Touareg makes a molehill out of a mountain
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – From the back seat of the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg, a confident voice issued the following instruction: “Just head straight up that hill there.” Now, the hill in question was fairly steep – some 45 degrees – but that wasn’t the main concern. Rather, it was the fact that the hill was covered in dirt, sand and loose rock – exactly the kind of surface that can give the average SUV equipped with standard all-season tires a lot of trouble.
That said, the Touareg is no average SUV: it comes standard with some very serious off-road capabilities, something journalists discovered during an event staged on an old silver mining trail in the northern part of Idaho. This trail, long since abandoned by those seeking their fortune, was largely overgrown and used only by ATV riders.
For 2008, the Touareg is only slightly changed from last year’s version. Cosmetic differences include a new front grille, new headlight design, darker taillights and sportier rear spoiler. Major technical changes consist of a new rollover sensor system, new tire pressure monitoring system and ABSPlus, which modulates lock-up on off-road surfaces to create a wedge of dirt and rock in order to shorten braking distances.
Given these facts, some journos thought it an odd choice to be transported into the wilderness to test the off-road readiness of this luxury SUV. After all, the rest of the drive route consisted of just a 50-km freeway run from the airport and a 50-km freeway run to the mining trail – not much time to assess how the Touareg had improved, if at all.
But our aforementioned backseat driver, VW product specialist Chris, brought some added perspective to the matter at hand. “Listen to how quiet the ride is as we go over these bumps,” he noted as we scaled some massive ruts along the dirt trail. “And no squeaks and no rattles. That kind of build quality is what drivers will appreciate after thousands of miles on the road.”
True that.
This brings us back to the reason why this VW was being showcased on a rugged dirt path and not on a billiard-table-smooth highway. When the Touareg first appeared for the 2004 model year, it faced some challenges: it was (after the now-defunct Phaeton executive sedan) the most expensive Volkswagen in the fleet and it had some suspect reliability scores – not a great combination in anyone’s book
Since that debut, Volkswagen has set about improving the reputation of the Touareg. Reliability issues have been addressed to a large degree. The toughness and durability of the SUV has been marketed via motorsport efforts at the Dakar Rally, Baja 500 and Pikes Peak hill climb. And to complete the circle, we were invited to drive the new Touareg up some 45-degree hills.
For this honest-to-goodness adventure, we were handed the keys to the Touareg fitted with the V8 FSI direct fuel injection engine. This 4.2-litre unit produces a very healthy 350 hp and 324 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm. In anticipation of the challenges of driving off-road, the VW was also kitted out with the lockable rear differential and adjustable air suspension.
During the day, every bit of technology on the Touareg came into play. The air suspension was raised up to give the SUV 300 mm of maximum ground clearance. The rear differential was locked, sending 50% of the torque from the 4XMotion four-wheel-drive system to the back wheels, half for the left and half for the right. This enabled drivers to clear obstacles with one wheel dangling in the air and the other keeping the momentum going.
Standard features such as the hill climb assist and hill descent control also proved invaluable. The first system locks the six-speed automatic transmission on inclines from 20 to 45 degrees, meaning no brakes are needed to stop the Touareg from sliding backwards. Hill descent control, meanwhile, automatically restricts the speed on steep descents to 20 km/h using the rear differential and anti-lock braking system.
While the Touareg was able to scale most obstacles, a pair of climbs proved too much. These sections, chewed up by the teams that had passed through earlier, provided little in the way of purchase for the VW with its street-going tires. To be clear, these challenges were well in excess of what close to 99% of Touareg owners would ever encounter.
This brings us back to the V6-equipped Touareg, the model that will appeal to most Canadians. If you don’t have the need to scale a mountain, the V6 – with 280 hp and 265 lb.-ft. of torque – provides ample motivation and slightly better fuel economy. Powering along the freeway, the V6 seemed very nearly as capable as the V8. The suspension tended to hop slightly and the steering was too imprecise, but other than that, the VW offered a very comfortable and capable ride.
As a result of some packaging changes, the V6 also now features a more palatable starting price of just under $50K. Given that this Touareg is also available with all the off-road-ready features and many of the interior amenities of the V8 (for a price, naturally), the V6 seems like the smarter choice. (Until, that is, the tasty-sounding V6 TDI diesel engine arrives in early 2009.)
Competition: Acura MDX; Chevrolet Equinox; Honda Pilot; Jeep Grand Cherokee; Pontiac Torrent, Subaru Tribeca, Toyota 4Runner
Strengths: Exterior styling, interior amenities, massive off-road capabilities
Weaknesses: Pricey, no diesel option (yet), no third-row seating
Touareg vs. Grand Cherokee vs. Pilot
Find a dealer that sells the VW Touareg
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