Volkswagen Touareg

The moment you step into the Touareg, the luxurious interior design immediately catches your eye. An elegant double seam runs seamlessly from the dashboard to the door sill. The interior is adorned with high-quality materials and subtle accents, including aluminum or open-pore wood trims, enhanced by ambient lighting. These carefully selected elements create a welcoming and sophisticated atmosphere.

The Touareg’s exterior design meets high expectations with its bold and sophisticated look. The striking front section, featuring prominent air intakes, and the powerful rear design underscore its sporty presence. Its well-balanced proportions emphasize both elegance and size, ensuring a comfortable and commanding presence on the road.

The Touareg's initially unremarkable design saw a significant transformation with the third generation debut in 2018, gaining more refined and elegant lines that infused it with a sense of modernity and sophistication. The recent mid-cycle refresh has further enhanced this aesthetic.Typical of mid-life updates, the Touareg now features redesigned front and rear bumpers and advanced matrix headlights equipped with a staggering 38,432 LEDs. Additionally, it boasts a new rear light bar and, depending on the trim, an illuminated VW logo. 

New alloy wheel designs in 20-, 21-, and 22-inch sizes add a touch of sophistication to the overall look. Inside, the updated version of VW’s Innovision Cockpit takes center stage, featuring a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15-inch touchscreen. 

The updated Touareg essentially offers two powertrains: For starters, there is a 2 liter TFSI engine that pumps out a solid 250 hp along with what seems to be an incredible 370 Nm of maximum torque. But if you thought that was substantial, wait till you hear the figures of the other powertrain, the 3L TFSI mill. It makes as much as 340 hp along with 450 Nm of maximum torque. 

Volkswagen claims that the mid-life facelift has improved the ride quality thanks to revamped suspension, while a new roof load sensor enhances stability when using a roof box. All trims, except the basic one, feature adaptive suspension.

The full suite of safety systems includes Travel Assist (assisted driving at maximum speed), a 360-degree camera display, Park Assist Plus with remote parking capability (via an app), and Night Vision (using a thermal imaging camera).

The Touareg now includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which helps maintain a set speed and distance from the vehicle ahead. ACC supports predictive cruise control and cornering assistance, adjusting the vehicle’s speed according to speed limits and road layouts.

The Front Assist emergency braking system with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring alerts you to critical situations involving pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles, even applying brakes automatically in emergencies.

The third generation Touareg received its most significant update, with the mid-life facelift being more evolutionary than revolutionary. It excels both on and off the road, offering exceptional refinement and capability. However, it comes with a high price tag, and some may prefer its more premium-branded rivals, like the less expensive Audi Q7.For those not fixated on brand prestige, the Touareg is a compelling option. It is Volkswagen's flagship model, combining impressive power and understated elegance. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if that combination is what you’re looking for in an SUV.