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You wouldn’t know it at a glance, but under the skin the Volkswagen Touareg shares more than a little with some quite prestigious SUVs, including the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne - and even the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus. That’s not to say that buying a Touareg is basically like buying a cut-price Lambo, but you’re certainly getting similar metal for a lot less money.
The Touareg gets more understated styling than its cousins and a thoroughly practical and sensible cabin too. By Volkswagen standards the Touareg has always been quite expensive, but by the standards of other luxury SUVs, it represents pretty good value, especially when buying used - read on to find out more.
The Volkswagen badge has a cachet among family cars that makes models like the Golf among the most appealing in their class, but when it comes to luxury SUVs, the VW badge has to work a lot harder to compete with some much more upmarket brands. As a result the Volkswagen Touareg is perhaps a little underappreciated, because it’s just as worthy of the luxury SUV billing as the models it competes against.
Understated styling probably doesn’t work in the VW’s favour, but if you want a well-appointed SUV without the flash of some other models, then the Touareg could be the one for you. It’s certainly well-made and VW has done a good job of hiding the parts where it’s had to save a little money compared to more prestigious models. There’s no questioning the interior space or boot size - 810 litres with all the seats in place is massive.
The Touareg drives well too, with a sportier feel than you might expect, minimal body roll, and plenty of traction from the standard all-wheel drive system. The V6 engines are smooth and powerful, and the eight-speed automatic gearbox is slick too, and the Touareg makes a great long-distance cruiser. It’s packed with equipment too.
Others to consider if you’re in the market for a Touareg include the Audi Q7 (which is quite similar under the skin) as well as the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, while the Porsche Cayenne (another platform-mate of the Touareg) is a fantastic luxo-SUV too, though the extra expense means you may need to look at an older model. The Lexus RX has a great reputation for reliability in this class, while the Volvo XC90 is renowned for its safety.
Big diesel engines still make sense in large and heavy SUVs like the Touareg, and there’s a pair of them on offer - whether you opt for the 231PS or 286PS engine, both have the kind of big, lazy slug of power and torque that make driving around pretty effortless, so suit the character of the car (and aren’t averse to a spot of towing either, if that’s a requirement). If you have somewhere to charge at home then the plug-in hybrid Touareg R’s 94mpg combined figure may look appealing, but as the range-topper you’ll likely pay more for it to begin with than you’ll make back in fuel savings. SE L models pack most of the equipment you’ll need, but keep an eye out for ‘Tech’ models of any trim line for the larger 15-inch touchscreen that VW offered.
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The Volkswagen Touareg’s exterior dimensions are:
The Volkswagen Touareg’s boot space is:
Despite a plug-in hybrid model there’s no escaping big tax bills with the Touareg, at least for a few years. List prices of more than £40,000 across the range mean a bill of £600 per year for most Touaregs, and a scant £10 saving each year for the eHybrid.
Insurance too is likely to set you back a few quid, though by the standards of other large SUVs, nor should it be particularly painful to insure. A Touareg SEL with the V6 TDI engine starts in group 37 (out of 50), or group 41 for the equivalent petrol. At the top of the range, the Touareg R comes in at group 48.
£45,100
£7,481 off£16,295
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£29,497
£68,997
£5,000 off£39,980
£1,500 off£69,990
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£31,299
£54,499
£48,499
£24,958
£51,127
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£43,450
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£47,490
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How many Volkswagen Touareg cars are available for sale?
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