Review
Despite the Volkswagen badge, underneath its butch exterior the Touareg is closely related to the upmarket Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. Highlights include excellent on-road manners and a spacious, well-finished cabin, but running costs are on the high side.
The handsome exterior styling gives the Touareg plenty of road presence, and although the cabin can't match the practicality offered by seven-seat rivals, it seats four adults in comfort - or five at a squeeze. The driving position is excellent and offers a good range of adjustment, so even the smallest drivers should be able to get to enjoy the commanding SUV eye-line that allows them to look down on other road users. The interior is well finished, although the control layout is a bit confusing, especially the button-strewn centre console.
All versions offer excellent on-road driving manners, with a comfortable ride and good refinement. Despite its massive bulk, the Touareg is happy to tackle more twisty roads, too. Clever differentials and good ground clearance mean that it's also better off tarmac than most of its "soft-road" rivals.
The 3.6 litre petrol V6 engine option is almost completely pointless, being far thirstier and barely quicker than the 3.0 litre V6 diesel powerplant. There's also an entry-level 2.5 litre diesel, although this struggles to motivate the Touareg's considerable bulk. At the top of the range is the compellingly silly 5.0 litre V10 TDI version - its 309 bhp delivers stunning performance, although at the cost of indifferent fuel economy.