And that’s right, the Touareg is the largest and most luxurious SUV in the Volkswagen model range, with already 1.13 million units sold.
There is no point in changing things that work, Bratislava knows this well too. Just five years after the launch of the third-generation Touareg, Europe’s largest automaker was forced to update its flagship SUV, but did so modestly. The Touareg continues to be recognisably Touareg.
The immediately noticeable changes are the new LED matrix headlights and the light strip that extends above the grille. The front trim is now more in line with European tastes and is said to improve airflow. While the value of the other improvements may be questionable, the new lanterns are simply amazing!
At the rear of the car, a strip of standard LED lights runs across the trunk and, for the first time in Europe (previously allowed in China and America), the emblem is now illuminated in red. It caused mixed opinions, but it didn’t bother anyone.
Some of the changes concern the software. The updated Touareg now gets the standard (previously optional) Innovision Cockpit infotainment system: 12- and 15-inch digital displays. It looks nice and effective, but continues to be impractical (more on that later).
The third generation car became 106 kilos lighter than the previous model, and its proportions did not change during restyling. With a length of 4,902 mm, a width of 1,984 mm and a height of 1,695 mm, the Touareg is one of the lowest and sportiest cars in the luxury SUV class.
In correct Estonian it is appropriate to use the term “cockpit” for the interior of the car, but in the case of the Touareg it is appropriate to redefine it and literally talk about the passenger compartment.
Volkswagen’s approach to luxury is unique. If you have chosen the leather interior, this is also truly premium, (almost) all surrounding surfaces are pleasantly soft, even the plastic gives an expensive impression. At the same time, there is never a feeling that the screw has been messed up somewhere, everything is pleasant and at the same time calm. This luxury does not come close to or underline its preciousness, unlike a Mercedes or Porsche in the same package.
The Touareg’s practicality means it can be forgiven for a few scratchy bits of plastic. The interior is not only well finished and elegant, but it really gives the impression that Gerd Kanter could organize a hammer throwing competition there and nothing would go wrong – that’s how spacious the car looks from the inside.
There is enough space for very tall adults in both the front and rear seats, all storage compartments are quite spacious, and the large rear doors also make it easy to install a child seat. Surprisingly, the height of the center armrest is not adjustable, even though it didn’t need to be.
The Touareg has a really large trunk. With the rear seats in place, you can fit a golf bag or large wheelbarrow comfortably, and there’s plenty of room to spare, although the Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLE are slightly roomier with the rear seats folded down.
The gigantic Innovision Cockpit extends in the center in front of the driver, an infotainment system the size of a computer screen. It is extremely effective, but it still lacks all the buttons in the center and do what you want, you still have to navigate the different menus while driving. It’s annoying.
Secret documents generally become available in archives after 75 years. Maybe our grandchildren will find out who had the stupid idea of Volkswagen (and other automakers are not much better!) to replace the excellent ergonomic button-switches with screens? Was it necessary to save to produce electric cars?
The only problem with the Touareg is the central screen and what’s hidden inside it. These “infotainment centers” are nice and popular with the accounting department because they are much cheaper to produce and install than all the buttons you would need without them, but they are dangerous! The more features they offer, the more submenus you’ll need, meaning you won’t really have time to follow the path.
A recent IAM Roadsmart study (available on request here) found that a touch screen can increase a driver’s reaction time by up to 57%, which in turn means it is more dangerous than driving under the influence of moderate alcohol or cannabis.
Why was it necessary to make the Touareg with a giant screen that extends across the surface both in front of the driver and in front of the center console? It is extremely effective and was so years ago, but its ease of use has not improved, quite the contrary. The only buttons are on the steering wheel, they are annoyingly tactile and require time and attention to use, which could instead be spent monitoring traffic.
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2024-01-23 12:39:10
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