2014 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI first drive

A subtly revised version of Wolfsburg’s luxury SUV touting what is quite possibly the longest full name in the business: the Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI SCR BlueMotion Technology 4Motion.

The well-equipped five seater forms part of a limited, diesel-only line-up of facelifted Touareg models set to reach UK dealerships in November. Priced at £44,500, it competes head-on with the likes of the BMW X5 xDrive 30d, Land Rover Discovery SDV6 and Mercedes-Benz ML350 BlueTec, to name but a few upmarket rivals.

The stylistic changes brought to the second-generation Volkswagen Touareg some four years after its introduction are more noticeable than what we have seen on other recent facelifted Volkswagen models – a measure perhaps of the level of competition it faces.

At the front, there is a newly designed bumper with larger air ducts for more efficient engine bay cooling and fog lamps set low down underneath a prominent horizontal chrome strip, a wider grille boasting four rather than the previous two horizontal elements and reshaped headlamps housing standard Xenon main beam projectors.

The rear also receives a re-profiled bumper which, like that now used at the front, features a heavily chrome strip to accentuate width. There are also new tailpipes and, on models fitted with the optional R-line package, a shiny black valance panels styled to resemble a diffuser. Additionally, the new Touareg gets revised alloy wheels in sizes ranging from the standard 19in of the base model in the UK up to optional 21in items.

Inside, the Touareg adopts a lightly redesigned dashboard with new rotary switchgear, front seats with standard lumbar adjustment and a revised range of trims. Among the equipment upgrades is a standard automatic post collision brake function – as seen on all recent Volkswagen models.

Under the bonnet sits a reworked version of the Volkswagen Group’s widely used 3.0-litre V6 common-rail diesel engine. The 90-degree unit offers 13bhp and 22lb ft more than the previous powerplant, producing 258bhp at 3800rpm and 427lb ft of torque on a band of revs between 1750 and 2500rpm in this particularly Touareg model.

It also adopts a selective catalytic reduction system with AdBlue urea injection technology to provide it with combined average consumption of 42.8mpg, CO2 emissions of 174g/km and EU6 emission regulation compliance – figures that place it in a lower band for a two per cent benefit in company car tax.

UK buyers can opt for a less powerful version of this engine in a slightly more affordable base model that costs £1500 less at £43,000. Its output remains the same as before with 201bhp at 3200rpm and 334lb ft between 1250 and 3200rpm. However, its consumption and emissions are little different to the more powerful variant of the revised diesel at 42.8mpg and 173g/km.

As part of efforts to introduce greater efficiency to the Touareg, its standard eight-speed automatic gearbox now receives a coasting function in models boasting the BlueMotion Technology designation.

It decouples drive to provide a freewheeling effect and added economy on a trailing throttle. Further fuel saving functions on the new model include automatic stop/start and brake energy regeneration.