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with handling. These all seem to work having put the Touareg through its paces for the guts of a week, I had absolutely no complaints to put it in simple terms, this is a very big car with the sort of handling capabilities and dynamics that would put some well-known family hatch-backs to shame!

The vast array of off-road drive options remain impressive permanent four-wheel-drive, low and high gearing, hill descent and auto-locking diffs are all available at the touch of an ergonomically placed dial. There are four engine choices available in the range a 3.6 litre V6 petrol, 2.5 litre Tdi, 3.0 litre V6 Diesel (tested model) and an extravagant 5.0 litre V10 Diesel, which tops the range. Across the range, these units will produce 174 Bhp to around 313 Bhp for the 5-litre lump.

Class Leading
Driveability was the most impressive thing about this car one thing that puts a lot of potential SUV customers off just before the test-drive stage is a perception that they can be difficult to drive. In a lot of cases, this is a fairly valid point, even with modern examples, however I found this car to be incredibly manoeuvrable at low speed the high driving position and large wing mirrors assisted reversing whilst front and rear parking sensors warned me just before I tested' the build quality of the panels against obstacles. Torque and response are just incredible in this variant the Touareg has a staggering ability to cover a lot of ground very quickly the engine management has been remapped to shave almost a second off the previous Touaregs 0-60 time. Just how Volkswagen manages to get such incredible performance dynamics in a car of this type, weight and size is nothing short of witchcraft.

During the time that I had the Touareg, I tested its abilities in just about every conceivable situation, including a Golf Course (don't ask). I carried four passengers in supreme comfort to a dinner, commuted to and from Belfast from rural County Down on a variety of roads, went grocery shopping (willingly) and had an adventure' in the fields behind my house. All in all, I was quite unhappy about giving the car back

Yes, the Touareg has improved in many aspects, both visually and mechanically, however the theory that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts is absolutely relevant to the new car. This class-leading prestige SUV has become even better an improvement upon perfection. The Touareg has evolved.

Learn more about this author, Damian Doyle.
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