Seems like Volkswagen is serious about spreading the diesel gospel here.
After their monstrous Touareg R50 and ridiculously economical Polo BlueMotion runabout, here’s their third derv drinker locally – and it’s another Touareg.
But unlike its headline-grabbing, 5-litre, V10-engined R50 sibling, this Volkswagen Touareg TDI makes do with a more sensible turbocharged 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine.
It still provides pretty useful urge, though, and the 2.3-tonne Touareg goes to 100km/h in 8.3 seconds.
Apart from being 300Nm down on torque, the V6 TDI also lacks the R50’s pose factor. It has neither the R50’s extra-bright work about the nose, nor its bling-bling 21-inch rims.
Even on 18-inchers, the V6 Touareg TDI looks under-wheeled.
That said, the V6 TDI’s looks are perfectly in keeping with its character. There’s nothing fancy about the car; no wow factor.
But it simply gets on with what it’s meant to do, and does it very well.
There’s lots of cabin space in that tall body shell, and this being a Volkswagen, all materials are of top-notch quality and feel like they’ll survive a bomb blast.
The Touareg’s not the sharpest-handling car (or even the sharpest-handling SUV). The steering is slightly vague. But it does lend itself to a relaxed touring gait.
And in this mode, this big Volkswagen is in its element. Pass the 2000rpm mark and the Touareg TDI surges forward convincingly, making overtaking a brief, ankle-twitching affair.
And if you hadn’t been told, you’d be hard-pressed to tell that the Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI is a diesel. At idle, there’s very little hint of engine clatter.
And on the move, there simply isn’t any at all. Except that it’s far more economical than any equivalent petrol engine would be.
Even lugging about well over two tonnes of Touareg, the TDI engine still does just over 10km per litre in the combined cycle – that’s hugely impressive for the level of performance it delivers.
So, if you must have that big SUV but still want to do your quiet bit for the environment, perhaps the Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI is your thing.
You might ogle its R50 stablemate, but the Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI is more likely to be the one you’d take home.
Touareg’s 3-litre turbo-diesel needs very few revs to get a move on.
2008 Volkswagen Touareg TDI 3.0 (A)
ENGINE 2967cc, 24-valves, V6, turbo-diesel
MAX POWER 240bhp at 4000rpm
MAX TORQUE 550Nm at 2000-2250rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 8.3 seconds
TOP SPEED 182km/h
CONSUMPTION 10.1km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $187,300
