When Volkswagen introduced its first sports utility vehicle in 2003, it wanted to offer two things.
First, the Touareg, named after a nomadic Saharan tribe, had to be a jolly good ride on pavement. And, it had to prove itself more than capable of going off road, delving into territory previously only the purview of Land Rovers and Toyota Land Cruisers.
The Touareg we tested in 2003 seemed to prove that combination was here. We said the 310-horsepower V-8 model we drove had "Audi quality and price," and was "solidly made, luxurious to a fault inside without being ostentatious and quite practical on or off-road, with good road manners." We also said, "Maybe losing just a bit of weight would improve its fuel mileage."
So what does VW do four years later? It decides not to mess too much with a good thing. The result is the, drumroll please, Touareg 2.
Yes, that's the new one, but you have to look close to see.
The grille gets the most change, with a chrome surround around a wider two-vane upper and plastic mesh lower grill on our V-6 model to better match the corporate grill on other VWs. A redesigned front bumper gets bigger side vents with chrome spears, while the lower fascia/air dam has inset fog lights and side marker lights. The flanks have a design channel over the black lower sill accents in between flat-edged flares framing P235/60R17-inch Pirelli rubber with new 10-spoke wheels. The side mirrors are more aerodynamic, with built-in puddle lights and repeater turn signals (full of condensation). A new roof edge spoiler sharpens the look, while the taillights get a darker glazing and the tailpipes are redone.
 Bill and Dan discuss the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2
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Suffice to say, no one commented on the Touareg 2, which had solid-build quality and good panel fit and finish, but looked a bit bland in white. We loved the headlights that pointed into turns, with additional cornering lights that triggered when the wheel turned. We still like the interior, all gray on gray with wood and alloy accents. It also looks a lot like the first-generation model, and is a lot like it, but has a discrete luxury look and feel.
Getting inside and firing up this VW is easy thanks to an optional keyless entry system. Touch the door handle, and it unlocks. Then tap the center console-mounted Start/Stop button to get things going. A few times, the trip computer told us it couldn't sense the key's radio signal, while touching the rear doors to unlock them with the key in pocket worked, yet opening them set off the alarm.
The front bucket seats have been redone to offer more side support, plus 12-way power adjustments. The blue-lit gauge package gets a bigger central trip computer display, with red digits. A bigger 160-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach are accompanied by gas, temperature, voltage and oil gauges, all rimmed in silver. Smaller red LCD displays offer outside temperature and time, plus odometer and trip meter, although the odo gave me a kilometer-per-hour speed reading until we stopped, then offered the VW's total mileage. The four-spoke steering wheel had a stitched leather rim, plus stereo, cruise and trip computer function buttons.
The dash center has two rubberized storage trays, two air vents and 48 buttons underneath - too many, said my wife. The AM-FM-CD-Sirius Satellite Radio sound system had the optional Dynaudio sound system with 10 speakers and 620 watts of total power. It sounded very good. Controls for the heated seats and parking assist system, closeness to stuff displayed in LEDs at dash top and the upper rear headliner, occupied the panel underneath. Then two big chrome and rubber knobs are part of the optional four-zone climate control system that lets front and rear passengers adjust temperature, fan speed, even vent position. The center console looks rich with real wood and metal accents, while the armrest, that slide fore and aft, hides a storage compartment on top with a flip-out big cup holder and a larger compartment underneath.
In back, decent head and leg room for two adults with the aforementioned rear a/c controls, vents and seat heaters. The seat backs fold down, but not all the way for a totally flat load floor. With a standard power liftgate, 31 cubic feet of storage and steel tie-down hooks under a security cover, you can haul lots of stuff in back.
Under the hood of our 3,600-mile-old VW was a 3.6-liter V-6 with 280 hp, hooked to a shiftable six-speed automatic. The V-8 has 350 hp, the V-10 twin-turbo diesel 310 hp with 553 foot pounds of torque. Our 5,000-pound-plus test vehicle launched to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds in sport shift with smooth shifts, passing power OK but the engine working if we had family and stuff on board. The trip computer showed an average 13 mpg on premium. The V-8 Touareg we tested in 2003 hit 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, getting about 15 mpg.
The permanent four-wheel drive 4XMOTION system neatly allocated power to the wheel that needed it during the very wet week we tested the Touareg. That was a plus in dry-weather driving, when the Touareg 2 felt like a tall station wagon with minimal lean for an SUV and a compliant suspension that soaked up bumps. Wet- and dry-weather cornering was decent, too. With low-range and locking differential available with the twist of a knob, we had no problem navigating soft sandy hills and rutted trails, with decent ground clearance. The ride was comfortable over rough stuff, too. Safety equipment included Electronic Stabilization, Hydraulic Braking Assistant, Active Rollover Protection and brakes that wipe themselves dry in the rain.
The power steering was precise, if a bit light in effort sometimes. We felt a slight vibration when we touched the brake pedal, but use it like you mean it and stops were good with some nose dive and no fade even after hard use.
The Touareg 2's base price is $39,320 for the V6 FSI, on up to $68,320 for the V-10 diesel. Our V-6's decent base level was optioned up to $46,300 with a luxury package with keyless start, upgraded audio, four-zone climate control and heated rear seats for $3,400, and another option package with leather seats, walnut trim, 12-way passenger seat and Bi-Xenon headlights for $2,900.
Bottom line: For a well-built, on- and off-road capable midsize SUV with luxury and safety features, the Touareg 2 is a good choice for less than a Land Rover LR3, Toyota Land Cruiser or even a V-6 Porsche Cayenne, which shares some of the Touareg's structure.
Florida Times-Union staff writer Dan Scanlan test-drives new vehicles on Northeast Florida roads, averaging 200 miles of combined highway and city traffic during a weeklong test. The vehicles are provided by the manufacturer according to their schedule and represent a broad spectrum of sizes and prices. The prices listed are manufacturer's suggested retail prices. Scanlan can be reached at (904) 359-4549 or at dan.scanlan@jacksonville.com.
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Vehicle type midsize 5-passenger sport utility vehicle
Base price $39,320 ($46,300 as tested)
Engine type 24-valve DOHC V-6
Displacement 3.6 liters
Horsepower (net) 280 @ 6,200 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) 265 @ 2,500 to 5,000 rpm
Transmission six speed automatic with four-wheel-drive and low range
Wheelbase 112.4 inches
Overall length 187.2 inches
Overall width 75.9 inches
Height 68 inches
Front headroom 38.7 inches
Front legroom 41.3 inches
Rear headroom 38.3 inches
Rear legroom 35.6 inches
Cargo capacity 31 cu. ft./71 w/rear seat folded
Towing capacity up to 7,716 lbs.
Curb weight 5,086 lbs.
Fuel capacity 26.4 gallons
Mileage rating 14 mpg city/19 mpg highway
Last word Conservative looks, comfortable and well done inside and out
