Volkswagen Touareg 2023 review: 170TDI

The size of the Touareg is what will sell it to most families, and this one is noticeably larger than its predecessors. 

Even without a sunroof, the large windscreen and side windows allow heaps of natural light and visibility. So much so that I didn't actually miss having my beloved panoramic roof!

By the way, a panoramic sunroof is only an option on the two higher variants if you can't live without one.

The Touareg is noticeably larger than its predecessors. (image credit: Tom White)

The sleekness and elegant shape of the exterior sets it apart from other big bruiser SUVs, and the LED headlamps blend into the front grill seamlessly.

Inside the cabin, VW has made it a modern luxurious environment with nice feeling finishes and massive screens that don't look like an afterthought.

The interior just screams 'luxury'. (image credit: Tom White)

The gear shifter and everything in the centre feels well thought out with easy access - nothing will get in your way when trying to throw it into reverse.

From the leather seats and steering wheel to the piano black surfaces, and even the use of customisable ambient lighting, the interior just screams 'luxury'.

There is so much room, no matter where you sit. Front, back and the boot space is incredible. You'd easily fit three child seats across the back row.

There's enough room for front and rear passengers. Even with the child seats in place, my mother-in-law sat happily and comfortably in the centre rear seat.

Okay, she's petite, but she's also 70, and still found it easy to climb in and out of the space between the two child seats. I also rode between the seats, and had enough shoulder room, which is impressive.

You'd easily fit three child seats across the back row. (image credit: Tom White)

When I couldn't access the boot, I even had enough space on the floor behind the front seats to change my baby's nappy! Very impressive from a parent's point of view.

The boot space is HUGE! I can't imagine it being too small for any family. You get a massive 1800L storage capacity with the back row folded down, and 810L capacity with it folded up.

That is plenty of space for day-to-day mum life, and we would easily fit everything we need for a family road trip. An option for a third row would have been nice, though, especially as most SUVs of this size and price have seven seats.

Boot space is rated at 810 litres. (image credit: Tom White)

For everyday use, I can't complain, but, for such a large vehicle, I was surprised by the lack of storage space in the front row.

The glove box is pretty standard and you have the usual two cupholders in the centre and bottle holders in each door.

There is a space in the centre under the media screen for wireless phone charging, so once in use, you can't use that space for anything else. And there is a cute mini map pocket on the passenger side that would fit a phone, sunglasses or snacks.

But my biggest issue is the centre console bin. It looks massive, but it's really shallow. It just isn't as spacious as I was expecting. But in saying that, overall, there isn't anything that would prevent you from living your best mum life in the Touareg.

Being able to fit a full week's worth of groceries next to my full-size pram in the boot is every parent's hope and dream. And having a powered tailgate (which is standard across all variants) is the cherry on top.

VWs are generally packed with safety features and this Touareg doesn't disappoint. It comes with AEB, front and rear cross-traffic assist, lane assist with adaptive lane guidance and driver fatigue detection, just to name a few. 

There are eight airbags, two of which are rear side airbags, not to be confused with the side curtain airbags - the Touareg has both of those. Such a bonus and a big tick when considering this for your family car.

VWs are generally packed with safety features and this Touareg doesn't disappoint. (image credit: Tom White)

Also, the Touareg received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, from testing in 2018.

Now, when it comes to your kids safety, you get your choice of two ISOFIX points on the outer rear seats or three top tether harness points. 

And you will definitely get three child seats across the back row as there is plenty of space! Oh, and installing them is a breeze, which is always a bonus.

Volkswagen claims an official combined fuel consumption figure of 6.8L/100km, and over my two week test I used 10.0L/100km.

We did minimal highway driving, mostly short trips running errands and doing the day-care drop off and pick up, which always pushes my fuel consumption upwards.

There is no petrol option and I've mentioned this before, but a diesel engine really isn't for our family as most of our daily driving is 15 minutes or shorter, which isn't ideal for a diesel, so that is always something to consider when purchasing your vehicle.

The Touareg is covered by VW's five year, unlimited km warranty. (image credit: Tom White)

Volkswagen offers a five year, unlimited km warranty with one year complimentary 24 hour roadside assist.

Pay up front, five-year capped-price 'Care Plan' service packages are available.

Servicing is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. and the average annual cost for the Touareg 170TDI is $600.

Not exactly a bargain, but that represents an $810 saving over pay-as-you-go pricing.