The new Volkswagen Touareg has loaded up with two of the biggest tow car awards in the business. Having only joined the brand’s UK range in June Volkswagen’s new, third-generation premium SUV has already secured the ParkersBest Tow Car 2019 title while also being named best in its class in the 2018 Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year Awards.
While previous generations of Touareg have proved popular with drivers looking to tow a wide variety of loads – from caravans to horseboxes – the new version raises standards still further thanks to innovative safety and convenience systems and exceptional drivability. For motoring review website www.parkers.co.uk the Touareg’s combination of brain and brawn put it head and shoulders above its rivals.
The judging panel praised the newcomer’s exceptional levels of comfort and user-friendly towing features. Commenting on the Touareg’s victory, Parkers’ Editor Keith Adams said: “The Touareg wins out because it offers an impressive amount of tech for the money, including some very clever towing-assist systems. With its 3.5-tonne towing capacity, it’s the perfect family car for those who need to pull hefty loads with ease.”
Parkers judges also highlighted the Touareg’s design and engineering, adding: “As a road car it’s luxurious beyond its price, while its interior and Innovision Cockpit system are easy to use.”
Parkers weren’t the only ones to be wowed by the luxurious new Touareg’s hauling ability. Having put the it through a gruelling series of tests, the Caravan and Motorhome Club announced the Touareg as the car to choose for caravans over 1,700kg. The organisation, which represents the interests of more than one million caravan, motorhome and trailer tent owners across the UK, named the new Touareg R-Line Tech 3.0 V6 TDI SCR 4MOTION 286 PS Tiptronic as its model of choice.
Summing up the appeal of the new Touareg, the judging panel said: “The fantastic 3.0-litre V6 engine is quiet and refined with great pulling power while the eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox never became flustered. Nicely weighted steering and a smooth, comfortable ride – coupled with great interior design – this is a brilliant tow car.”
One of the many reasons why the new Touareg makes the perfect tow car is the availability of Volkswagen’s acclaimed Trailer Assist technology. This system – which can be specified as an option – allows the driver to forget the counter-intuitive skills traditionally associated with reversing a trailer.
Trailer Assist works in harmony with other Volkswagen systems including Park Assist and Rear View to provide an easy and intuitive feature that makes light work of difficult manoeuvres. When activated, the rotary switch of the electric window adjustment knob acts as a multi-function joystick with which the articulation angle of the trailer can be determined.
The new Touareg range is priced from £48,995 RRP OTR, and is available to order from Volkswagen Retailers now. For more details on the Volkswagen Touareg range – together with brochures and pricing – and to use Volkswagen’s online configurator, please visit www.volkswagen.co.uk.
SOURCE: Volkswagen
