Earlier this year, VW released an entry-level version of the mighty Touareg: the 2.5 TDI. The 5-cylinder engine is essentially half the V10 Diesel engine used in the top of the range Touareg model, and at just under £31,000 on the road poses a considerable saving on the larger engined model (if not quite half the price). The engine may be half the size, but the Touareg is still full size (McDonalds would probably call is super-sized). Even in 2.5-litre form, it still weighs in at over two tonnes, which is a lot of metal for the small engine to shift.
First impressions are favourable - our test vehicle might not have the most attractive colour scheme (Wheat Beige metallic with Sunny Beige leather), but the high standard of build quality inside and out is very much in evidence, and this Touareg looks as expensive as it is. While hardly being Cinderella to its ugly sister Cayenne, VW has been more successful at translating their styling cues to such a large vehicle. In fact, from a distance the front could be almost any other VW; it's only when it draws closer you realise just how big the Touareg is - it is very imposing without having to resort to aggressive accessories such as bull bars and big spot lights.
Our test vehicle had the (no-cost) optional 'Vavona' wood trim, which, coupled with the leather, gave a very desirable ambience to the interior. This might be the entry-level version but the neighbours' children would be more than impressed on the school run, as would be their parents. The beige seatbelts may have taken colour coding too far; I suspect these might be harder to clean than the rest of the interior.
The design of the dashboard and centre console - our test car had the optional satellite navigation system with 7" colour screen - was very similar at first glance to that of
the Phaeton. Further investigation suggested that maybe the Touareg was more successful in this area; the auxiliary gauges were more sensibly calibrated, the dual zone climate control, stereo and the navigation system a lot easier to use.
Starting up, there was a distant diesel clatter that gave the game away, but once on the move this was subdued. The 2.5 TDI engine produces 172bhp at 3,500 rpm. Of more importance in this type of vehicle is the torque figure of 295lb.ft at 2,000 rpm. VW say this is sufficient to take the 2.5 TDI Touareg from 0-62mph in 12.9 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 114mph. With the Tiptronic gearbox taking care of the gears you don't have to be a test driver to match these figures. Certainly, despite the size of the Touareg, you don't feel you cannot keep up with the traffic, and each gear change is almost imperceptible. Early signs suggest maybe you don't suffer from "poverty-model" syndrome by choosing the 2.5-litre over the V10
It's when the roads get more demanding that the size of the engine is betrayed. My test route took me up into the hills where the road was almost mountainous: tight bends on inclines were commonplace. It was here that the gearbox was working overtime trying to keep the engine in its power band. If you can only run to the 2.5-litre model, definitely have the automatic gearbox or you'll have to be changing gear constantly in these conditions.
With its lofty driving position, vision outwards is exemplary, although the sheer size of the vehicle can make negotiating urban width restrictions a little interesting. In line with most owners, the furthest off-road I went in the Touareg was up a kerb and onto the grass verge to drive around a fallen tree so I can't comment definitively on the off-road capabilities of the Touareg. Given the permanent 50/50 split four-wheel drive, automatic centre diff. lock (which can send all the torque to either axle), four-wheel electronic diff. lock that can allow all the torque to be transmitted to any single wheel, high and low gear range, hill descent assist, as well as the usual huge ground clearance commensurate with this type of vehicle, it is unlikely that any owner is going to get stuck anywhere traversable by motor vehicle.
The more I drove the Touareg, the more I liked it. The build quality and the standard of equipment were certainly not "poverty-spec". Although the £31,000 asking price for this vehicle seems quite high, it's easy to feel that you are driving something even more expensive, and it lines up well against the perceived opposition. Without hitting the options list, the Touareg comes with ABS, ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme), ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation - traction control to you and I), driver, passenger, front side and curtain airbags, cruise control, dual zone climate control and more.
So, does the 2.5 TDI Touareg make sense? With a small reservation on how hard the gearbox has to work when the going gets tough, it has to be a resounding yes. For normal day-to-day use this model makes the V10 an extravagance that will only be required by those buyers who have to have the top of the range, or those with towing needs that are more small yacht than speedboat.
