VW Touareg III

The Touareg has been Volkswagen's first SUV since the early 2000's and while this is basically a Porsche Cayenne underneath, the Touareg wasn't as more enjoyable as the Cayenne but it was almost a half-price Range Rover which isn't so bad to take it on a day to day basis, whether if you're taking kids from school, running errands, going on a family trip to grandma's house, or for just plain Sunday driving. With the advent of the third-generation Touareg, there's a lot of stuff to pick up for the all-new model which is literally all new from the ground up.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg

Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, your new VW Touareg, and with prices start at 60,675 Euros, it's somewhat more costly to own than a Land Cruiser Prado but half the price of the Range Rover if you ask. With so much to ask about Volkswagen's flagship SUV, what to expect from this all new model, per se?

2019 Volkswagen Touareg

First and foremost, the styling of the new Touareg went to a more dramatic approach and apart from the T-Roc-styled nose, the new Touareg can be easily mistaken for an Audi Q7, which of course the new model is based on thanks to an all new platform that has been creaming through every large luxury car from the VW Group family tree but we'll talk about that platform later but in the meantime, the cockpit.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg interior

The biggest surprise on the interior that it's got a massive touch screen on the dashboard and the interior is becoming more Audi A8-level of comfort because there's an available massage seats that will relax the occupants after a long day at work or at school. Toying around on the driver's side, the touch screen can be operated via touch, speech, or even gesture control, which is very BMW-ish if you ask them. From the available Discover Premium navigation system, heads up display, and Digital Cockpit, this crossover really is the future worth toying for. At the passenger's side, it's surprisingly comfortable for a five-seater luxury crossover and while not recommended for family use because of the "sweet spot" scenario, its use for VIP escorts won't go unnoticed and its boot space is very good indeed.

2019 Volkswagen Touareg

Like I said, the new Touareg now runs on the similarly new platform that VW Group's luxury cars possess and with the help of the brand new 4-corner air suspension, it really works like it was meant to be, whether on the road, off road, or whatever the heck you're on. Apart from that, the running gear is now made of lightweight aluminum, the active roll compensation and anti-roll bars are now electromechanical, and it's got all-wheel steering so that all four wheels can be turned simultaneously, which isn't so bad for a big hunk of German meat with some buns and thighs. Ja, buns and thighs.

The 4MOTION all-wheel drive has a center differential lock with asymmetrically dynamic torque distribution that transfers a maximum of 70% to the front while up to 80% at the back as well as yhr Active Control that allows the drivers to switch through different driving modes that suit their driving conditions; be it tarmac, gravel, or snow, whichever comes first.

While Germany is now one of the many EU nations that have a hatred affair with diesels, the new Touareg offers only with a 3.0L V6 TDi engine mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox with "shift-by-wire". Looks like Volkswagen never learn from their Dieselgate scandals but anyway, the 3.0L V6 TDi engine produces 286PS of power and 600Nm of torque. It does 0-100kph in 6.1 seconds and has a top speed of 235kph. Fuel economy is around 8.1L/100km combined based on WLTP standards. That is pretty good stuff but remember VW, you had an electrified promise to keep so you can clean your name from the diesel plague you went into.

The new IQ.Light LED matrix headlights isn't the only functional thing that works on the new Touareg, in fact, there are numerous safety features that can be proven useful on the journey home. From the Night Vision, Front Cross Traffic Assist, Proactive occupant protection system, Traffic Jam Assist with Roadwork Lane Assist, Trailer Assist, Automatic Post-Collision Braking System 2.0, there are numerous safety features you can take advantage of, although this puts driving on the order side rather than the freedom side, which is somewhat worth a shrug on the shoulders.

So, is there's something to like about the new Touareg? Well, it's becoming the Audi Q7 for the more reasonable ones due to its comfortable interior, the dashboard's becoming too much to toy with, rides better than the old one, and it's worth the trip with this one. What's not to like is that VW didn't stick to the electrification promise because it's got a diesel engine at launch. Don't worry, VW will figure it out soon but in the meantime, feel free to enjoy what's what about the new Touareg. Like a multi-talented traffic enforcer, the new Touareg is an SUV of many talents and it does great like what a decent SUV should.

Photo: Volkswagen