Review: VW Touareg R-Line CKD – Pekan-Made Perfection

Made in Pekan? Really?

The new Volkswagen Touareg R-Line pictured marks a series of firsts for this mid-sized SUV from the ‘People’s Car’ brand. Not only is this the first Touareg model to be brought in officially by Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) in over a decade, it’s also the first Touareg assembled outside of Europe - it proudly calls VPCM’s pekan plant ‘home’.

Thanks to the standard R-Line package, the locally-assembled Touareg model gets a bevvy of stylish equipment inside and outside.

Based on the face-lifted third-gen model, the locally-assembled (CKD) Touareg comes standard with the R-Line specification, adding several stylish bits to this already handsome SUV. Key highlights include the R-Line-specific bodykit, a slew of R badges around the car, black and silver accents, and the 20-inch ‘Braga’ alloy wheels it rolls on.

Besides the midly-tweaked front face, the facelift treatment has granted the third-gen Touareg stunning LED matrix lights on both ends.

More importantly, the facelift treatment itself sees the Touareg gaining some key pieces of tech, the most important being its redesigned IQ Light LED matrix headlights featuring triple light signatures. Complementing the sophisticated headlights is a full-width LED taillight that also features an illuminated VW badge at the centre.

As for size, the third-gen Touareg slots perfectly amongst other luxury midsize SUVs on sale in Malaysia - it sits 4,878 MM long, 1,984 MM wide, 1,717 MM tall, and has a sizeable wheelbase of 2,899 MM.

Granted, the Touareg is neither the fanciest nor flashiest rendition of its MLB Evo platform base. Nevertheless, we’d reckon this VW-badged SUV still holds itself rather well with its simplistic yet elegant design, so much so that we actually prefer it over any of its fancier siblings.

How’s Life Inside the New Touareg?

CKD models are often plagued with negative perceptions of lacklustre build quality and finishing. Fortunately, we're happy to report that the new Touareg R-Line has neither of those, although we noticed some minor equipment omissions in its luxurious cabin space.

Predictably, the Touareg R-Line's interior is loaded with screens and other luxury amenities.

Primed in the dash is a massive 15-inch infotainment screen that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, as well as an equally massive 12.3-inch TFT digital instrument bin. To keep the front dash layout relatively clutter-less, most of the vehicle controls and equipment are moved to the central console, which also houses the wireless charging pad, two USB-C charging ports, a conventional gear shifter, as well as two dials serving as drive mode and suspension height level selectors.

The R-Line treatment is also quite apparent inside, which includes the button-laden R leather steering wheel, metal side sills, as well as plush R-embossed leather seats primed with ventilation, heating, and memory function for both sides. Not to forget, the presence of a four-zone climate control, 30-colour ambient lighting system, and 13-speaker Dynaudio sound system, all helped to drastically increase quality of life inside the Touareg.

Despite the awkwardly tall central tunnel hump, the Touareg boasts enough space to sit three adults comfortably at the rear seats.

And thanks to its two-row, five-seater layout, rear passengers get plenty of room too. For maximum comfort, the rear seats’ backrest can also be reclined into several levels, while amenities like the four A/C vents, multiple USB-C ports, and privacy sun shades all ensure that they’re living on a lap of luxury.

The same thing can also be said for the Touareg’s cargo space, as the absence of third-row seats allow this SUV to have segment-leading 810-litre boot space as standard, or 1,800 litres when the second-row seats are folded down. Impressively, the Touareg also still has space to house a space-saver spare wheel under its main cargo compartment - a rarity in this vehicle segment nowadays.

Though some will argue that the absence of both a head-up display (HUD) and panoramic sunroof have slightly reduced the luxury quality here, the Touraeg R-Line makes up for those shortcomings with its spacious cabin and segment-leading cargo compartment.

Enough Talk, What About The Drive?

Unlike other luxury mid-sized SUVs in our market, the Touareg R-Line stood as one of the few options that get a full-ICE powertrain setup sans any form of electrification. This makes the Touareg a perfect choice for those who want to avoid mechanical gremlins that often loom over electrified powertrains.

Powering this SUV is a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 TSI mill churning out 340 PS and 450 NM to all four wheels (AWD) via an 8-speed automatic transmission and Volkswagen’s proprietary 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

We find the 340 PS and 450 NM-rated V6 TSI to be more than capable in powering this midsize SUV.

This V6 setup proves to be more than sufficient at powering the sizable SUV, evident by its decent 0-100 KM/H sprint time of 6.0 seconds and V-Max of 250 KM/H. Power delivery is also smooth and linear, despite some minor hiccups and shift lags coming from the 8-speed box, especially during acceleration from mid-range speeds.

On the drive dynamics front, the MLB Evo platform that the Touraeg shares with other performance SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne predictably provides decent driving dynamics, especially for a midsize SUV. Combined with the adaptive air suspension system, the Touareg delivers a perfect balance between performance and comfort.

This adaptive damper setup also allows drivers to adjust the SUV’s ride height on the fly, with the tallest setting granting a decent water-wading depth of up to 550 MM too. Moreover, the 4Motion AWD system also features several driving modes, including a few dedicated off-road ones (Snow, Gravel, Mud, Sand), which work in-tandem with the adaptive suspension system to provide decent off-road capabilities, provided you’re brave enough to take this luxury SUV off the beaten path.

Despite its position as the most affordable model out of the VW Group’s MLB Evo-based SUVs range, the Touareg R-Line proves itself to be a very capable SUV that not only provides a perfect balance between performance and comfort but also some usable off-road capabilities too.

How Economical & Safe Is The Touareg?

Unfortunately, this is where the Touareg R-Line’s full-ICE powertrain setup suffers compared to some of its electrified rivals - its V6 TSI mill can’t hold a candle against a comparable hybrid alternative (I.e. the BMW X5) when it comes to fuel economy.

Although VW claims its V6 mill sip as low as 9.5 litres per 100 KM on average, said figures proved a tad tough to attain during our week-long test, which also involved a mix of spirited and long-distance driving. Fortunately, the Toaureg’s segment-leading 90-litre fuel tank and, critically, its ability to run on still-subsidised RON95 fuel, provided some saving grace for its thirst. However, if you’re in an income bracket that affords you this VW, then we seriously question your choice to still use subsidised RON95 - an argument for another time.

As for safety, the Touareg R-Line boasts a whole list of active and passive safety features to boot - expected, given its price. Included here are ADAS functions like Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop & Go, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM), Front (FCTA) and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA), Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA), and more.

Like many other modern cars nowadays, most of the Touareg's settings can only be accessed via the central infotainment display.

Though some of these ADAS functions work neatly, accessing them can be quite a hassle for the non tech-savvy. That’s because it requires a mix of manoeuvring through the infotainment display and toggling with the steering wheel’s finicky haptic-touch buttons. Stil, things aren’t so bad elsewhere.

Another novelty in the Toaureg R-Line is VW’s proprietary IQ Light system with intelligent auto-high beam. This system not only dips down automatically when a car passes by, it also projects light specifically on the path you’re on, as well as lighting up signboards and the lane you’re merging into.

Should you find the IQ Light system not enough in helping you drive through near-pitch-black road conditions, fret not as the Toaureg R-Line also comes with a night vision function that projects live night vision images via the car’s instrument cluster.

As for the passive safety features, the Touareg R-Line is primed with standard equipment like six airbags, traction (TCS) and stability (VSC) controls, Hill-Start Assist, a 360-degree camera view with Park Assist function, seat belt reminders for all occupants, as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

What’s the Cost for All of This?

Handsomely-styled, spacious cabin with tons of luxury amenities and decent driving dynamics with a perfect balance of performance and comfort, the VW Touareg R-Line CKD ticks all the boxes to make it a very compelling choice for anyone seeking an all-rounder luxury mid-sized SUV.

Despite the localisation efforts taken by VPCM, the Touareg R-Line's price is still quite hefty, albeit still on par with other Euro-badged luxury mid-sized SUVs.

However, with all its bells and whistles, this SUV from the ‘People’s Car’ brand is tagged with a not-so-people-centric price tag. Even with the recent localicsation efforts taken by VPCM, the Toaureg R-Line CKD still commands a hefty RM469,990. Said figure includes the optional Volkswagen Assurance Package (VAP) that adds a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty, 5-year free maintenance, and 5-year roadside assistance.

By days' end, the VW Touareg R-Line CKD is still one of our top favourites not only among its MLB Evo siblings, but also among other Euro-badged luxury midsize SUVs.

Sure, at this price, some might be compelled to opt for some of the Touareg’s other European-branded counterparts, which arguably carry a more prestigious badge compared to it. Then again, if you look at a Touareg R-Line as a cheaper alternative to the likes of Porsche Cayenne instead of a half-a-mill V-Dub, we’d reckon this Pekan-made behemoth stands as a really compelling alternative not only to its fellow MLB Evo siblings, but also against other Euro-badged luxury mid-sized SUVs out there.

SPECIFICATIONS

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG R-LINE CKD 

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