Vw Roughrider A Powerhouse
The Age
Saturday March 20, 2004
Powerful, yes, but the diesel Touareg 4WD is expensive, writes Toby Hagon.
Mention the words ``diesel" and ``performance" in the same sentence a decade ago and anyone who knew anything about the internal combustion engine would have assumed you had made a monumental faux pas.
Typically confined to commercial vehicles and large four-wheel-drives in Australia, diesels have a reputation for being noisy, harsh and underpowered, albeit while providing good fuel economy and increased engine life.
But the European-led push to diesels - turbo-diesels, really - has provided some superb new engines that can match their petrol rivals for acceleration and outdo them in driver enjoyment and load-lugging ability.
Exhibit A: Volkswagen's twin-turbocharged V10, first found in the oddly named Touareg off-roader.
Measuring 5.0 litres in capacity, it delivers 230 kW of power, which is more than many V8s, and endows the big Vee-Dub with plenty in the way of bragging rights. More important is the 750 Nm of torque available from just 2000 rpm. That's 110 Nm more than the fastest Porsche sold here and double that of the next model down in the Touareg range, the 4.2-litre V8. That it launches to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds - just 0.6 seconds slower than the similarly priced Porsche Cayenne - is not surprising, looking at the raw output figures. Although with 2.5 tonnes to lug around, it's still an impressive feat. That it can tow a claimed 3.5 tonnes won't go unnoticed by the St Kilda boating brigade, either.
More eye-opening is that the V10 is the most thrifty of the three engines available in the Touareg - with a thirst less than the entry-level V6. Thrifty perhaps isn't the most appropriate word, though: it still slurps 12.3 litres every 100 km, and more around town.
All that performance doesn't come cheap, either: this vehicle from the brand best known for making the ``people's car" goes for a mammoth $138,500. For the same money you can have a similar vehicle wearing a Porsche badge, or a mid-spec Range Rover. Or stash $15,000 in the bank and nestle into BMW's tempting X5.
However, the Touareg V10 does come first when it comes to luxury appointments, many of which are options on most rivals. Along with all the electronic gear you'd expect in a Volksy costing this much, there's a forest of woodgrain trim surrounded by classy aluminium touches, keyless entry and starting, a sunroof and a colour screen with satellite navigation and trip computer.
Heated leather seats with electronic adjustment are part of the deal, as are separate climate control settings for the four main seating positions. There's also a chilled glovebox, and LED indicators in the wing mirrors.
But the engine and price are not the only talking points with the Touareg, which shares its underpinnings and basic geometry with the more fancied Porsche Cayenne. They're not quite twins under the skin - with unique engines and suspension tunes - but they're the next best thing.
To drive, there are obvious similarities with the size of the vehicles - as well as their tendencies to rattle over bumps. But the Touareg - which, in V10 form has adjustable-height air suspension in lieu of regular springs - does without the Porsche's rock-hard suspension in favour of a softer, more comfort-driven set-up.
But VW has gone too far the other way, creating a car that sends its bonnet skyward on a fast take-off and lurches heavily over speed humps and big bumps. Even on its sporty setting, there's too much suspension movement. Accelerating from rest can activate the traction system, and around corners there's a ponderous feel to the body control on quick direction changes.
But that air suspension comes into its own off-road, where the ride height can be switched from a loading level of 160 mm to a whopping 300 mm of clearance. Combined with the traction control system and a set of low-range gears accessed via a button on the console, it makes the Touareg an unassuming yet effective machine in really tough terrain.
What a shame there's only a space saver spare tyre, which is limited to shorter journeys and a top speed of 80 km/h.
Still, there's no doubt the Touareg is a serious contender in the luxury off-road market, and one that can't be accused of being a soft-roader.
But its ponderously heavy body, somewhat wallowy suspension and hefty price tag ultimately detract from the awesome V10 diesel mule and lashings of luxury gear.
NUTS'N'BOLTS
VW TOUAREG V10 TDi
HOW MUCH? $138,500 (auto only), plus on-road costs.
INSURANCE Premium $1436, $1500 excess (RACV, 40-year-old rating one male driver, medium-risk suburb).
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000 km.
ENGINE 5.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel, 230 kW at 4000 rpm, 750 Nm at 2000 rpm.
TRANSMISSION Six-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive.
STEERING Rack and pinion, 2.8 turns lock-to-lock.
Turning circle 11.6 m.
BRAKES Ventilated discs front and rear, ABS.
SUSPENSION Independent by double wishbones, air springs, stabiliser bar front and rear.
WHEELS/TYRES Alloy 19 x 9.0-inch, 275/45, space-saver spare.
HOW BIG? Length 4754 mm, width 1925 mm, height 1703 mm, wheelbase 2855 mm.
HOW HEAVY? 2470 kg
HOW THIRSTY? 12.3 L/100 km (ADR 81/01), diesel.
Fuel tank 100 litres.
EQUIPMENT Airbags - yes, dual front, front-side and curtain; traction/stability control - yes/yes; air-conditioning - yes, four-zone climate control; cruise control - yes; central locking - yes, remote with keyless operation; power mirrors/windows - yes/yes; satellite navigation/TV - yes/yes; sound system - CD stacker, radio; leather seats - yes.
HOW IT RATES
FOR Prodigious power, big cabin with good storage areas, plenty of luxury appointments, imposing styling, highly capable off-road.
AGAINST Brand doesn't sustain the price tag, soft suspension means plenty of lurching, mild engine vibration at low revs, big and heavy, rattles over bumps, useless space-saver spare tyre.
SCORE ***
Porsche Cayenne S ***
Range Rover HSE ****
BMW X5 4.4i ****
© 2004 The Age