When the Touareg was first launched in 2004, Volkswagen was already fashionably late to the SUV party and needed to make a solid impression. While most of us expected the archetypal suburban utility vehicle, VW instead introduced a vehicle with the off-road worthiness of a Range Rover and the comfort of the best luxury sedans, genuinely impressing everyone with its ability to take passengers comfortably to the farthest reaches of terrain. With a true low-range gearbox, locking center and rear diffs, electronically adjustable ride height, variable rate shock absorbers and a plethora of electronic gizmos, the Touareg was a much larger tour de force than any of us expected — it even captured Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year award in 2004. So after selling close to 500,000 units since its introduction the time has come for an all-new second generation. Bigger and stronger, yet lighter and more economical, the new model has received significant improvements; after driving it in Europe we can report that it is a worthy sequel to the original.
Read the complete review over on vwvortex.com
