Despite its sequel-like name, the Volkswagen Touareg 2 is essentially a slight refreshing of the original Touareg midsize SUV. It’s the equivalent of calling the “Star Wars” re-release from the 1990s a sequel, but instead of a digitally rendered Jabba the Hutt, there are restyled headlights and a couple new features.
Although the Touareg 2 isn’t much of a sequel, the original Touareg upon which it’s based was a pretty solid sport-utility vehicle. Engineered to blend on-road comfort with genuine off-road capability, this Volkswagen follows an SUV formula more in line with the Range Rover than the growing number of soft-roader crossovers. This is a vehicle that can go practically anywhere while providing good handling and a well-sorted ride, all made possible by a rock-solid platform co-developed with Porsche.
Unfortunately, the Touareg 2′s few changes from Touareg 1 did not include a lower price. As such, this Volkswagen remains costlier than its humble “people’s car” badge would suggest, while offering less space, fewer features and generally weaker performance than many rivals.
