Reviews of the Volkswagen Touareg

The Volkswagen Touareg is a luxury SUV that offers stern competition to its premium German rivals. Coming with a slick exterior, advanced tech, and a comfortable ride, the Touareg is great for families who want a relatively affordable luxury SUV. 

Rivals to the Touareg include the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Volvo XC90. 

Our Volkswagen Touareg review covers:

• Good looking exterior with slick lights and a flowing body from front to back 
• Spacious interior with a good amount of kit 
• 810-litre boot
• A choice of petrols, diesels, and plug-in hybrids 
• Three trim levels 

Pros:

• Plenty of space inside for five passengers 
• Comfortable ride 
• Cheaper than rivals

Cons:

• No seven-seat option 
• Interior not as luxurious as rivals 
• Rivals more engaging on the road

The Volkswagen Touareg looks absolutely fantastic and puts its name in the hat as the best-looking SUV. Up front, there's a wide front grille with bars running across it and slick LED headlights, while at the rear, things are quite minimalist with a rounded shape and small spoiler. 

Inside the Touareg, there's enough space for five passengers to easily fit. There's plenty of leg and headroom in the front for a pair of six-footers, while three adults should be able to fit in the rear. The only downside is that the Touareg isn't available as a seven-seater, unlike the Audi Q7 or Volvo XC90. 

Boot space comes in at a monumental 810 litres, which can be extended to a van-like 1,800 litres with the rear seats folded 40/20/40. The standard boot is more than you get in the Audi Q7 or BMW X5. 

The interior of the Touareg features a range of premium materials, such as a leather steering wheel and loads of soft-touch plastics on the dashboard. However, as you move down, there are cheaper-looking materials and scratchy surfaces that fall short of the Mercedes GLE and BMW X5. 

On the dash, you get a 15-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with a DAB radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and navigation. You'll find that the system is okay to use when stationary but can be tricky to use when driving, thanks to the lack of physical buttons. It is a decent system all in all but it falls short of the iDrive systems found in the BMW X5. 

You also get a 12-inch high-resolution digital cockpit behind the steering wheel with customisable menus and information. 

Three trim levels are available: Elegance, Black Edition, and R. 

Elegance has 20-inch alloy wheels, HD matrix headlamps, heated front seats, black roof rails, four-zone climate control, keyless access, full electric tailgate operation, seat trim covers in 'Vienna' leather, an innovision cockpit including a 15-inch display, and a tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof. 

Black Edition adds 21-inch black alloy wheels, a black edition pack, air suspension, memory pack plus with power seats, park assist pro with area view, ergoComfort seats in front, black styling comfort bumpers, and rear tinted glass. 

R has 22-inch diamond-turned alloy wheels, a Puglia leather trim, active climate seats in the front, door and side trim panel with leather quilting, and interior ambient lighting with 30 colour options. 

Under the bonnet, there's a choice of two diesel engines, a petrol, and two plug-in hybrids. All units come with four-wheel drive and are paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

You get a pair of 3.0-litre V6 engines for the diesels with 228 or 282bhp. Our pick of the bunch would be the 228 unit, as it offers plenty of power from low revs and has more than enough kick, achieving 0-62mph in just 7.6 seconds. The 282bhp unit is slightly quicker, bolting off the mark to 62mph in just over six seconds. 

Both of the diesel units return a fuel economy in the mid-thirties. 

The only petrol option is the 3.0-litre TSI 340 that has 335bhp and goes from 0-62mph in under six seconds. This is by far the smoothest engine in the range and stays quiet from idle to maximum revs. 

For the plug-in hybrids, you can choose between two 3.0-litre units, the eHybrid 381 or eHybrid 462. Both return a fuel consumption of around 120mpg and can run on electric power for roughly 31 miles. 

Regarding drive dynamics, the Touareg offers a smooth and composed ride with precise handling and good agility. It's clear that Volkswagen prioritises comfort over performance, so if you want this, the Touareg will meet your demands. 

Its suspension has good comfort levels and is great for cruising around town and at motorway speed. Upgrade to the optional air suspension, and you'll find the Touareg is superb in all conditions and deals extremely well with tricky road conditions. 

For a big car, it also handles pretty well. Around town, the handling is light and deals with tight streets and car parks well, and as you move up the trims, you get more tech, such as Park Assist Pro, which will literally do the parking for you. 

Our only bone to pick with the Touareg is that it's not as engaging on the road as some of its rivals, like the BMW X5. Find yourself on a country road, and the Touareg is a bit lacklustre, and you'll probably be left wanting a bit more. 

Prices for the new Volkswagen Touareg start from £70,315.00 OTR* or to lease from £512.02 per month.

Looking to get behind the wheel of the Volkswagen Touareg? Nationwide Vehicle Contracts is one of the UK's largest car leasing brokers and offers a range of leasing deals to suit your every need.

Leasing may be cheaper than an outright purchase, thanks to a low initial deposit and fixed monthly rentals.

*' On the road' price correct at time of publication and includes one year's road fund license, DVLA first registration fee and number plate fee. Prices are subject to change; always check with your nearest retailer.