28 June 2011

The Scoop
Selling for $129,990, the Volkswagen Touareg was developed in conjunction with Porsche and is named after a nomadic Saharan desert tribe, the Tuareg.

The drive
The term ‘put the pedal to the metal’ was surely created for the Volkswagen Touareg R50. If this car picked up any quicker, you’d surely be transported into the middle of next week, Dr Who style.

The reason for this is under this big baby’s bonnet is a twin-turbo V10TDI engine (aka one of the world’s fastest and best engines); combined with 4-wheel drive and the latest generation of Volkswagen’s 4MOTION system and 6-speed Tiptronic automatic with Dynamic Selection Program. Like Donald Trump, this car means business when it hits the road. Having said that, how much power do you really need and would you really feel OK handing this car over to the P-plater in your life for the long weekend?

Vision is particularly good in the Touareg R50 due to the sheer nature of this beast – it’s tall and it’s wide, and its presence is somewhat overbearing. Parking is a breeze, however, and the car never seemed cumbersome or hard to manoeuvre.

Bulky yet still sprightly, drive-wise the grip and handling are second-to-none. The pick-up is seriously world-class, cornering is excellent, braking is rapid and it’s a heavy, firm and comfy ride.

Is it fun? Sure thing. Should you be scared if driven by some unrestrained maniac with a death wish? Abso-freaking-lutely!

Safety
ABS plus braking (reducing braking distance up to 20%), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), Engine Braking Control (EBC) and hill descent and holding assistance and Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) with active rollover protection. ANCAP safety rating is five stars (the highest rating).

3 words to describe this car
Sporty, sexy, sumptuous.

What are the best things about this car?
The sexy, stylish interior. We loved the slick stainless steel, aluminum, clean lines; futuristic metallics and leather seats.

What are the downsides of this car?
It has a little too much grunt for me – think Arnie circa 1970s when competing for Mr Universe. Sometimes you really can have too much of a good thing…

What kind of petrol does this car use?
Diesel.

Green factor?
Fuel consumption is 12.6L/100km and the CO2 emissions are 333g/km.

Soundtrack of choice for the Volkswagen Touareg R50?
Anything ACDC… and turn it up loud!