VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG

TOP-END VOLKSWAGEN SUV IMPRESSES WITH ITS PREMIUM FEEL AND DRIVE

- MATT CAMPBELL

THE VOLKSWAGEN Touareg has been revamped and repositioned, with the entry-level 170TDI model now offering a claimed $10,000 of extra spec for a lower price than the outgoing version. That sounds something worth investigating in an era when egregious price-gouging seems the norm.

It still comes with a V6 turbo-diesel engine, all-wheel drive and a 3.5-tonne braked towing capability, but as with the previous take, it remains a five-seater, and that means some of its rivals may make better sense for family-car buyers.

Unless, of course, you are one of those people who bought a sevenseater only to realise that the third row could have just been a big boot...

The updated Touareg 170TDI lists at $86,790 plus on-roads - nearly $2500 less than the last version, but with the aforementioned $10K spec bump that includes a heap of new items.

Highlights include LED matrix HD headlights with adaptive beam tech, 19-inch alloy wheels, a power tailgate, keyless entry and push-button start, leather interior trim, heated front seats with electric adjustment, a 12.0inch digital driver info screen, and the 15.0-inch Innovision touchscreen -previously optional - is now standard, with wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as sat-nav, and it's the display for the standard surround-view camera system.

Other standard safety tech includes front and rear parking sensors, semi-autonomous parking, dynamic road-sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert with auto braking, and the brand has also added Manoeuvre Braking for obstacle and pedestrian protection while parking.