Test of time: Volkswagen’s neck-snapping Touareg R

The Touareg R may be related to the Lamborghini Urus, but it goes about its business without shouting “look at me”

It’s been 21 years since I last reviewed a Volkswagen Touareg and I’m glad to say the years have been kind.

But oh, how times have changed.

The R’s signature Lapiz blue against the dark accent cuts an imposing figure.

Back in 2004, the Touareg was a brand new platform for Volkswagen (and Audi and Porsche, with their Q7 and Cayenne, respectively).

SUVs were a very new concept – yet to rise up and wipe pretty much every other style of vehicle off the road.

And I drove the beefiest one you could get back then: a stonking 5.0-litre twin-turbocharged V10 diesel pulling 230kW and 700Nm of torque.

So when VW invited me to try the new Touareg R and said it was the most powerful production car they had ever built, I didn’t hesitate.

I was a fan of the 2004 model but noted concerns around build quality and teething problems common in the first generation of anything new.

The Touareg R has 21-inch black alloys and a lovely set of hips.

The two decades of development since then have delivered a lot of changes and huge improvements.

This new R is a plug-in hybrid, which marries a 3.0-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor to pack a massive 340kW and 700Nm of torque.

It’s also one of the most comfortable and luxurious large premium SUVs available on the market today.

The Touareg R’s ripply design and bold grille make a strong impression. Our was painted in the signature Lapiz Blue, matching the massive brake callipers and contrasting with the blacked-out accents around the ouside.

The huge brakes and lairy black 21-inch alloys hint at the R’s purpose.

It has flashy LED matrix headlights with auto beams that fill in the blanks around oncoming traffic rather than just flick between high and low beam.

Inside, soft-closing doors, sporty leather seats (heated and ventilated, thanks very much) and aluminium accents create a sophisticated atmosphere. Everything felt solid, heavy and premium.

The Volkswagen Touareg R’s interior and panoramic roof.

There’s also plenty of space, with generous leg and headroom in the rear.

There’s no third row of seats, but the boot is massive. A panoramic sunroof created an open, airy feel despite how dark it was in there. To help with that, you can choose from a dizzying array of mood lighting colours – hot pink on sky blue was my little boy’s favourite mix.

The cockpit is a great place to be if you’re like me and enjoy the latest tech innovations as well as sporty driving.

A thick leather wheel sits in front of a crisp 12-inch digital dash, with big dials that can display all manner of info.

There’s a hi-def heads-up display projected on to the windscreen too – again, customisable and colourful.

Then central in the dashboard is possibly the largest screen I’ve ever used, this side of a Tesla – 15 inches.

That central screen is gigantic at 15 inches.

I loved the adaptive air suspension and a fun novelty was the night vision mode, which brings up a thermal image of the view in front on the digital dash.

I’ve always loved the stealthiness of Volkswagens. The R may be related to the Urus, but it goes about its business without shouting “look at me”.

Still, car people know what it is and I was stopped a couple of times while getting coffee by fans of the big bruiser.

My little boys loved sitting up high and cackled every time I booted it at the lights (only once or twice).

We really enjoyed our time in the Touareg R and, should the budget ever stretch that far, I’d have no hesitation shelling out the $145,000 asking price. The V10 I drove at launch was $138,000, so technically it’s now cheaper!

When you consider the features fitted, the size, power and premium specification, it’s actually great value and more than a match for its rivals.

VERDICT: 4.5 stars