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VWVortex.com Reviews and Road Tests Ehra, Germany - Back in the early 1990's when the sport utility craze started to take off in the United States Volkswagen was struggling to even sell 50,000 cars and the idea of a sport utility vehicle was a far off notion. To do it right would require an all-new platform and none of Volkswagen's existing commercial truck platforms would fit bill. So Volkswagen found itself without the necessary hardware to support what was quickly becoming the biggest automotive trend of the 1990's. Not only that, but they desperately needed to do something to turn their fortune around in the North American market otherwise they would have been forced to pull out altogether. Around the same time Dr. Ferdinand Piech took over the helm of the Volkswagen empire and set in motion a plan to completely replace every single passenger car Volkswagen sold. The plan included an SUV somewhere in the future, but funding for an all-new platform, new all-wheel-drive system and an engineering staff already spread thin over many other projects would make it very difficult. However with sport utility vehicles rapidly cannibalizing car sales in the U.S. Volkswagen needed to do something.
Volkswagen's have historically had a small on the outside but large on the inside reputation. The Touareg breaks this trend with a larger than life exterior and, while plenty roomy inside for all passengers, cozy feeling interior. The Touareg has 19.5 cubic feet of storage space in back and 55.4 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. You can access the rear hatch area by lifting the rear hatch or through the rear window which can be open separately while the rear hatch is closed. Front and rear seat room is plentiful and even the rearmost hatch area has a fair amount of room, moreso than you would think looking from the outside. The Touareg does not have a third row of seats and Volkswagen makes no excuses for this. The vehicle is designed for both the European and U.S. market and as a result has size limitations that restrict overall length. Chances are most buyers of this SUV are not looking for a big family hauler since the Touareg leans slightly more towards the luxury end of the SUV spectrum. The driving position has good visibility all around and easy access to all controls. While we were warned the vehicles we drove weren't even pre-production models, fit and finish was excellent already and we're expecting even better from the final production models. Power everything is standard and depending on trim level U.S. buyers will even be able to finally get a full satellite/navigation system with a large easy to read 7 inch view screen. This system even allows you to enter way points and has a special tracking feature in case you decide to venture off-road for some distance and need to keep track of where and how you got there. The need for a feature like that is a tribute to the high level of off-road capability tied together with a brand new all-wheel-drive system that is unique to the Touareg and its Porsche Cayenne brother. Standard on all models are electronically controlled center and rear differential locks, a true low-range gear set, and a torque split capable of going 100% front and 100% rear. Also available optionally on the V6 but standard on the V8, V10 TDI and W12 models is an air suspension system. The air suspension system also includes an air fill hose that can be used separately to inflate tires or anything else you might need. Ground clearance is a healthy (and class leading) 11.8 inches with 33 degree approach and departure angles. The Touareg is also able to wade through 23 inches of standing water thanks to watertight door and tailgate seals and engine air intakes that have been relocated higher in the engine compartment. Volkswagen also showed a prototype of what they are calling the "extreme" package which includes numerous skid plates, air suspension as standard equipment, sway bar links that electronically disconnect to allow more independent wheel motion, a front differential, side running boards and an exterior mounted spare tire on a swing out gate.
All controls to the suspension are accessed through the center console in the interior (see diagrams). There are three main areas of control: The left most rotary knob controls the all-wheel-drive system settings and has "high", "auto", "low", center differential lock, center and rear differential lock, and if equipped with a front differential, a front, center and rear differential lock position. To the right of this knob is a switch to defeat the standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and, if equipped with the air suspension, a roller switch to adjust through three levels of air suspension settings: "comfort", "auto" and "sport". If the vehicle is equipped with the optional air suspension there is a second rotatary knob to adjust ride height manually. Even with all these manual adjustments the Touareg will make certain assumptions based on a number of variables. For instance at highway speeds the air suspension automatically lowers the vehicle and resets the comfort level to a mid-level range. If you manually switch the all-wheel-drive system to "low" the vehicle goes into "comfort" mode and raises the vehicle to maximum ride height. So how do all these systems work? Quite well actually... Volkswagen set us loose at their highly protected Ehra Lessien proving grounds just north of the Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg for some on-road and off-road fun. Volkswagen had six Touaregs models for us to sample: two 220hp 3.2l VR6 with standard spring suspension, two 310hp 4.2l V8 models with air suspension, and two 313hp V10 TDI models with air suspension. All of the vehicles on hand were largely hand built units so some of the detailing we saw might be different when the final production version makes it way to the U.S. June of 2003. The V6 model will be the base unit priced below $35,000 according to Volkswagen. It will come standard with a slew of standard equipment and a toned down appearance package indicative of a base model - no wood trim on the interior, blacked out front grill, smaller standard wheels and other touches. Even though the 3.2l VR6 is "rated" at 220hp in the Touareg we're inclined to think VW might be under-quoting the horsepower a bit. The V6 model moved off the line rather well, especially with the 6-speed Tiptronic which is standard on all models. Volkswagen quotes a 0-60mph time below 10 seconds for the VR6 model. The 3.2l is quiet and smooth and definitely not an engine option to shy away from. The 313hp 4.2l V8 is borrowed from Audi and gives a very nice growl at higher RPMs and moves the Touareg smartly off the line. Volkswagen claims a 0-60mph below 8 seconds for the V8 model. The added weight was a little more noticeable when tossing the vehicle around the slalom cones, but not significantly different than the V6 model.
The 313hp V10 TDI is by far our favorite pick of all the models not because of the 313 horsepower but because of the 550 lb-ft. of torque. The V10 TDI model really moves off the line with big authority and literally pushes you back in your seat. It is also the quietest TDI we've ever heard and returns nearly 24 mpg combined cycle according to VW. Every journalist in attendance at the event echoed the same sentiment that the V10 TDI *is* the Touareg model to have. VW engineers tell us that since truck emissions are much looser than gasoline emission standards there is a VERY good chance we'll see the V10 TDI in the second year of production along with a 420hp+ W12-cylinder model. All Touareg models come standard with a host of alphabet soup electronic systems to make sure you don't get in over your head: electronic stability program (ESP), anti-slip regulation (ASR), anti-lock brakes (ABS), engine braking control (EBC) and hydraulic brake assistant (HBA). All these systems work rather unobtrusively and the ASR and ESP are capable of being shut off via a switch on the center console. Other safety features include six airbags and an after crash procedure in which the Touareg, after being involved in a serious accident will automatically unlock all the doors, disrupt the starter line from the battery, turns off all HVAC systems, cuts the fuel supply, turns the hazard lights on and, if equipped, will use an option OnStar system to call for help. Volkswagen set up a cone course with slalom, decreasing radius high-speed sweepers, garage gates, an avoidance maneuver gate and more all designed to show the agility and safety aspects of the Touareg. VW engineers encouraged us to push the Touareg as hard as we could on the track and while the vehicle has some typical SUV bodyroll, dive and squat characteristics, the Touareg overall hangs on very well with its Yokohama AVS S/T performance tires doing a commendable job coping with the mass. Through the cones the Touareg has decent turn-in and will understeer at the limit but is easy to bring back in line through throttle input. The levels of ESP interference were low enough that we didn't bother turning the system off. Not to mention we weren't interested in balling up one of VW's hand made prototypes. Overall the Touareg handled much better than we expected and was extremely quiet inside making for a nice place to spend a number of hours traveling.
Braking is wonderful due in large part to the decent tires standard on the Touareg and six-piston Brembo calipers (!). Little to no fade after repeated stops and very easy pedal modulation with no wandering at the limits of adhesion. A great setup that looks very impressive when viewed through the optional 18" wheels. After spending several hours on the track it was time to head over to the off-road section of Volkswagen's proving grounds. This veritable off-road playground had a wide variety of surfaces, hill grades, sand pits, water pits and more for us to get some idea of the off-road capabilities of the Touareg. While the course was designed with the Touareg in mind (meaning there wasn't anything the Touareg couldn't handle) there were a few things that definitely stuck out. First, sand is usually a place where an SUV will stumble since it tends to be a flowing medium that can overwhelm tires and AWD systems quickly often resulting in a vehicle that buries itself up to the axles and an owner that has to reduce tire pressures and dig the vehicle out. Not the Touareg. VW engineers encouraged us to do our best to bury the truck in the sand to no avail. The Touareg would simply haul itself out without a hiccup. Another interesting feature is a hill climb and descent control. Volkswagen had a large hill with various grades of climb up to 45 degrees and with varying surfaces of dirt, loose rocks and small boulders. Drop the Tiptronic in first gear with the AWD system in "low" and while climbing the 45 degree grade you can lift off the gas pedal and the vehicle stays perfectly in place with no drifting backwards or forward crawl - it simply holds the vehicle in position without the driver having to use the brakes. Likewise when crossing over the top of the grade and down the other side, leaving the Tiptronic in first gear gives you controlled decent down the other side with no runaway down the hill.
A few other journalists commented that the VW off-road course didn't seem as extreme as the Land Rover off-road facility in the United States and that given the Touareg's on-paper qualifications it would be an interesting comparison of the two vehicles. Volkswagen engineers smiled at this notion as they reportedly spent vast amounts of time in places like Dubai, Colorado, Utah and Nevada pushing not only the Touareg beyond its limits, but its competition as well. There was also talk of flipping a Mercedes ML and braking the frame on a GMC during their excursions. We think the Touareg will easily exceed the offroad needs and wants of all but the most hardcore offroaders and will raise the eyebrows on a few others that wouldn't give this truck a second look in the back country. VW made it clear that the Touareg and Cayenne set their sites very high both on-road and off-road and after our first drive we believe them. Overall for us as VW enthusiasts, the Touareg was a vehicle we originally had mixed emotions about. None of our staff currently owns an SUV and no one gets particularly excited about them either. However a number of us here enjoy camping, snow skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and a variety of other outdoor recreational activities and the Touareg is a very tempting option to have now. It has great on-road manners and tremendous off-road capabilities, 7,700 lbs. towing capacity (race car tow vehicle anyone?) and most importantly one kickbutt diesel option that gives not only performance but decent fuel economy as well. We'd also like to see Volkswagen offer the new 3.0l V6 TDI with 220hp and over 350 lb.-ft of torque as an additional way to help differentiate the Touareg and give more diesel options to consumers.
The Touareg will be publicly introduced this September at the Paris Auto Show in Europe and at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January. Expect to see the Touareg in dealers in June of 2003 with a price point starting below $35,000. The 3.2l VR6 and 4.2l V8 models will be introduced first followed in the second year with a 420hp+ W12 and 313hp V10 TDI. We look forward to taking a final production Touareg out east to Moab for a little real life fun next summer.
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