VW Touareg 4.2 V8 TDI Executive

The advent of flight has made travel efficient and fast and with South Africa’s relatively small size, no flight should last more than a few hours. The comfort may not always be there, but the convenience of crossing the entire country in the same time it takes to watch a movie, pays for itself in spades. It’s become fairly cost effective too with numerous carriers offering discounted rates.

But the journey is also a part of any adventure or trip, so why cut it down when you are just as easily able to drive to the destination? With the added benefit that you’re mobile when you reach your final port of call. The simple answer is fuel. Fuel prices have increased to the point where flight suddenly becomes more efficient, not only in time stakes.

Diesel cars are known for their frugality and many will sing the praises of extended miles and single tank adventures, but is it possible in a large, V8, twin turbo SUV?

The VW Touareg range culminates in the range topping 4.2 V8 TDI Executive and as such, it comes with a smorgasbord of features and conveniences with a price tag to match. Expensive, luxury SUVs are nothing new and too often they’re regarded as ostentatious wastes of space, with owners using them to business meetings and nothing more. I’m pleased to say that the Touareg feels less so, and more apt for a long distance drive to the remote regions of Southern Africa.

It certainly feels more rugged and purposeful than some of its counterparts, with a familiar dashboard layout and functional switchgear. While the model we took to the road in had the optional air-ride suspension and a few additional creature comforts, nothing seemed like too much and at some point in time, each and every convenience founds its way into the drive.

The 4.3-litre, twin turbo V8 diesel motor develops 250kW and 800Nm of torque, making this one strong SUV. While it doesn’t lurch for the horizon like an X6 M, there is a sense of urgency in the drive. Overtaking becomes effortless and no doubt that towing would be a complete breeze – no matter how big your boat is.

VW claims an extra-urban fuel consumption figure of 7.4 litres / 100km and I believe that to be accurate, as on our drive down, we managed to match that at the national speed limit and then pass it, dropping the number down to 7.2 by lowering the speed by 20km/h.
The revised look of the Touareg is not as radical a departure from the old model as some would lead you to believe. Sharper angles on the head and taillights and the obligatory revisions to the bumpers merely neaten things up and do away with the soft visage of the large SUV. A new lighting arrangement with LED taillights and DRLs up front and a larger air dam in the front bumper give it a more sporty look, rather than a cumbersome wagon.

The interior also sees some refreshing with brushed aluminium inserts and the usual expanses of faux wood finishes. While some may scoff at it, it suits the nature of the vehicle to a tee.
The heated and air conditioned seats are electrically adjustable and offer enough range of motion to allow for a comfortable and safe drive over extended distances. The infotainment system is still the largest bugbear of the current VW range and while effective, it’s less than intuitive and takes a few hours on the road before you can use it to its full potential. The audio quality is not bad, but better can be found in smaller hatchbacks.

The drive was comfortable and without drama for the most part. While many believed that we would comfortably make it on a single tank of fuel, it was not so. I won’t divulge the result of our experiment, you will have to watch it for yourself to see if we made it or not. All I can say is that in those final moments, I was dreading running the motor dry.

The VW Touareg 4.2 V8 TDI Executive sells for R1 010 400 with the optional air suspension an optional extra at R35 700 and the panoramic sun roof at R13 750.