Volkswagen Touareg SUV: serious off-road machine

Price: £43,000 - £47,500

Pros: Decent fuel economy for a big 4x4, smart looks, luxurious cabin

Cons: Looks very similar to its predecessor, expensive to buy, no seven-seat option

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2.9/5 Carbuyer "Off-road toughness and on-road ability are two things the VW does quite well. All models come with four-wheel

drive

and there's a choice of two 3.0-litre diesel engines, a 201bhp and 258bhp version, both of which can return 42.8mpg. The larger V8 TDI diesel and Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid model were both dropped from the UK line-up in 2014. The Touareg doesn’t come with the option of seven seats, but it does have a spacious and well-built cabin, even if it doesn't boast the same premium feel of the Porsche Cayenne."

12.0/5 Top Gear "On air suspension (a £2,000 option on all models), the V8 rides superbly. If you want to do much off-roading in your Touareg you'll need the air system because of the versatility it gives. You can raise it by up to 78mm from a normal 'road' setting."

4.0/5 Auto Express "While the VW can’t match rivals such as the Land Rover Discovery for cabin space, there's still plenty of room for five passengers – sadly there's no seven-seat option. Drivers get a commanding view of the road from the high set driving position, and the interior is solidly constructed from top quality materials. Opening the useful split tailgate reveals a useful 500-litre load bay, while folding the rear bench flat and this increases to 1,525-litres."4.0/5 Evo "For starters there's a punchy but smooth V6 diesel mated to an eight-speed auto tiptronic gearbox. It's probably not the most enticing combination you’ve read about on this website, but engine and transmission work together very well, and can hustle the two-ton Touareg along with plenty of vigour."