Top 3 Volkswagen Touareg trims head-to-head: here’s our winner.

First introduced in 2002, Volkswagen's Touareg was the first so-called 'T-badged' SUV model, paving the way for the Tiguan, T-Cross and T-Roc that have gone on to be phenomenally successful for the German automaker. Now in its third generation, the Touareg is based upon the Volkswagen MLBevo platform, a premium architecture that it shares with the likes of the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and the Porsche Cayenne, meaning that its technological and luxury credentials are impressive, to say the least.

Related: Volkswagen Touareg vs Audi Q7 vs BMW X5: here's our winner.

For our purposes today, we will be looking at the three trim levels available across the Touareg range locally, namely, the Luxury, the Luxury R-Line and the Executive R-Line. This will help us determine what the key differences are between the Touareg models, allowing for a definitive verdict as to which one belongs in your driveway.

Powertrain

There is just one powertrain option within the local Touareg line-up, a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel motor that produces 190kW and 600Nm of torque. The power is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The figures for the Touareg are impressive, with a claimed fuel consumption figure of 7.1 L/100km, allowing for 1 268km of driving range on a single tank of diesel while also endowing the vehicle with the capability to sprint from zero to 100km/h in just over 7.0 seconds.

Exterior 

The Touareg is available with two exterior design packages, the Luxury model features 19-inch alloy wheels and the option of 18-inch items. The two models fitted with the R-Line exterior package get sportier front and rear bumpers, body-coloured wheel arch protectors and side skirts as well as R-Line badging on the front panels and grille. The R-Line models also feature 80%-tinted glass from the B-pillar backward as well as a gloss black rear diffuser and silver roof rails. The R-Line in Executive guise comes with 19-inch alloy wheels as standard while the flagship Executive model features 20-inch wheels as standard equipment.

Interior

In terms of the interior of the three models, expect models fitted with the R-Line package to feature a black headliner in place of the standard model’s beige roofliner. The R-Line models also get the Volkswagen 'R' badge embossed on the leather seats while 'R-Line' badging can be found on the steering wheel and the door sills.

Is the Volkswagen Touareg good for new drivers? Here’s our verdict.

Specification

All models are available with the brand's Innovision Cockpit as an option, which is a features a fully digitised instrument cluster measuring 12.0-inches as well as a 15.0-inch infotainment system. As standard, the Luxury models get the Discover Pro infotainment system, LED headlamps, Adaptive Cruise Control, an electric tailgate, Vienna leather seats, 8 airbags, climate control, a multifunction steering wheel, electric windows all round, electrically adjustable mirrors, automatic lighting, two USB ports, keyless entry, a panoramic roof, front electric seats(heated/ventilated), ISOFIX child seat anchor points at the rear, a rear-view camera with self-park assist and an electrically adjustable towbar.

The R-Line Luxury model is similar in its features but adds tyre pressure sensors and a heated steering wheel. The R-Line Executive model comes with all of the aforementioned features but adds the I.Q. Light Matrix LED headlights, 4-corner air suspension and 4-zone automatic climate control.

Pricing

Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI Luxury R 1 192 700

Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI Luxury R-Line R 1 259 900

Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI Executive R-Line R 1 371 700

Conclusion

Having looked at the three Touareg trim levels available locally, it becomes clear that the flagship Volkswagen product is impressively specified regardless of the model chosen. Having looked at the 22 examples of the latest generation Touareg listed for sale on AutoTrader at the time of writing, it becomes clear that models fitted with the R-Line package are more popular, outnumbering the standard Luxury models some 20 to 2. We determine that the best Touareg model is the flagship R-Line Executive model as it features almost every feature a modern motorist could want from a large luxury SUV while coming in at around R110 000 more than the R-Line model in Luxury guise.

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