It has long been a challenge for four
wheel drive enthusiasts to find a
vehicle that can match the world's
best performing off-road machines,
without compromising on style, luxury
and safety.
With the Touareg, Volkswagen has
answered this challenge. Looking at
the 2007 model, it is at first difficult to
determine whether it has been built
with city streets, open highways or
rocky trails in mind.
The basic design principle for the
Touareg is that power and robustness
should only be expressed where
justified by the functionality. All
other body design elements radiate
contemporary elegance and self-
assured dynamics.
its overall height is low for a luxury
4WD and the Touareg features elegant
flat surfaces. it also boasts ample
ground clearance, large wheels and
broad body swage above the rocker
panel - the Volkswagen Touareg is the
perfect combination of style, power
and handling.
With an engine line-up that spans a
performance range from 128kW/400Nm
of torque to 230kW/750Nm, the 2007
Touareg offers a motor for every driver.
The 2.5 litre R5 TDI 128kW offers an
impressive entry into the class, with a
five cylinder engine that cruises from
0 to l00km / h in 12.9 seconds, reaching
a top speed of 179km/h. With this sort
of power, its fuel consumption of just
10.6 litres per l00km is impressive. There are two six cylinder options
- the 3.6 litre V6 FSI with advanced
FSI direct- injection petrol technology,
and the diesel powered 3.0 litre V6
TDI. The latter is characterised by
third generation common rail diesel
dire ct- injection technology that takes
advantage of the Volkswagen world-
first use of piezoelectric injectors to
maximise engine efficiency.
The big daddy of the Touareg family is
the V10 TDI with 230kW of power. Its 10
cylinder, 5.0 litre engine will generate a
whopping 750Nm of torque and propel
you from a standing start to l00km/h
in just 7.8 seconds. With a top speed of
225km/h h, it truly is the ultimate luxury
four-wheel driving experience.
The V10 will take you anywhere,
and in such style - it comes with
enhanced standard features including
air suspension with CDC, Napa leather
upholstery, a tyre pressure monitoring
system, bi-xenon headlights and four-
zone climate control.
This kind of comfort and luxury is
rarely combined with such mastery
of rough terrain. The Touareg will
have no problem with frontal slopes
(45 degrees) and side slopes of up
to 35 degrees. Its maximum ground
clearance - the fundamental measure
of off-road capabilities - is an
impressive 237mm (300mm with
air suspension).
An important unique feature of
the Volkswagen Touareg that helps
it tackle the trickiest of off-road
conditions is 4XMOTION. When the
driving situation requires it, this allows
the driver to apply up to 100 percent
of engine torque to just one drive axle,
rather than the regular 50:50 split.
Furthermore, Hill Holding Assistance
will counter the tendency to roll
backwards, and on hills with greater
than 20 percent grade, the Hill Descent
Assistance uses braking intervention
to maintain constant vehicle speed at
under 20km/h.
Luxury cruising
Of course, not every destination
requires you to traverse sand dunes
and cross running rivers. The Touareg's
advantage over other high performance
off-road vehicles is that it is equally at
home on the open road or city streets,
and will have you cruising in comfort.
The Touareg's interior is luxury
throughout. Settle into the 12-way
electrically adjustable and individually
heated front seats, enjoy the standard
dual zone climate control and relax
to the sounds of the premium audio
system with 10 loudspeakers and six-
disc CD changer.
Other features such as rain-sensing
wipers, side and curtain airbags,
parking distance sensors, cruise
control, automatic headlights and
many other luxuries are now just part
of the standard Touareg package.
Reflecting the fact that the Touareg
will be used for everything from off-
road camping trips and interstate
highway drives, to inner-city journeys
and school drop-offs, the interior
space is a study in functionality. Its
comfortable seats give ample room
for five adults and a cargo capacity of
555 litres. And if you need more room,
the rear seat can be folded down to
make up to a monstrous 1570-litre
cargo capacity.
Safe and sound
It wouldn't be a Volkswagen if the
Touareg didn't combine this luxury
and performance with the ultimate in
safety features. Accident avoidance is
an important principle in the Touareg's
design. Besides the Electronic
Stabilisation Program (ESP) including
the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), the
Touareg boasts Anti-Slip Regulation
(ASR) traction control and Electronic
Differential Lock (EDL).
Should the worst happen, the
Touareg uses a unibody structure
with high-strength steels and special
laser welds to give the vehicle reliable
deformation properties. There are
dual-stage airbags for the driver and
front passenger, as well as side airbags,
a head curtain airbag system and three
point seat belts for passengers.
The safety philosophy of the Touareg
also considers others, with special
deformation zones in the frontal
area to reduce the risk of injury to
pedestrians and cyclists.
So whether it's a family mover, sports
performer, off-road star or luxurious
all-rounder, the Volkswagen Touareg
will take you down your chosen road in
style and safety. -Richard Cann
Volkswagen Magazine Summer/Autumn 2007
