2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI Review
24 Oct, 2007
16 Comments 
2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI Review
CarAdvice rating: 
Recommended Retail Price: $121,990 (model tested)
Options fitted: Automatic tailgate, $1390
- by Karl Peskett
There’s only one figure in this review you need to know. 750 Newton metres. That’s it. You can skip to the end now. Seriously, it’s that figure which dominates this car.
You see, Volkswagen have seen fit to endow the Touareg with possibly the best diesel engine on the market today. Yes, ze Germans are good at their stuff. For those that scoff at it being “just a diesel”, 5-litres in V10 guise and twin turbos will make up for any compromise you might think you have to live with.
Hop in to the smooth, soft leather, 16-way adjustable electric seats, and don’t bother putting a key into the dash – you don’t need to. It knows the key is in the car. Foot on the brake, and press the now ubiquitous start/stop button, and the starter motor churns, quickly firing up all ten cylinders. But if the 600W stereo is up a little, you won’t even know it’s idling.
Smoother than a politician on the election trail, this motor is a phenomenal piece of engineering. It’s not vociferous by any means, but it is rapacious. Combined fuel usage is listed at 12.6L/100km. Good luck trying to achieve that figure. On our test (with an admittedly slightly heavy right foot) we averaged 18.2L/100km.
Location: Home / Volkswagen, Behind the Wheel / ...
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(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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October 24th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
I want one - NOW…..
Thanks, Alborz, for your kind offer, but I really can’t accept
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October 24th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
This is really a feat.
Amazing, saw it at the Sydney Int. Motorshow and it is certainly appealing to the eye. I’m interested on how this beast would run with the space saver on because wouldn’t it put the car on a tilt due to the space savers size?
I saw the one in the back of the Touareg and it certainly looks small.
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October 24th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Excellent review Karl
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October 25th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
You’d be pissed if you’d just spent $30k more on the outgoing model. Gotta love the Toe-rag!
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October 28th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Great review Karl
Off topic Karl is there a way for me to buy some of the Test Drive Australia road tests that was on C31 here in Adelaide that you did ?
As I’m a VAG fanatic would love if you could copy all the VAG stuff onto DVD(s) I would pay of course
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October 29th, 2007 at 9:49 am
No worries Phaeton.
I’ve sent you an e-mail.
KP
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October 31st, 2007 at 5:33 am
Awesome motor. pity all veedub look the same. its much like a pup up tiguan…which is like a pumped passat…..which looks like a mildly updated golf….. which looks like a pumped up polo……oh i’m bored
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November 21st, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Well the new X5 sd is a twin turbo diesel which is .2 seconds quicker to 100km/h that the V10 VW. Once again BMW show how to use every NM to its full extent !
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November 28th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Im surprised by the writers fuel economy comments,I owne an 05 V10 with 40,000k’s running mixed highway / city at around 800k’s a week and average 11.6 litres per 100k’s, better than my previous Falcon GT at 15.5ltrs per 100k’s !!
And re the $30K price variance from the previous model, agree to a point but the new model is a significantly lower spec in base config.
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December 18th, 2007 at 9:03 am
[…] we revelled in the colossal torque of Volkswagen’s V10 TDI Touareg, sister company Audi has gone one step further, and released Australia’s most powerful […]
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January 4th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Average consumption on my many interstate trips was initially 11km/l and has now dropped to 10km/l after about 40000km/6 mths. Get around 8km/l around town. Yes, I do let it off the leash as often as possible without being a hoon.
The X5 without dual range would not get to places the Treg laughs off. Also, useable fuel capacity in the Beemer is only around 60l, compared to the Treg’s 80l. The Treg is also far roomier and comfortable - it’s the ultimate all-round tourer without the wank factor.
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January 24th, 2008 at 3:42 am
BMW’s……….boring boring boring…..the X5 is a lovely vehicle but not unique. The VW V10 is officially the most powerful diesel engine…why do we all judge a 4×4 on how it gets to 100km’s…there is no point. A true 4×4 is diverse, and I am sure that the Tourag would wipe the floor with the X5 in many other areas. Note to TY BMW’s are two a penny and if I had the money, even if the X5 was a great drive, I could not by one, they are so common….boring boring boring….. every footballer has one in the UK…what a testiment as most of them have no brain cells!!!!
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April 21st, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Test drove the 3.0 TDI last week performance was great appears solid and well built.It looks great. The comments I read previously about cost of performance brake and tyres previously put me off. I am thinking about taking the plunge. Any local experience from owners may assist my purchase dilema. Any owner feedback welcolme.
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April 21st, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Oli, hopefully Tonyn sees your post. He should be able to help. Pretty sure hes got experience with most of the VW Group sold here.
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June 29th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
a stock 5.4Litre 220kW/472Nm Barra220 V8 3V or a Barra230 the 230kW/500Nm can easily beat this, just give it a CAPA supercharger, and you get an instant 1000Nm from just 1500rpm and over 500kW with out even touching an exchaust system. Not to mention the new Fords 6.4L Turbo Diesel for F-250 for 2010.
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August 9th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
well ive owned both the x5 two of them that is of the v8s 4.4 and also had 2 v10 touareg cant compare the 2.that v10 is a motor second to none and sure u can bolt some thing on to your 3l motor to push ou t 1000nm ,but how long would it last and its a bolt on action u know what i mean.the v10 is the best thing since peanut butter believe me.i have driven the new x5 win turbo not as nice as the touareg!!1
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