Volkswagen will end production of its flagship diesel sport utility vehicle (SUV), the Touareg, at the end of this year as part of its electrification strategy. Launched in 2002 as the brand's first SUV, the model has sold more than 1.2 million units worldwide over three generations. Born from the same platform as the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga, and packed with Volkswagen's engineering prowess, it also earned the nickname "a supercar without the badge." To mark the final chapter of the Touareg, we test-drove the recently released Final Edition 3.0 TDI Prestige trim.
The body size is in the midsize-large class. It measures 4,900 mm long, 1,985 mm wide, and 1,685 mm high. Compared with the Genesis midsize-large SUV GV80, which buyers often cross-shop with the Touareg, it is shorter and lower, but 10 mm wider. The oversized radiator grille, which takes up more than half of the front end, uses closely spaced horizontal chrome slats that make the body look even wider.
The chrome grille flows naturally into the IQ.Light HD matrix headlights. These headlights, which look like three eyes, contain more than 38,000 interactive light-emitting diodes (LEDs). They provide illumination by integrating information such as driving speed, camera, navigation, and GPS. For example, when you turn on the indicator, they lay down a light carpet in the lane you are changing into. They also warn with light if a vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane during a lane change.
From the side, the shoulder line stands out. It stretches long from the front wheel to the taillights. Because it is sharply creased, the upper part shines brightly in light while the lower part falls into shadow. This contrast gives it depth, making the silhouette clearly recognizable from a distance. As it passes the rear door handle, the shoulder line thickens and looks more dynamic. The rear appears wider thanks to an LED light bar, a long horizontal line connecting the two taillamps.
In the first row, including the top of the dashboard, various areas are finished in leather. Wood veneer, which preserves the texture of real wood, is widely applied to the dashboard and door panels along the boundary between the upper and lower sections, with ambient lighting running alongside it. However, it is hard to say both the leather and the wood veneer are top-tier materials.
The climate controls sit below the 15-inch center display, and adjusting the temperature requires touching a horizontal scroll bar, making fine adjustments difficult. The center console has physical buttons, including a leather gear selector with Final Edition lettering engraved, the start button, and the hazard lights. A dial to adjust drive modes and ride height is also placed here. Once the positions became familiar, it was convenient to operate them while keeping eyes forward.
There are seven drive modes in total, and we first drove in Normal mode. It gave the impression of a well-mannered car. Even in stop-and-go city traffic, it set off and came to a halt more smoothly than the actual pedal input. On the highway, the speed climbed somewhat slowly, requiring a firm press on the accelerator.
This is amplified further in Comfort mode. Even when pressing the accelerator deeply, the RPM (revolutions per minute) would barely rise. The vehicle felt that much more stable. The brake pedal also felt even softer than in Normal mode, giving the impression of being in a sedan.
If you want speed, you need to switch to Sport mode. The response is markedly different from Normal or Comfort. Pressing the accelerator instantly sent the RPM soaring, and speed built quickly. The Touareg is equipped with a six-cylinder engine, and the combination of an all-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission delivers a maximum output of 286 horsepower. It also produces a peak torque of 61.2 kg·m across a wide band of 1,750 to 3,250 RPM.
Compared with SUVs like the BMW X series that maximize driving fun, road feel does not translate as directly to the body and instantaneous acceleration is somewhat weaker, but it is ample for making speed on Korean public roads. In sharp curves, the vehicle did not feel like it was lifting, but the seats did not clamp the body tightly.
The Touareg's drawback is its navigation. You have to use the built-in navigation for map information to show on the head-up display, and it differs somewhat from T Map and others. Unlike other navigation systems where the road colors for split directions, such as pink and green, sync up, the Touareg's navigation does not display such information. Other driver-assistance systems, however, are solid. In particular, the function that warns of or automatically brakes for hazards in the forward blind area is on the sensitive side.
Considering both driving feel and space, it is an excellent family car. When a 170 cm-tall adult woman sat in the second row, there was enough room in front of her knees to fit roughly three fists. The actual wheelbase (distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels) is 2,899 mm, shorter than the Genesis GV80 (2,955 mm), but smart packaging and generous width maximize space.
Both second-row positions have ISOFIX (a fixed device that connects to a child seat) mounts for installing child seats. The second-row seats can slide back by up to 160 mm and the backrest angle is adjustable, helping prevent growing children's feet from touching the front seatbacks.
The trunk is generous. At 810 liters (L), it is larger than the BMW X5 (650 L) and the Genesis GV80 (735 L). Folding the second-row seats increases capacity to a maximum of 1,800 L. With value-added tax and a 3.5% special consumption tax applied, the Touareg starts at 106,421,000 won for the 3.0 TDI Prestige trim. The 3.0 TDI R-Line trim starts at 116,506,000 won.