Test drive Volkswagen Touareg 2002 - 2007 SUV

Diesel fuel luxury

Big households than the Germans, we still have to look. Where is this nomad among them, striving for eternal freedom of movement, - Volkswagen Touareg 5.0 TDI?
Recently, the Volkswagen concern for risky experiments. At first, not at all, the PHATON is not a folk limousine of the highest class, then the Touareg SUV. The first was declared as a competitor to Mercedes S-Klasse, the second-as a competitor to the luxury class SUVs. And Volkswagen quite briskly invaded someone else's sandbox, where its own rules of the game have long developed. And if in the case of Phaeton the company had something to rely on - the experience of building the Audi A8 obliges - then the Germans went to a certain risk with Tuareg. They have accumulated a good experience in the construction of all-wheel drive sedans with a 4Motion nameplate, but as for the real SUVs, the last masterpiece of Off-Road structures can be considered Kuebelwagen-a fighting tachank of the Third Reich.
With Phaeton, according to rumors, the concern has problems. Not all rich people are ready to pay tangible money for a limousine with a new VW emblem for this layer. Something is not visible on the roads. But Touareg is increasingly found.
Is the image nothing? What do you make a ride on? - They asked us in the center of Volkswagen in Riga. Yes, we would have something more expensive ... Modesty, of course, decorates, but not those who pick up something to replace Range Rover. By the way, Volkswagen also does not suffer from an excess of modesty - Touareg is positioned precisely as a competitor to the image Rover SUV.
But Stop: Tuareg Tuareg is different. In the sense that there are really folk modifications. Their price on a bazaar day is $ 43.8 thousand, and they can only compete with Volvo XC70. The gasoline engine 3.2 l with a capacity of 220 hp, a spring suspension, a rather modest equipment. And the real competitor Range Rover is, oddly enough, the diesel modification that we were offered.
I agree that diesel engines do not enjoy hot love among our people. But there are a number of buyers (they are such a Touareg and designed) who are primarily interested in other parameters. We list in decreasing order of interest: price, maximum speed, accelerated dynamics, power, equipment. The fact that they are poured into the tank, these people are interested in the last but that if something does not suit the above parameters. A diesel Touareg at 3 hp. More powerful than the gasoline version V8 (4.2 liters) - respectively, accelerates to hundreds by 0.3 seconds. Faster and gives out on the highway 225 km/h against 218. In addition, this is the only version of the Touareg, where the rear differential lock and unique air suspension are included in the standard equipment. For the rest, this will cost almost $ 4 thousand.
Image - everything! The diesel Touareg is really impressive - if you want to order an option, then the choice is very limited. In the cabin, we found almost all the goodies that fans of expensive cars so love: steering wheel electroregulations, wood, separate climate control, information displays. But here is my colleague, who made the presentation of the VW Phaeton in his historical homeland, he has been indifferent - he has already seen this: both the multifunctional steering wheel (12 buttons - 12, not counting the Hands Free wheel, and the remote launch system Keyless Access motor.
In fairness, we note that the remote launch system periodically junk and shot a message that she did not see the key. And the key lay in the pocket of the VW representative, who was sitting on the front passenger chair.
They look especially stylish on the Touareg handle of control of the air suspension and the work of the transmission. They are located on the consoles between the driver and the passenger and are executed in the form of drowned rotating handles. In the darkness, all this beauty shines, and the impression is that you are sitting in the cabin of a fighter.
Camel run. The key to start (though with problems) and go! If we had not been warned in advance that the car was diesel, they would not believe in life. It sounds like a well -tuned gasoline engine, and vibrations in the cabin are not felt. Engineers specially worked on this and provided a V-shaped ten additional shaft, which extinguishes vibrations. So in terms of comfort there are no differences between diesel and gasoline. But in the torque - there is. Touareg accelerates impressively, although the sensation dulls the thoughtfulness of the automatic box a little. You press sharply on the gas pedal - and nothing happens for a few moments. Then, however, Touareg rushes forward so sharply that it seems like he wants to apologize and make up for a second lost at the start. We accept an apology: by subjective personal sensations, acceleration is much sharper than on many gasoline machines. Moreover, especially hot heads can always use the additional Sport mode or convert the selector into manual switching mode. We carefully tried all the modes-after all, completely civilized Latvia outside the windows-but we did not feel much difference. But the manual regime was especially useful for us on the off -road.
King of the desert. Despite its diet and five -star interior, Touareg is more than a serious SUV in terms of its capabilities: a constant all -wheel drive with an interax differential (50:50) with the possibility of automatic blocking (forced inclusion), a handout with a lowering transmission (1: 1: 1: 1: 1: 1: 1: 2.66). Recall that the diesel version is also installed by blocking the rear inter -long differential. Plus, two electronic systems: EDL, which slows down the skid wheels, and Hill-Starting Assistant, which itself turns on the brakes when stopping on a steep rise.
Armed with all this knowledge and, with the silent approval of the accompanying person, we defended Touareg into the dunes by a non -backing hand. Sand, the more deep-one of the most severe types of Off-Road. Therefore, we immediately turn on the reduced gear and turn off the ESP system. Suspension - in a position of 240 mm. You can lift Touareg even higher, 300 mm, but then the suspension stroke will be lost. This mode is recommended to be used if you need to slowly crawl through something.
We leave all other tricks to the discretion of electronics. And this is one of the advantages of Touareg over other SUVs. The driver requires a minimum of effort before the assault on highly crossed terrain.
Behind the set of settledness. And we arranged exactly the assault - to be honest, I wanted to plant it on the most not indulgent, after which it is proud to note that there is no SUV is steeper than the old good Defender. Did not work out. At the same time, we fully appreciated the presence of a manual mode in the operation of automatic transmission - having special off -road driving skills, it is not easier and more pleasant to manage a powerful Touareg. Although all the same can be done and simply automatically.
If on a steep rise, on the crest, the tuareg was buried in the sand, then it was enough to slide down a little, move away and just rush forward at a higher speed. That the car has to be tight, only clearly audible crackling of electronic brains connecting the relevant electronic systems indicated. And with geometric patency, there are no problems at all: the overhang of the body is short, diagonal hanging - beyond any criticism. Even if at some point one of the wheels hung elementary in the air, then it instantly slowed down, and the whole torque was transferred to where the grip with the soil was the largest.
Tuareg and with the engine braking perfectly coped - it was enough to direct the car down the slope and just release the gas pedal. The speed automatically kept below 10 km/h.
We parted with regret. We frankly liked Touareg. And he will pave his way to our market - both along the asphalt highway and on the pardon of off -road.
Text Nikolay Kachurin, photo Dmitry Gronsky
 
Model/Modification Volkswagen Touareg 5.0 TDI V10
Manufacturer/country Volkswagen AG/Germany
Bearing element of the body
Number of doors/places 5/5
ENGINE
Type/number/location of turbodiesel cylinders/10/V-shaped
Working volume (cubic cub) 4921
Power (kW (L.S.) at about./Min.) 230 (313) at 3750
Moment (nm at about./Min.) 750 at 2000
TRANSMISSION
Complete 4xMotion permanent drive
Automatic gearbox, 6-speed, sectral type
Transfer numbers (increased/lowered) 1/2.7
Brakes, safety
Front/rear circular ventilated
ABS, assisting 4-channel, electronic
electronic systems ESP stabilization system, electronic brake strengthening system Brake Assist
Front and side airbags for the driver and passenger, inflatable curtains on all side windows
Dimensions/mass
Length/width/height (mm) 4754/1928/1703
Wheel base/clearance (mm) 2855/160-300
Tires 235/65 R17
The mass is equipped/complete (kg) 2525/3080
The volume of the fuel tank (l) 100
Maximum speed (km/h) 225
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 7.8
Fuel consumption (city/highway, l/100 km) 16.6/9.8
Price in Moscow from $ 83,400

 
 

Source: "Autopilot"