Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £30,325 to £62,165
Very capable both on and off-road, well built, muscular V10 diesel option.
Very little, if you like the idea of a fat 4x4.
Lots of technology, and it's all put to good use: the Touareg is a hugely competent all-rounder. Who needs a Porsche Cayenne?
The VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 all stem from the same roots but have headed off in different directions. The Audi feels very Audi - like a high-rise A8 - while the Porsche, now in its second generation, is all about on-road performance. That leaves the Touareg as the versatile, practical, comfortable all-rounder. Like the others, it's capable of doing everything from all-day motorway cruising to reasonably serious off-roading. But unlike the others, it doesn't feel precious; it gives the impression that it's there to be used, and used hard, and it doesn't matter if you don't have time to wash it.
In early 2007 the facelifted Touareg reached Britain. It has the current VW family grille, new head and tail lights, new bumpers, new tail pipes and new door mirrors. Inside, the front seats and instruments are different.
The engine line-up hasn't changed. There are three diesels and one petrol, with automatic and manual gearboxes available, and three trim levels, although the entry-level trim limits your choice of engines. The many small but important technical changes that have been made are all behind the scenes; chief among them is the arrival of ABS Plus, which reduces braking distances on loose surfaces. In the case of the V10 diesel the brakes themselves are more powerful, too.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Touareg
wrote on 26 09 2007