Volkswagen Touareg review

The base 228bhp 3.0-litre TDI weighs in at £67,640 in Black Edition trim. The lesser-powered 376bhp plug-in hybrid, which also comes in lesser-specced Elegance trim, will set you back from £86,810.

Next up is the 282bhp TDI in Black Edition trim, costing from £70,320, followed by 335bhp 3.0-litre TSI, from £72,070, also in Black Edition trim. Then it’s a walk-up to the bells ’n’ whistles 456bhp plug-in hybrid ‘R’, which starts from – wait for it – £80,370. Yikes.

Rivals? The Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne all tickle a similar price point, while the Merc GLE demands a further £10k more than the most basic Touareg. All of those wear a more premium (and more desirable?) badge than the Volkswagen.

What's the difference between kit?

Elegance trim highlights include 20-inch alloy wheels, keyless start/entry, electric tailgate, 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 15-inch infotainment display, tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof, HD matrix headlights, heated front seats, and a rear-view camera.

Black Edition models (equivalent to R-Line spec in Europe but with a couple of extra styling tweaks) get 21-inch black alloy wheels, a Black Edition styling pack (including black trim, bumpers and mirrors), black interior trim, black roof lining, stainless steel pedals, tinted rear glass, an illuminated rear logo, air suspension and Park Assist.

The flagship Touareg R features standard 22-inch alloy wheels, blue brake callipers, R logo puddle lights, a unique interior trim, blue interior accents, and interior ambient lighting with 30 colour options.

What's the best spec?

Our preferred spec would have been the base Elegance trim, with the optional air suspension and the higher powered of the two 3.0-litre diesels. Unfortunately, your only available powertrain on Elegance trim is the lesser eHybrid. Annoying.

So if it were us, we’d likely make the jump to Black Edition trim with the 282bhp TDI, which offers plenty of grunt, smooth performance and decent fuel economy. It does force you into bigger 21-inch alloys, but you at least get the adaptive suspension as standard. All in, you’re looking at £70,320.