360 Nm of torque at 5000 RPM. To people these are just figures, but when put the test, the more torque one has on tap the better it is. Mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox with manual override, the power delivery was seamless. She shifted up in such a rush that by the time you got up to 70 kmph, it was already slotting into 6th gear. Strange.
4XMOTION is what VW calls its permanent 4-wheel drive system which is backed up by a smart electronic differential to distribute power efficiently. Switching to low range is via a knob mounted near the stick shift but one has to shift to neutral to engage the centre differential lock. With so many gadgets on offer, we couldn’t resist ourselves from taking it where no Touareg had been before on the island. Designed to attack steep slopes of 45 degrees and rivers with water level up to 58 cm, she looked eager to attack the dunes. It took on steep slopes with aplomb, impressing with its torque and ground clearance.
The problem with most luxury SUV’s is that they come with wide road tyres and the Touareg is no exception. 275/45R19 mounted on ‘Terra’ alloys worked well on the road, but off road they didn’t provide the comfort that is expected. The ride quality is very firm and the wide footprint often saw her struggling in super-soft sand where the importance of proper off-road tyres was felt. By appearance, she looks like a soft-roader and we ourselves didn’t expect it to do much as this option also lacked the height adjustable suspension. It impressed us the most when it tip-toed into a steep creep (on 2 wheels) with a very rocky entrance. Ground clearance, power and weight distribution came into play and the feat was achieved with remarkable agility and precision.
Cream all leather interiors pronounced luxury with a two-tone dash board in brown and beige. Burr Walnut wood inserts gave added comfort. Dual climate control and in-dash CD player with 6 speakers kept our journeys entertained. VW always pays attention to detail, all switches were within reach, a clever sunroof design controlled by a rotary knob instead of vague buttons is so much better. The rear windscreen also open up separately instead of having to open the whole bootlid to load it up. Heated driver and front passenger seats are electronically adjustable. The small but chunky leather wrapped steering wheel gives the right feel to the size of the car. Parking sensors mounted on the front and rear bumpers provide easy visual and audio guidance when parking. Storage space is above average with a cooled glove box. Power steering is adjustable for rake and reach and contains the central user interface and also audio and cruise control. The speedo console is as detailed as other VW models with outside temperature, fuel efficiency, distance/time travelled etc. Also included in the Touareg is a battery Amp meter and separate gauges for engine and oil temperature.
Safety-wise, ESP, Traction control, ABS, EBD and a set of 6 airbags for front and rear passengers secures all occupants. EDL (Electronic differential lock) provides a smooth start on road surfaces with bad traction. Additionally, the Touareg enjoys a 5-star passenger and 4-star child safety rating from EURONCAP.
Last word
The Touareg provides the thrills of a well-built car in a package that looks good and performs extremely well from a position where people don’t normally expect it to. She goes about her job in an orderly fashion. The rumble in her belly is that of a motor that’s raring to go. The car is intelligent but it can do so much more with better ride quality and beefier tyres. Its red and blue backlighting for switches and gauges is snazzy, rear seat passengers are also showered with luxurious reclining seats. The Touareg is for those who want a super-sport SUV but without the prohibitive price tag.
Rating 5/5
Car supplied by Behbehani Bros., Kingdom of Bahrain.
By Tushal Bhadang
LAUNCHED IN 2003, VW AND PORSCHE WANTED to add a luxury SUV to their line up, the goal was to develop a car that could handle the chicane as well as the swamp. The 2007 Touareg (The name is derived from the French moniker for the nomadic Tuareg tribe and is pronounced “TWAH-reg” ) has a new dynamic face, a bigger goatee (Audi Q7) and even more aggressive headlamps (enabled with VW’s bi-xenons with static cornering lamps). New features also include a new taillight cluster and a fresh set of wheels.
The car we had on test was the 280 hp V6 FSI gasoline powered mini monster. VW also have on option a more powerful 350 hp V8 engine on offer. The V6 developed 360 Nm of torque at 5000 RPM. To people these are just figures, but when put the test, the more torque one has on tap the better it is. Mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox with manual override, the power delivery was seamless. She shifted up in such a rush that by the time you got up to 70 kmph, it was already slotting into 6th gear. Strange.
4XMOTION is what VW calls its permanent 4-wheel drive system which is backed up by a smart electronic differential to distribute power efficiently. Switching to low range is via a knob mounted near the stick shift but one has to shift to neutral to engage the centre differential lock. With so many gadgets on offer, we couldn’t resist ourselves from taking it where no Touareg had been before on the island. Designed to attack steep slopes of 45 degrees and rivers with water level up to 58 cm, she looked eager to attack the dunes. It took on steep slopes with aplomb, impressing with its torque and ground clearance.
The problem with most luxury SUV’s is that they come with wide road tyres and the Touareg is no exception. 275/45R19 mounted on ‘Terra’ alloys worked well on the road, but off road they didn’t provide the comfort that is expected. The ride quality is very firm and the wide footprint often saw her struggling in super-soft sand where the importance of proper off-road tyres was felt. By appearance, she looks like a soft-roader and we ourselves didn’t expect it to do much as this option also lacked the height adjustable suspension. It impressed us the most when it tip-toed into a steep creep (on 2 wheels) with a very rocky entrance. Ground clearance, power and weight distribution came into play and the feat was achieved with remarkable agility and precision.
Cream all leather interiors pronounced luxury with a two-tone dash board in brown and beige. Burr Walnut wood inserts gave added comfort. Dual climate control and in-dash CD player with 6 speakers kept our journeys entertained. VW always pays attention to detail, all switches were within reach, a clever sunroof design controlled by a rotary knob instead of vague buttons is so much better. The rear windscreen also open up separately instead of having to open the whole bootlid to load it up. Heated driver and front passenger seats are electronically adjustable. The small but chunky leather wrapped steering wheel gives the right feel to the size of the car. Parking sensors mounted on the front and rear bumpers provide easy visual and audio guidance when parking. Storage space is above average with a cooled glove box. Power steering is adjustable for rake and reach and contains the central user interface and also audio and cruise control. The speedo console is as detailed as other VW models with outside temperature, fuel efficiency, distance/time travelled etc. Also included in the Touareg is a battery Amp meter and separate gauges for engine and oil temperature.
Safety-wise, ESP, Traction control, ABS, EBD and a set of 6 airbags for front and rear passengers secures all occupants. EDL (Electronic differential lock) provides a smooth start on road surfaces with bad traction. Additionally, the Touareg enjoys a 5-star passenger and 4-star child safety rating from EURONCAP.
Last word
The Touareg provides the thrills of a well-built car in a package that looks good and performs extremely well from a position where people don’t normally expect it to. She goes about her job in an orderly fashion. The rumble in her belly is that of a motor that’s raring to go. The car is intelligent but it can do so much more with better ride quality and beefier tyres. Its red and blue backlighting for switches and gauges is snazzy, rear seat passengers are also showered with luxurious reclining seats. The Touareg is for those who want a super-sport SUV but without the prohibitive price tag.
Rating 5/5
Car supplied by Behbehani Bros., Kingdom of Bahrain.
No comments:
Post a Comment