The article was originally produced on November 26, 2014, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Volkswagen Touareg V8 tdi

Volkswagen class travel is a fact and the new Touareg V8 TDI is the crown jewel.

The journey of Volkswagen's premium SUV started in 2002 as a collaboration between Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche. The goal was to produce a sporty, four-wheel drive off-road model with superb comfort. More than 300 people were involved in the project, which led to a common platform on which the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 models are also built. The success of the Touareg and its siblings has been a real success story and even led to Porsche, through the incredible cash flow thanks to the Cayenne, trying to buy all of Volkswagen. The name Touareg comes from the Tuaregs, who are a people who live in the Sahara desert as nomads. 

Now two generations of the Touareg have been built as well as two updates. The updates on the new Touareg mean an even better fitting outer suit with tighter lines. In the front, we can see larger bi-xenon lights and more aggressive air intakes. If you choose the "Chrome & Style" package, you get a stylish chrome strip that goes around the entire car along the bottom edge. Even in the interior, this jewel has received updates in the form of more color choices on the upholstery and that the instrument lighting is in white instead of red. You literally sit like a king in the seats, which offer a multitude of adjustment options.

The new Touareg is presented with three different engine options, two diesels and a hybrid version with a petrol engine. Although it will hardly be a big seller in Sweden, the diesel version with a 4.2 liter V8 engine with 340 horses and a whopping 800 Newton meters of torque is absolutely fantastic. More power than you will ever use, while the engine doesn't have to start to sweat. No matter how hard you drive or how heavy you pull, it will happen with a heel kick for this powerful diesel stove. The other and perhaps more sensible and affordable engine options are two different versions of the Touareg V6 Tdi where you can get a slightly more off-road equipped with lockable diff etc. As well as a hybrid version with an electric motor and a petrol V6 with a total of 333 horses. The latter is the most expensive at a starting price of SEK 834,900. The starting price for the V6 TDI without off-road specifications starts at SEK 524,900. 

Citroën was early on with air suspension in its models and nowadays there are probably no truly luxurious premium cars without this. It really is like traveling on clouds when you set the comfort mode on the knob in the console between the seats. If you instead want the car to have a sportier and more rigid character, you set the knob to the sport mode. The Touareg also copes superbly off the paved road, deep puddles and steep inclines are no problem and will not put an end to the journey.

The new Touareg has also received a number of assistance systems, for example an automatic braking system which is now standard. The system also continues to brake the car after a collision to prevent further collisions. In addition, there is now an anti-skid system with trailer stabilization as standard. 

If you really want to treat yourself to the best but don't care that it says Porsche or BMW on the front, a Touareg is by far the most affordable alternative to a premium SUV today, regardless of which version you choose.