Volkswagen Touareg – What you need to know

Now that VW has pulled the pin on its traditional station wagons, if you want a family lugger, school runner or a holiday express from the German brand, it’ll have to be an SUV – and at the top of the tree is the Volkswagen Touareg.

Available only as a five-seater and in just three model grades – 170TDI, 210TDI Elegance and 210TDI R-Line – the large five-seater Touareg family SUV is priced from $89,240, moving to $108,240 at mid-series level before topping out at $117,540 (all plus on-road costs).

Powering the Touareg range is a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine producing either 170kW or 210kW, as indicated by the badge, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

So, which is the right one for you?

Your entry into the Touareg range starts with the 170TDI at $89,240 plus ORCs, and it comes with the following standard features:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• 9.2-inch infotainment touch-screen
• Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio
• Rear-view camera
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Adaptive cruise control
• Air-conditioning

Of the six colours offered on the Volkswagen Touareg range, only Pure White comes at no extra cost. Metallic paint is $2200 while premium metallic paints add $2500.

Several option packs are offered for the Touareg range.

An Innovision Package is available on the 170TDI for an $8700 outlay, adding a high-resolution 12.3-inch TFT instrument display screen with customisable menus.

The Innovision pack also includes a 15-inch colour infotainment touch-screen, head-up display, a choice of 30 ambient interior light colours, illuminated stainless-steel scuff plates and a glossy black centre console.

A Sound and Comfort Package can be added to the 170TDI or 210TDI Elegance for a cost of $7600. It comprises surround-view cameras, folding door mirrors with environment lighting and memory function, 18-way power-adjustable front seats with three-position memory and easy entry function.

It also includes four-zone automatic climate control with air cleaning function, allergen filter and rear seat controls, plus heated front and outer rear seats.

The audio system is enhanced with a DYNAUDIO Consequence premium sound system featuring a 16-channel amplifier, 14 speakers and an output of 730W.

Driver assist features include manoeuvre braking and Park Assist Plus or hands-free parking. There is also a space-saving spare tyre and electric air compressor.

Exclusive to the 210TDI R-Line is the $6600 Sound and Comfort Package. For that you gain surround-view cameras, four-zone automatic climate control with air cleaning function, allergen filter and rear controls.

There’s also heated front and outer rear seats, the DYNAUDIO Consequence premium sound system with its 16-channel amp, 14 speakers and 730W output, manoeuvre braking and Park Assist Plus.

All Volkswagen Touareg models have VW’s IQ driver assist systems inclusive of adaptive cruise control, driver fatigue detection, front and rear cross traffic alert, front assist with pedestrian monitoring, side assist, lane change assist and lane assist with adaptive lane guidance.

Parking the Touareg is a breeze with the optical parking system, park assist, parking bay and parallel parking assistance, parking sensors front and rear, and a rear-view camera with guidelines.

In addition to the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in the Touareg, all models have anti-lock brakes with brake assist, multi-collision brake and an auto-hold function. Front side and curtain airbags span both rows and there is both electronic traction and stability controls.

The 4MOTION all-wheel drive system seamlessly moves power between the front and rear axles to maximise traction, and there are four AWD modes to select from: Snow, On-road, Off-road (with pre-set operating parameters) and Off-road Individual that allows the driver to select the settings.

Furthermore, there are selectable drive modes: Normal, Sport, Eco, Off-road and Individual driving modes in all variants, with the 210TDI duo gaining Comfort mode.

There are electronic and extended differential locks for easier going through rugged off-road conditions, plus hill descent control.

Two ISOFIX child seat anchorage points are on the outer rear seats and top tether strap points are mounted across the rear seat-back.

The Volkswagen Touareg has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted in 2018.

Sitting in the centre dash of the entry-level Volkswagen Touareg 170TDI is a 9.2-inch colour infotainment touch-screen with satellite navigation, smartphone-style HMI, a configurable home screen and proximity sensor.

It also features gesture and voice control, an AM/FM radio and an SD card slot for music that’s compatible with MP3, WMA and AAC music files. A jpeg image viewer, car menu with convenience and service settings are also accessed in the screen.

Wireless smartphone charging is included in all models.

Taking a step up to the 210TDI Elegance or 210TDI R-Line, the 15-inch colour infotainment touch-screen claims a bigger slice of dash real estate.

The home screen is configurable and there are voice and gesture controls, AM/FM/DAB+ radio and eight speakers. An SD card slot that’s compatible with MP3, WMA and AAC music files and a jpeg image viewer is included along with the car menu with convenience and service settings.

A 7.0-inch multi-function display including speedo, trip-meter, driver assist system and map views is standard in the Touareg 170TDI, but if you choose the 210TDI Elegance or 210TDI R-Line it comes with a 12.3-inch customisable high-resolution digital instrument display screen.

All variants have USB-A and USB-C ports in the front, and a pair of USB-C ports in the rear, plus a 12-volt socket in the centre console and another in the cargo area.

No matter which Volkswagen Touareg model you decide on, all have two-zone climate control and vents in the second row.

Helping to stay cool while minimising glare is heat-insulating tinted glass on all variants and pull-down sun blinds on the rear doors. The 210TDI R-Line adds side and rear window tinting that’s 82 per cent light-absorbing, according to Volkswagen.

Power windows with a one-touch function are standard on all variants and the windows can be remotely operated to expel the air in the cabin before stepping in.

Families are well catered for with cup and bottle holders for everyone, and another welcome feature across the range is the powered tailgate with gesture control.

Inside, the illuminated cargo area has load restraining hooks, a reversible (rubber/carpet) cargo floor mat, a cargo net on the floor, a powered luggage cover and shopping bag hooks.

What’s more there are heaps of storage areas with the front console housing a 12-volt socket and a USB-C port. The glovebox is ventilated and there’s another storage bin on the driver-side dash along with the usual door pockets and seat-back pockets.

Are leather seats on the wish list? Regardless of which Touareg suits your budget, all have leather-trimmed ErgoComfort seats, giving the cabin a luxurious ambience.

Vienna leather upholstery is used in the Touareg 170TDI, with the 210TDI Elegance having Varenna leather upholstery. The 210TDI R-Line adds R logos to the Varenna leather trim.

Taking a closer look at the seats reveals all models come with heated and powered front seats, the R-Line scoring 18-way adjustment with three memory positions and an easy entry function.

The front seats of the 210TDI Elegance and R-Line are also ventilated for cooling and both come with eight pre-set massage functions across 10 massage cushions as well.

For convenience, a 40/20/40-split folding rear seat is provided in all Touareg models.

Also leather-wrapped is the height-and-reach-adjustable, three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel that features gear-shift paddles and buttons for the audio, phone, cruise control and for toggling through the multi-function display screens. Exclusive on the R-Line is a heated steering wheel.

What about a sunroof? A panoramic glass sunroof is available as a $3400 option but only on the 210TDI pair.

Rain-sensing, automatic, two-speed front wipers are standard on all variants, along with an auto-dimming interior mirror, powered, heated and folding door mirrors with LED indicators and a kerb view function on the left side when reversing.

And lighting the road are automatic dusk-sensing LED headlights. The tail-lights and daytime running lights are also LED on all models, with the 210TDI Elegance and R-Line adding strobing turn indicators.

A large matte black and silver centre console lies in the 170TDI, and sharing the brushed aluminium-look dashboard and door inserts as well as front-door stainless-steel scuff plates are the 170TDI and 210TDI Elegance.

A gloss black centre console sits in the 210TDI Elegance and R-Line, with the R-Line gaining silver wave interior garnish, stainless-steel pedals, a soul black roof lining and R-Line logo stainless-steel scuff panels.

Another standard-fit exclusive to the two more powerful models is ambient interior lighting, with a choice of 30 colours.

Giving each variant its own look are the alloy wheels with a 19-inch Osorno design on the 170TDI, 20-inch Montero on the Elegance and Nevada-style 20-inch on the R-Line. Tyre pressure monitoring and anti-theft wheel nuts are standard across the board.

An inflated space-saver wheel and tyre rests under the cargo area of the 170TDI and 210TDI Elegance, with an inflatable version and an electric air compressor in the R-Line.

Chrome roof rails and side mouldings, a chrome grille and chrome headlight surrounds are common on all models, as are body-colour bumpers, lower front side panels, door handles and mirrors.

Giving the R-Line its own look are black accents in the front bumper, chrome accents in the rear bumper and a chrome exhaust tailpipe.

All variants of the Volkswagen Touareg are powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The engine is offered with two power outputs: 170kW and 500Nm (170TDI) and 210kW and 600Nm (210TDI).

The more powerful engine enables a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.1 seconds, a 1.4sec advantage over the 170TDI.

Power is delivered to all four wheels via VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. Four AWD modes are available: Snow, On-road, Off-road (with pre-set operating parameters) and Off-road Individual that allows the driver to select the settings.

There are a further five drive modes: Normal, Sport, Eco, Off-road and Individual. The 210TDI duo gain a Comfort mode.

Electronic and extended differential locks and hill descent control are standard on all models.

The Volkswagen Touareg measures 4889mm long and 1984mm wide, with the 170TDI standing 1718mm tall compared to the 210TDI pair at 1757mm.

Wheelbase length for the 170TDI is 2894mm and 2888mm for the 210TDI Elegance and R-Line.

Ground clearance of up to 216mm is offered on the 170TDI and just 180mm on the 210TDI Elegance and R-Line.

Gross vehicle mass is 2850kg for all models. Maximum braked towing capacity is 3500kg across the range, with a tow ball mass (TBM) of 260kg.

Cargo capacity in the five-seater Touareg is 810 litres with the rear seats upright and 1800L with them folded.

The power and torque boost of the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel in 210TDI guise is certainly noticeable in the Volkswagen Touareg, and welcome when overtaking or towing, but for all other occasions the 170TDI delivers more than enough.

Moreover, there’s almost a $20,000 premium for the extra power. To me, it doesn’t stack up.

Maybe if I was hauling a caravan or a boat it would. The equipment level may not be as lavish as the more powerful 210TDI duo, but the 170TDI is hardly a stripped-out special.

What’s more, in the critical area of safety, they are almost identical, so slap my name on a Touareg 170TDI and let’s go touring.

How much does the 2023 Volkswagen Touareg cost?
170TDI – $89,240
210TDI Elegance – $108,240
210TDI R-Line – $117,540
*Prices exclude on-road costs