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2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 Road and Trail Test

Since the untimely demise of the ultimate Volkswagen, the Phaeton übersedan,the Touareg sport utility vehicle inherited the crown title of VW flagship. This, of course, is no bad thing, as the Touareg was the second prong in the brand's push to raise its image and prove its worth as more than just an economy car producer. In the same way that the Phaeton impressed with its luxurious demeanor and uncompromised drivetrain, the Touareg broke new ground for Volkswagen. It just so happened to be much more realistically priced and competitive in a then booming marketplace. However, in its new role as the king of the Peoples' Car company, it's only fitting that VW's new flagship bear the family look and an update in the latest technology. And with this update comes a new name, Touareg 2.

Since its launch in 2004, we've always reckoned that the Touareg was a Range Rover in everything but badge and price, but with the facelift

Touareg 2 is a fresh take on VW's luxo-ute. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

we've got to say that the Touareg 2 is more worthy of its title than before. Besides the Rabbit, the old-form Golf/Jetta and the retro New Beetle,every vehicle but the Touareg featured Volkswagen's new trademark grille and bumper outline. This application in chrome for the V6 and matte silver for the V8 and V10 also happens to make the car look more sophisticated, and expensive, especially with the chrome detailing around the headlamps, foglamps and lower grille of the redesigned bumper. New aero-style headlamps break up the Touareg's once rectangular face with teardrop main beams strengthening

New headlights and grille really make the Touareg 2 part of the VW family. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the link to the Eos and Passat. The indents are functional, housing bi-xenon headlamps with AFS, which are standard on all vehicles, but an option on the V6.

The nip 'n tuck continues at the far end of the vehicle, with a redesigned liftgate that integrates a new separate opening tailgate for dropping bags and parcels into the cargo bay. Touareg 2s can bepicked out from the crowd easily thanks to new smoked taillight bezels that highlight the four round main beams. Even though many of the body panels are carried over, the new nose, new roof racks, restyled side-view mirrors and the new roof-top spoiler improve its drag coefficient and make it

Distinctive tail lamps are a sign of the new Touareg 2. You can't see it, but there's also a new tailgate with a split opening. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

quieter at speed. In fact, the spoiler alone helps to drop fuel consumption by one gallon per 235 miles; not bad for a piece of plastic.

Though there's nothing sporty about the Touareg 2's shape, the optional 19-inch wheels on the V8 helps to fill in the tall wheel wells, while 20-inch wheels plus a striking body kit including new side sills will be available later on in the year. Standard to the Touareg 2 V6 are 17-inch wheels with a tough mud and snow Pirelli Scorpion tire, while the V8 receives 18-inch wheels as standard equipment.

Off-road prowess, something once sought after amongst 4X4 buyers, seems to be slowly going out of style, which is why we find it a bit odd that Volkswagen

The Touareg 2 is the real deal on or off the road. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

is pushing the Touareg 2's off-roading skill. Certainly there are some who actually use their off-roader for off-roading, and others that merely appreciate knowing that it's there if they needed it, but most will probably never use a quarter of this SUV's capability. Either way, the Touareg's agility in the rough stuff sets itself apart from the crossover norm, and makes for a unique selling proposition. Volkswagen hasn't changed the 4XMotion four-wheel drive system, nor the optional air suspension system, but has instead focused on enhancing its performance outright via electronic measures allowing owners and their passengers to get to the far reaches of the earth with greater ease and greater safety. Our first drive of the Touareg 2 involved climbing up a steep, rocky and sandy pass in the mountains of northern Idaho. The

Hill ascent assist, hill descent control, locking diffs and air suspension all aid the 4XMotion 4X4 system in doing its job even better. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

loose, rocky surfaces were prime terrain to demonstrate the highly touted ABSPlus braking system that combines the pulsating anti-lock feature of regular ABS brakes with the age-old trick of locking the wheels up for brief periods of time in order to create a mound of dirt to increase friction and slow the vehicle down more quickly. When 5,100+ pounds of Touareg 2 starts sliding down a hill, the 20-percent shorter stopping distances that the system is capable of delivering while maintaining full control over steering is comforting. Of course, slower and much more controlled progress can be conducted using the Touareg 2's hill descent control.

Other features that help keep the adept Volkswagen utility on track include a hill assist that allows the driver to let go of the brake pedal once stopped and remain stopped on grades so steep that you'd have trouble walking

New console and instruments pretty much sum up the interior changes. These new and unsupportive seats are trimmed in optional (and new) Sienna Cricket leather. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

on. The cars we drove were equipped with the four-corner air suspension with CDC (a costly but worthwhile investment), with Xtra ride height for ample clearance and fording capabilities to take you over the river and through the woods. Needless to say, the Touareg 2 performed astonishingly well in these conditions, despite being equipped with inappropriate, low-profile all-season street tires, its 4XMotion low-range four-wheel drive system and optional locking differentials doing the work of transferring the power to the sand, dirt and chunks of rock. One change that isn't welcome are the new front seats that feature smallerbolsters. Though they look and feel luxurious and supple, they're as flat and as supportive as a park bench, leaving my not-so-wide frame to be jostled and tossed around in my seat. I also recall the old seats being more comfortable over the long haul.

By and large the Touareg 2's interior was one of the few areas

Pop the car in low range and watch the new, larger info display system give you all the info you'd ever want to know. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

of the vehicle that needed improving, but the changes made are thoughtful. Buyers are greeted by a new center console, new instrument panel with easier to read gauges, plus a much larger multi-function display that shows information regarding the 4WD system, tire pressure monitor, plus the trip computer. On the V6, it's a monochromatic red screen, while on the V8 it's a fancy unit that displays in high-resolution color. The Touareg 2 is available with the features most high-end luxury car owners enjoy, including four-zone digital climate control with REST residual heating capabilities,available keyless ignition, a 115-volt plug for laptops or what have you, and rear heated seats. Also available is a massively powerful 620-watt premium sound system, purpose-built by Danish experts Dynaudio.

The Touareg 2 also gains a host of new technological features that mark a first for any Volkswagen product sold in North America. These include Side Assist, a radar-based blind spot monitoring system such as the one featured in the Audi Q7, as well as Front Assist

Metal-ringed knobs look classy. Dampened action makes them feel expensive. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

which also uses radar to provide active cruise control and collision mitigation. That's pretty high-end stuff coming from Volkswagen. These features are for later delivery and aren't available as of yet. Also arriving in 2009 is a brand new touchscreen navigation system, complete with a headunit aux-in jack, which we're quite thankful for. The current system is a relic, with primitive graphics and dreadfullyslow response times.

Of the 2,300-plus new changes to the Touareg 2, the basic powertrain on all cars remains the same as last year. The entry level Touareg 2s receive a 3.6-liter FSI narrow-angle VR6 that produces 280 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque, incidentally yielding more power than the six-cylinder competition from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, while the 4.2-liter V8 gained FSI direct injection for a grand total of 350 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque. Both drive through six-speed automatics with manual mode, as before, and both are still extremely thirsty. Spring and damper settings on the steel and air suspension remain vastly the same, which means the new Touareg 2 is almost identical to drive as the old one, which translates

More off-road info including degrees of wheel lock, compass with bearings, and an altimeter are all displayed on the nav screen. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

into a quiet, smooth ride, agile handling and somewhat dead steering. VW added something called Understeer Control Logic, which analyzes the steering input rate and compares it to what the wheels are actually doing, but the difference the system makes went by unnoticed.

In 43 out of the 50 US states, buyers will also be able to indulge in the awesome 5.0-liter V10 TDI engine. Despite its extremely impressive output of 310 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, demand for this vehicle is estimated to be too low to bring it back (it was ultra-pricey). The rest of us will have to wait for the 50-state legal "clean diesel" Touareg 2, equipped with the new 3.0-liter "BlueTDI" V6 engine that will make a projected 235 horsepower. It's expected to go on sale during the spring of 2009, fortifying Volkswagen's return to diesel alongside the 2008 arrival of the Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen TDI and the Tiguan TDI.

As a whole, the Touareg 2 is a successful facelift, but there are a couple of things about the features and packages that continue to gnaw away at our collective thought processes. While the price has been dropped on the Touareg 2 to straddle the $40K barrier, we wonder why some options are limited to

You can't do this in most luxury SUVs. It's what makes the Touareg 2 one of the greatest all-rounders on the market today. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

only top of the line models. We're pleased that parking sensors are now standard, as is the power liftgate, but why is it that proximity sensing keyless ignition isn't at least an option on the V6 model and why is it that the heated steering wheel is reserved only for the V10? And on that note, why is it that the Touareg 2, the most expensive vehicle Volkswagen offers in North America, still has a foot-operated parking brake and regular bulb tail lamps when the much less expensive Passat and Tiguan have electric parking brakes and LED tail lamps? We also couldn't figure out why, despite being referred to as VR6 and Touareg 2 in official documents, the vehicles receive regular "V6" and "Touareg" badges.

Later next year, the Touareg 2 will be joined by Volkswagen's much anticipated Tiguan, giving the brand something to compete with in the most popular SUV segment out there today. There's also a bit of buzz surrounding Volkswagen's next big move, which is projected to be a three-row crossover, another vehicle that will get Volkswagen a foothold in what's the second hottest segment. Polished and refined, the Touareg 2 will continue to hold its position as one of the best all-round luxury sport utility vehicles on the market, with true 4X4 capabilities.

Specifications (Touareg 2):

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