2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI Review
October 24, 2007 by Karl Peskett
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.
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I want one – NOW…..
Thanks, Alborz, for your kind offer, but I really can’t accept :)
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.
Excellent review Karl
You’d be pissed if you’d just spent $30k more on the outgoing model. Gotta love the Toe-rag!
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 ;)
No worries Phaeton.
I’ve sent you an e-mail.
KP
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
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 !
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.
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.
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!!!!
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.
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.
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.
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