ROAD TEST:
Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI Executive
Johannesburg - It’s amazing how perceptions (particularly those among the ill-informed) take so long to catch up with reality. It’s something that Volkswagen as a brand has to deal with.
Whenever the brand launches an upmarket model or even just the newest edition of the Golf, the ill-informed critics home in on the price: “That much? For a VW?” are some of the typical cries of outrage – which are even more strident from the internet trolls.
Perception: expensive. Reality: you pay more for quality. In virtually all the categories in which they compete, VW’s cars are the benchmarks. Those that are cheaper are inferior and those that cost more are only the equal of the VW model in any given range.
I’ve known that since the 1990s, when my Jetta was so much better than its competitors. And each time the other manufacturers catch up, VW improves the product.
So it didn’t surprise me when the chirps began with the introduction of the facelifted VW Touareg, the German carmaker’s large 4x4 SUV. The new range starts at an admittedly not inconsiderable R709 100 for the base model V6 petrol in its socks, and rises to just under R1 million for the V8 diesel.
A lot of the trolls bemoaned the fact that, for not much more, you could get a Porsche Cayenne. Yes, you could – but the vehicles are basically the same. The Touareg and Cayenne share basically the same mechanical underpinnings and differ slightly in engine choices (not surprising, considering they are made by the same group).
If you want the Porsche, you are paying for the badge. That’s the reality.
UNDERRATED
The Touareg has never really got the credit it deserves – among the SUV and off-roading fraternity or on the sales charts. Which is a pity because it more than holds its own against its competitors.
The range was given a facelift late last year and there are now four models, with three engine variations.
The base model is powered by a V6 petrol engine pushing out 206kW and 306Nm of torque. Next up are two V6 turbodiesels, with 180kW of power and a thumping 500Nm of torque. One of the diesel models is equipped with the hard-core off-road package – centre and rear diff locks and low range. Top of the range is armed with the VW-Audi group’s amazing 4.2-litre V8 turbodiesel engine (250kW and a huge 800Nm of torque), which is truly the best diesel motor I have yet experienced.
All the Touaregs come equipped with VW’s FourMotion permanent four-wheel-drive and a silky smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. An air suspension package can be specified across the range (with special off-road ability in the “Terrain Tech” full-on off-roader), making even the entry-level vehicles formidably capable when the going gets rough.
NASTY ROAD GOBBLED UP
This I discovered with personal experience in the Camdeboo National Park, just outside Graaff-Reinet, when I took the V8 TDI I was driving up to a picnic site off the main tarmac road.
Rain had fallen and the wheel tracks had been washed away, which meant the ascent turned nasty. The Touareg momentarily hesitated, there was the faintest hint of wheelspin, and the electronics, the gearbox and the torsen (torque sensing) centre diff all combined to boost us up and over.
I hadn’t helped matters by not looking particularly carefully at the line and ended up taking the most difficult one, but the VW took it all in its stride.
That lack of drama, that supreme ability instil confidence in the driver.
In the Knysna area we rose comfortably to the top of the highest hill, despite the muddy and slippery conditions. There was little in the cabin – even from the driver’s seat – to indicate the conditions outside were anything but mild.
MAGIC CARPET RIDE
On a sundowner trip to a beach near Sedgefield, my father-in-law remarked at how comfortable the suspension was – then I realised I had it in its hardest setting, sports. You ain’t seeing nothing yet, said I, as I moved the dial to comfort and the Touareg assumed the position of a magic carpet.
The air suspension is definitely an option worth considering, not only for the comfort, but for the extra height it gives you (almost 300mm) when tackling obstacles off-road.
On the way to the coast, the Touareg dispatched the 1 300km Joburg-to-Knysna journey with aplomb. The seats were comfortable enough for me to pull an all-day stint driving, while the climate control was up to the high VW standards, rarely requiring more than a low fan setting to keep the large cabin cool while temperatures outside nudged 40 degrees.
Best of all, though, was that the Touareg’s 100-litre fuel tank, which, in theory at least, would see you through from Joburg to Knysna without refuelling.
FRUGAL FOR A V8 SUV
At the One-Stop in Bloemfontein, I was particularly thankful for the tank and the V8’s comparatively frugal consumption (it averaged a highly commendable 8.3 litres to 100km over the trip). I watched as the queues at the petrol pumps grew to six cars and more.
Filling up alone would add at least 40 minutes to your trip – and with a smaller tank you’d have to do this at least once more before reaching the coast. In the end, we filled up at Three Sisters because I chickened out about trying to get all the way on one tank. I would not hesitate to do it in a V6 turbodiesel Touareg, though.
Talking about trip times: the Touareg is the ideal companion for good cross-country travelling. On the way back from the coast, we averaged 107km/h (including stops) from Graaff-Reinet to Joburg. The 840km distance saw us with more than a quarter of a tank of fuel left when we got home. It also enabled us to get by with just loo and tea breaks – and to leapfrog all the cowboys for whom the speed limit is a joke.
Having the power of the Touareg on hand was, I’ll admit, useful when I had to teach a lesson to the idiot in the Kia Sorento who got on my tail in the Free State and then did a near-suicidal overtaking manoeuvre – despite being less than a kilometre from a passing lane section of the road. I returned the favour and gave him a lesson in what 800Nm does for overtaking acceleration as I swept past him. It took him almost 30km to catch up.
And that is the lesson of the Touareg: don’t underestimate it. It is very, very capable in so many respects.
When you compare it with its rivals, the issue of price will certainly arise.
You will look at the others, look at the VW and shake your head: Damn, they are overpriced and, damn, this is a lot of car for the money…
FACTS
Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI Executive
Engine: 4.2-litre, V8 turbodiesel
Fuel requirement: Low sulphur diesel.
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250kW @ 4000rpm
Torque: 800Nm @ 1750 - 2750rpm
0-100km/h (claimed): 5.8 seconds
Price: R990 600
Maintenance plan: Five-year/100 000km
Fuel consumption
In the city, the V8 gives about 12 litres to 100km, but this drops to just over 8l/100km cruising on the highways at the national speed limit. Pretty impressive figures, given the power of the engine and the weight (about 2.5 tons loaded).
CO2 emissions (claimed): 239g/km
Article: Saturday Star