Test drive Volkswagen Touareg 2007 - 2010 SUV

Party for elephants

The car market is somewhat reminiscent of a chessboard. Each player-producer has pawns (low-commissions), horses (sports cars), rooks (crossovers) and of course, the queen with the king (speculate themselves). Have you forgotten elephants? Not at all. That's just a couple in front of you. One walks on white diagonals, the second - on black. They do not threaten each other, but are dangerous for other figures on a checkered board. Although in life we \u200b\u200bsee something similar: a person acquires a solid real SUV and suddenly understands that the need for other cars has disappeared.
The popularity of cars is customary to evaluate statistics. In the first six months of 2007, Tuaregs sold 2206 pieces. It’s not bad, considering that at the beginning of the year a new model came out, that the interest in the previous one had crushed. Now let's take a look in the eyes. For the same period - 5431. More than Land Cruiser 100! However, dry sales figures never fully reflect lively consumer interest. After all, the attractiveness of the car consists not only from its beauty, prestige and consumer qualities. The final choice is always affected by the price, length of the queue, the availability of service and other formalities.
You can highlight the purchasing interest in its pure form only indirectly. If we introduce a Volkswagen Tuareg in Google (just like that, in Russian, to cut off advertising and commercial information and find ourselves in the community of potential buyers), then the search engine will find 18100 documents. And Toyota Prado? 18 700. Try to do the same in Rambler. Accordingly, 14196 and 16 028 web page. Yandex will indicate 1889 and 1855 sites. Indicative equality. Now, if, following the results of the second half of the year, Touareg will catch up with Prado, this will not be a surprise for me.
 
Now enter the Tuareg and Prado request into the same Google. You will receive only two links to some town forums where these cars were mentioned together. Can't they even compare them? I think - you can. Yes, they are absolutely not similar. And probably, therefore, Prado was always spanked with him like the Japanese, and Touareg fell into a duel with the SUVs. But after all, both of the time, as the time showed, are excellent all -terrain vehicles. And the similarity does not end there. Lists of equipment (if you consider Prado in the SOL configuration and a standard Touareg with a 3.5-liter engine) coincide somewhere by 90%. The capacity, comfort and the quality of the finish are comparable. Finally, there is no much difference in cost. So why not bring them in a duel?

The first Land Cruiser Prado appeared in the Toyota model range in 1990 and were built on the basis of a light commercial cruiser of the 70th series. Six years later (after Mitsubishi Pajero, the Toyotovites made a replacement of a rustic 71st model in hits of sales. The new 90th series was very successful. She was continuously improved, every year they made more powerful and comfortable. It has become more popular than many competitors and survived until 2002. The current Prado relate to the 120 series. The main difference is the new body stylistics (the ED2 European Bureau worked on the design). The last restyling for Prado was performed in 2006. In addition to cosmetic updates to the car, the fifth door was changed and the spare was turned to the luggage compartment.
DEBUT. Prado is based on a design that has remained unchanged for decades. The body rests on a hard frame. The front suspension is double -leafed, the back is four -leash, on the springs. Under the hood, a modern gasoline V6 of a rather big volume with the VVT-I system is installed-it is not surprising why this engine has a torque comparable to the V8. A very reliable five -speed automatic and a constant all -wheel drive with a self -locking differential Torsen give a sufficient traction to an off -road. Electronic assistants are a complete set: anti -circus and stabilizing systems, assistants who will simplify entering a steep hill and descent from it, a system that controls the rigidity and height of the suspension. Toyota for many years brought the Land-Cruze concept to perfection, saving it from all the extra. Prado, for example, is easier than their direct competitors. It has a narrow, raised body and squeezes where the vehicle does not crawl. At the same time, the angle of overturning of 42 degrees indicates a rather low center of gravity.
Touareg is more suitable for technological and revolutionary definitions. German engineers, working on the project from scratch, pulled out in full. Touareg does not have a frame - the reinforced body is made to the bearing. Due to the expanded track, the developers achieved phenomenal transverse stability (45 degrees). And the air suspension with a large range of adjustment (road clearance can reach 300 mm) gave the car an unprecedented geometric cross -country ability. Of course, who showed at least the slightest interest in Touareg knows very well about his pluses. But many motorists, focusing on a clearly passenger design, continue to believe that this is not an all -terrain vehicle at all, but another prestigious city crossover. For me, it remained a mystery to why Volkswagen, having made 2300 improvements in the design for the new model, did not even try to change its appearance - the 2007 model can be distinguished from the first -born only by details. Were they afraid that a radical redesign would scare off buyers? Also somehow not logical. Over the previous four years, 300 thousand tuars were sold, and it is unlikely that there are at least one conservative buyer among customers.
Even housewives now know that Touareg was designed in parallel with Porsche Cayenne. But it is wrong to put an equal sign between these cars, as Jeremy Clarkson from the Top Gear auto show. These are different cars. The total only layout and permanent all -wheel drive developed by engineers from Wolfsburg. In turn, experts from Stuttgart taught the SUV to effectively slow down and obediently control. You can also recall this fact: the body is produced at one factory. The similarity ends on this. Porsche experts, when finishing the running qualities of cars, did everything possible so that Touareg was used to the VW owners, and Cayenne gives a feeling of greater comfort and demonstrated classic rear -wheel drive habits.
 
ENDGAME. Nevertheless, they are very different, although the differences are not so obvious on off-road. You just go, not thinking that something needs to be connected, regulated and controlled-electronic brains do all the work for you. Prado goes along the hog and pits like soft paws: the suspension works almost silently and extinguishes strong blows well. Touareg generally rides like a glove, without swing, although the same site goes slightly shaking the riders.
On the asphalt, the difference becomes huge. Prado surprises the smoothness of the course (here he wins with the main competitor - Pajero). The machine is carried forward easily and gambling. It slows down stable, but not impressive. A five -speed machine operates predictably, without dramatic delay. The steering is not dull, as is often the case on SUVs. The steering wheel has a clear zero and a tangible returning torque. Despite the high -profile tires, you get a lot of information through the steering wheel. However, caution should be caused in corners. Standard rubber on Prado is not so tenacious, so even at a relatively low speed in the turn, the tires begin to shy low, forcing the stabilization system to take measures. Prado sharp maneuvers are contraindicated.
 
Touareg does not lose in the accelerated characteristics, although you can’t call the operation of the machine gun adequate. Sometimes it switches instantly, sometimes allows slowness. But the German slows down sharper and more efficiently. And the threshold, behind which the demolition of the front axle is possible, is pushed back - you can enter the turn on the Tuareg at a greater speed (although it is far from the tenure of X5). The steering wheel more saturated with reactive resistance has. The rolls are generally invisible. Prado compared to the German SUV - swing. However, Touareg does not give the level of comfort that the Japanese car pamper passengers. The sound of the engine is heard more distinctly, a rumble of tire rolling and suspension noise are added to it. The smoothness of the course even in a comfortable mode of operation of the suspension is lower than that of Prado in sports.
 
How did the party end? Perhaps a draw. The one who began to look closely at Prado is unlikely to be convinced of the advantages of Touareg. The opposite, however, is also fair.
There is some large-scale discrepancy in Prado. You approach a solid high car, pull the door handle, climb the seat and see that inside the car is not so spacious, especially in width. The tunnel with a massive armrest is pressed into seats. Black finish enhances the feeling of tightness. Although, in fact, in Prado the place is no less than in some class D sedan. The salon is just very tightly arranged. Take a look at the steering wheel - it seems great, although there are no complaints about it (it is high -quality skin, it has a pleasant section). And look at the central console. Due to large vertical linings, it seems swollen. But you forget about all this after a couple of minutes driving, when you comfortably get in a chair (the choice and range of adjustments is not bad) and evaluate the thoughtful ergonomics. The materials from which the Prado interior is made cannot be caused. Plastic panels are fitted with jewelry accuracy, and some details very reliably imitate the skin of the skin. If my will, I would force the developers to change only one thing - to put the Optronic devices deeper (they are reflected in the side windows) and make a homogeneous backlight of displays on the central console.
 
Touareg salon evokes double feelings. Yes, it is much more spacious, looks richer and is sustained in a single style. And in terms of quality of manufacture, perhaps in no way inferior to the salon of the representative Phaeton. That's just everything is somehow deliberately, for show. Look how much chromium shines everywhere. Here you have wooden inserts, and metal, and what else you want. I believe that the people who previously drove Volkswagen and every day plopped into a gloomy, rational, folk interior, the Tuareg salon will now make it possible to tears. Where do not look - glamor. No, not even so - a high -tech empire. But, I think, I'm not the only one who would like to see a more restrained finish here. For everything else Volkswagen can only be thanked. The central console is combined so that the use will seem convenient from the first minute. Elements of control of all SUV Arsenal are put on a wide tunnel - also a sound idea. I also liked the profile of the back of the seat - it is so convenient as if made by individual standards. From the point of view of ergonomics, only steering wheel switches are annoyed, which are located below the usual.

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Gasoline engine, v6
Working volume (cubic cub) 3956
Power (L.S. at rpm) 249 at 5200
Moment (N.M at rpm) 380 at 3800
The drive is complete
Gearbox 5-speed, automatic
Length/width/height (mm) 4850/1875/1895
Equipped mass (kg) 2070
Maximum speed (km/h) 180
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 9.1
Fuel consumption, medium (l/100 km) 12.4
The price in Moscow is 1,448,500 rubles.
 
Volkswagen Touareg V6 FSI
Gasoline engine, v6
Working volume (cubic cub) 3597
Power (L.S. at about/min) 280 at 6200
Moment (N.M at rpm) 360 at 2500
The drive is complete
Gearbox 6-speed, automatic
Length/width/height (mm) 4754/1928/1726
Equipped mass (kg) 2238
Maximum speed (km/h) 218
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 8.6
Fuel consumption, average (l/100 km) 13.6
The price in Moscow from 1,682,646 rubles.

Thank you for the help of organizing the shooting of Toyota Motor LLC, (495) 258-34-65 and LLC Volkswagen Group Rus, www.volkswagen.ru

Text Ruslan Tarasov
Photo Andrey Danilov
      
 

Source: "Autopilot"