2011 Volkswagen Touareg Review
Price
RM428,888
Installment
RM4,090/mth
2011 Volkswagen Touareg at a glance
The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg makes a compelling case for itself—with its excellent handling, cabin refinement and attractive pricing—if you only carry five, and if you can afford the high running costs involved.
2011 Volkswagen Touareg quick specs
| Body Style | SUV |
| Class | Large Luxury Utility |
| Assembled | - |
| Engine Range | - |
| Fuel Options | - |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
2011 Volkswagen Touareg ratings (overall rating : 4/5.0)
| Styling | |
| Handling | |
| Comfort | |
| Quality + Reliability | |
| Performance |
| Roominess | |
| Running Costs | |
| Value for Money | |
| Equipment | |
| Environment |
Styling
The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg catches attention with its classy aura, handsome styling and massive road presence. Compared to the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7, its siblings, the Volkswagen Touareg easily looks the best. In the latest facelift, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg gained a redesigned chrome-look grille, reshaped headlight housings, new side mirrors and a more aerodynamic roof spoiler.
Handling
Based on the same brilliant chassis as the Porsche Cayenne, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg handles and steers sharply on the roads, in a manner that belies its size. Composed through the bends and planted on the highways, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg is also capable in the mud, thanks to the 4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive, some clever differentials and serious off-road features such as the large approach, departure, ramp and side slope angles.
Comfort
The ride is firm at lower speeds, but improves as the speed increases. The cabin environment is calm and quiet when cruising, with little road, wind or engine noise intrusion, although there are occasional suspension noise when negotiating sharper bumps. The high seating position gives a commanding view of the roads ahead, and drivers enjoy a wide range of seating and steering adjustments. The seats are supportive too, but the button-filled centre console will take some time to get used to.
Quality + Reliability
Like Toyota, Volkswagen produces quality cars consistently, and that holds true for one of their higher-end models. The cabin imparts a classy feel the moment you sit in, with faultless fit-and-finish and high quality materials galore. But closer inspection reveals some plastics that seem out-of-place in a car this price. Overall though, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg's cabin is still impressively solid. Given Volkswagen's positive reliability record, we foresee little problems mechanically.
Performance
The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg relies on a 3.6-litre V6 FSI engine mated to six-speed automatic gearbox with Tiptronic to pull its substantial mass along. Capable of 276 bhp and 360 Nm, the V6 powerplant gives the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg plenty of urge, as shown by the quick 8.6 seconds to reach 100 km/h from rest. The automatic gearbox shifts crisply and smoothly, and together with the creamy engine, make for an exceptionally polished drivetrain. The gearbox can adapt gearshift patterns to individual driving styles over time, too.
Roominess
The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg is spacious for five adults and their luggage, but there are only five seats instead of seven that rivals have, or at least provide the option to have. Front and rear room are extremely generous, however. The lack of a third row translates into lots of loading luggage capacity—555 litres to be exact, and folding down the rear seats increases it to a maximum of 1570 litres.
Running Costs
The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg's strong performance comes at the expense of fuel economy, as the 7.5 km/litre fuel consumption figure will confirm. Servicing and repair costs are no higher than premium rivals'. In Malaysia, the Volkswagen brand is premium, but just not as strong as rivals'. Therefore, the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class should still hold on to their values better.
Value for Money
Put aside its premium rivals such as the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg appears like good value given its significantly lower price tag. Without doubt, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg has many qualities going for it, in particular its excellent on-road manners and cabin refinement. However, the lack of even a seven-seat option and the high running costs are key shortcomings.
Equipment
The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg is very well-equipped, having as standard adaptive bi-xenon headlights, front and rear fog lights, 18" alloy wheels, power side mirrors with turn signal, power windows, remote central locking, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, rain sensor, Park distance control, 6-disc CD/MP3/radio audio system with 10 speakers, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats and leather upholstery. Safety features include front/side/curtain airbags, roll-over sensors, seat-belt pretensioners, plus braking, traction and stability controls.
Environment
Carbon dioxide emissions of 317 grams/km, coupled with the heavy fuel consumption of 7.5 km/litre, are bad news for the environment. To make things worse, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg carries only five occupants (meaning more pollution per occupant) compared to rivals' capacity for seven.
Live Life Drive Verdict
Excellent on-road manners
Cabin refinement
Attractive pricing
Only five seats
High running costs
Established rivals
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