The VW Touareg proves that challenging road conditions of the outside world are easier to deal with when cocooned in luxury.
By RUBIN VAN NIEKERK
*Prices accurate at the time of publishing / Gay Pages Winter / Spring Edition 96
Light on its feet with all the connectivity and an impressive fusion of assist, comfort, light and infotainment systems, the Touareg is easy to manoeuvre and quicker than anticipated due to 4-wheel steering. A fully digitalised cockpit with 12-inch display and 15-inch display merge to form a digital operating, information, communication and entertainment unit.
The Touareg has the largest range of assistance, handling and comfort systems ever to be integrated into a Volkswagen and includes an optional Night Vision assistance system. Within the luxurious interior of the Touareg the challenging conditions on the outside of the vehicle are easier to deal with.
A massive panoramic sliding roof adds to the spacious ambiance and the atmosphere can be personalised with 30 light colours whose brightness can be continuously adjusted are available as an option.
Anybody who has ever struggled with reversing a trailer would love the trailer assist function which eliminates complex manoeuvring with a trailer. As expected this car comes with every form of assistance programmes.
The LED headlights use a matrix made of light spots – individual LEDs that can be activated which means it uses the power of a total of 256 LEDs in the various segments of the left and right headlights at the front to make the night safe and as bright as day.
A corresponding computer uses the signals of the front camera, the digital card data of the navigation system, the GPS signals, the steering wheel angle, as well as the current speed to precisely activate the individual LEDs for the best light in a split second. By switching on the main beam headlight via Dynamic Light Assist the car then does the rest itself like dimming, city lighting, optimum highway light or offroad light.
Great 4-corner air suspension not only perfects the level of comfort, but also the aerodynamics and trips on rough terrain. The new optional air suspension system operates quickly and silently and is insensitive to temperature and outside pressure fluctuations. The air suspension is at the “Normal level” or “Comfort level” as standard. At speeds from 120km/h, the running gear is automatically lowered by 15 to 25mm using the air suspension (deep level) to reduce the air resistance and adjust the driving behaviour.
Offroad parameters change depending on the suspension and the maximum climbing capability (60%) and transverse gradient (35°) are identical with steel and air suspension. The front and rear ramp angle increases with air suspension from 25° to 31°. The breakover angle also increases from 18,5° to 25°. As the ground clearance can be increased with air suspension, the maximum wading depth also increases (from 490 to 570mm). The manually adjustable level of the air suspension is activated using rotary pushbutton switches in the centre console.
