Touareg 2.0T: Will you spend 600,000 discs to convince the public with "cost performance"?

After the replacement, Touareg also devoted himself to the torrent of "energy saving and emission reduction"-launching 2.0T power (the old model started from V6 engine). Although the power level has been reduced by one level, the guide price has always been reduced to an unprecedented level-the starting price of the 2065438+09 model is less than 600,000, and the 2.0T top air suspension is only 600,000, thus narrowing the distance between myself and fans.

This time, 102.6 City Chexianghui was fortunate to get the support of Sichuan Xinshuangli Import Volkswagen Sales Center-providing a 20 19 Touareg 2.0T version for a four-day long-distance road test from Chengdu to Longcanggou Scenic Area in Ya 'an. This period will involve many inevitable links in automobile life, such as urban areas, expressway, mountain roads, and even muddy forests with bad conditions. In addition, the "cross-country park" built in Longcanggou Scenic Area will further test Touareg's ability to control extreme road conditions.

So can the comprehensive strength of this Touareg 2.0T version support all the expectations of fans? Let's take a look.

Static experience

Compared with the previous generation, the length and width of the current Touareg have been increased by the naked eye-the length and width have increased by 83mm and 44mm respectively. However, the height dropped by 23mm, thus reducing the visual center of gravity of the car, making it look wider, flatter and slimmer, and greatly enhancing the sense of luxury.

Then talk about the appearance details. Against the backdrop of the wide net and rectangular headlights, the "grand" feeling of the front of the car is amplified, and the momentum is not lost to the first-line luxury opponents. From the side, except for the waistline running through the car body, there is no unnecessary decoration, and the concise technique is intended to highlight the solemn temperament. Seen from the back angle of 45, the tail wing of the Touareg is obviously expanded outward, and the waist line is taken as the dividing point, creating a solid and powerful hip contour. The sharp and flat sheet metal folding line once again shows Volkswagen's excellent manufacturing technology. The rear of the Touareg still maintains a full shape similar to that of the old models, but the rounded lines add a little affinity, which is in sharp contrast with the angular front face.

The interior of this generation of Touareg has jumped out of the "design barrier" of the Volkswagen Department. First of all, the pattern is no longer limited to the so-called "symmetrical" form, but boldly uses horizontal lines to expand the visual width of the room; Secondly, the overall orientation of the dashboard is aimed at the driver's seat, clearly releasing the concept of "driving priority". In fact, the asymmetrical instrument panel and horizontal air conditioning air outlet are also predictable on other luxury SUVs, such as the distant relative Audi Q7.

The introduction of dual LCD screens (instrument cluster and central control panel) has greatly improved the electronization of the interior and completely replaced the old mechanical atmosphere. Compared with the traditional mechanical dashboard, LCD dashboard is in the forefront in both content plasticity and information richness. On the Touareg, common functions such as air conditioning, entertainment system and vehicle status all give up physical buttons, which is not conducive to busy operation while driving in theory, but fortunately, there is an oversized central control screen (15.3 inches) to make up for it, providing an intuitive operation interface, and both the external screen and the built-in functions are equipped with "wake-up buttons". Experience shows that the system can realize accurate recognition no matter how fast the finger swings. Faced with such a sensitive and efficient trigger mechanism, I am fully confident to give up physical buttons. In other aspects, the addition of multi-color gradient atmosphere lights enlivens the atmosphere of the whole vehicle, and it is not bad to change your mood occasionally. Compared with the heavy interior atmosphere of Mercedes-Benz "Neon Forest", Touareg is more willing to change to fresh and elegant.

In the central area, except for the electronic pole, parking function and storage slot, only the vehicle dynamic management equipment is basically retained. Through the left knob, you can change the vehicle's power attributes, such as economy, sports, snow, mud, etc.-in different modes, the vehicle's power, electronic assistance and four-wheel drive system will be adjusted accordingly. On the right is the height adjustment of the air suspension. In the highest state, the ground clearance is close to 300mm, which greatly strengthens the strength of Touareg against extreme road conditions. The seemingly simple central area contains all the "core power" of this car. In my opinion, the advantages of Touareg's dynamic function concentrated behind the gear seat are: the operation is more intuitive and convenient, it is not easy to touch by mistake, and the concept is very mature.

Of course, this car also has some "shortcomings". For example, the instrument panel and the lower part of the door panel are basically hard plastics, and there is still a sense of gap with reference to its value of 600,000; The central control area of the piano paint surface is easy to be dirty or scratched; The light indication is arranged at the lower left of the driver's seat, so it is better to display it directly on the instrument. Of course, this is also a question of "habit".

Ride, sense of space

Personally, Touareg's seat leather and inner filler are hard, which is different from the so-called "zero gravity" somatosensory feeling of some Japanese brands. In addition, the side wings of the chair surface and backrest are prominent, which provides a good package and support for the body and belongs to a typical European style. Ergonomically speaking, the front seat fits the curve of the back and legs well, and no "hanging" or insufficient support is found after the experience. In short, I didn't feel uncomfortable driving all the way.

In terms of space, the Touareg's streamlined outline has not reduced the interior space and ride comfort-there are about two fists in the front and rear head space (reference height1.8m); Corresponding to the position, the distance between the knees in the back row can reach one palm, and "Ge You Lie" is ready to come out. In fact, good space has undoubtedly become an important guarantee for long-distance travel, which directly affects the experience of go on road trip. After all, if even riding a car becomes a burden, what capital is there to talk about "physical and mental pleasure"? In this regard, Touareg's performance is in line with expectations. It can be said that even if it is based on vertical platform (MLB? EVO), but the occupation of the engine room by the mechanical part is still controlled within a reasonable range. Its 2899mm wheelbase is completely used on the "blade", which is better than the Jeep Grand Cherokee with 29 10 mm wheelbase (all vertical platforms).

The standard volume of the Touareg trunk is 8 10L, and the volume is further expanded to 1800L after the rear seats are laid down, which is called the upstream level in its class. It can be seen that the internal depth and lateral distance are considerable, and the bottom plate is lower than the trunk opening line, which expands the storage range to some extent. This time in go on road trip, Touareg needs to carry a lot of shooting equipment-two camera bags, two lamp stands, a drone and a tripod, in addition to the luggage of three adults for four days. From the actual situation, this car can meet the needs of a family of three, whether it is a long trip or a short trip of a family of five, so that today, with seven SUVs in power, the five-seat Touareg can still add substantial confidence to car life with its excellent load capacity.

Pavement dynamics

This generation of Touareg is based on the vertical platform MLB of Volkswagen Group. The platform was built by EVO, which gave birth to many high-end sports models, such as Audi SQ series, Bentley Tim Yue, Lamborghini Urus and so on. Although there are differences in adjustment and materials, the structure comes down in one continuous line, which has cast a solid foundation "strength" for Touareg Base. For those who pay attention to the core quality of vehicles, it is equivalent to "doing big things with small money".

The maximum power and torque of the 2.0T engine carried by the Touareg are 245 HP and 370 Nm, respectively, and the parameters are at the middle level of the same class engine. Considering the curb weight of more than two tons, there is still the possibility of a "small horse-drawn cart". In normal or energy-saving mode, the power application of Touareg is slightly slow, and the power is slightly delayed when accelerating sharply. By my standards, this is not radical. Of course, moderate throttle pedal damping can still be accepted quickly, and the right foot can naturally be placed on the pedal to relax the muscles. Moreover, the force feedback of "no resistance, no tension" is easy to control. Even in the face of the increasingly congested urban area of Chengdu, I can easily keep up with the pace of traffic. After switching the sports mode, the motivation of the power is obviously deepened, which is manifested as follows: the downshift span of the transmission is increased, such as the 6th gear directly drops to 4th gear, and the downshift speed is fast enough; The upshift speed of the transmission is prolonged. At light and medium throttle, the shift speed is about 2500-3000 rpm, and at high throttle, the shift speed will be above 4000 rpm. It comes down to the subjective feeling that the vehicle's execution on the throttle is enhanced and the power is obviously lighter. In fact, the efficient and coordinated power system is the proud capital of the public department, so that it can still give a power experience beyond expectations on the premise that the book parameters are not dominant, and "surprises" can be said to be everywhere.

Speaking of the transmission, the 8AT (vertical position) equipped by the Touareg has left me more than that-no matter whether the working conditions are complicated or not, its performance is always smooth and delicate, and even the jumping of each gear is full of "rhythm". Generally speaking, its current state can only be identified by the gear indication on the dashboard-even under the complicated working condition of "stop", the shift action that can be perceived in the cockpit is very small.

Between Chengdu and Longcanggou Scenic Area, the proportion of expressway is over 90%. Therefore, the quality of high-speed performance will directly affect the "comprehensive score" of road links. When the top speed is 120km/h, the gearbox successfully pulls into the eighth gear in normal mode. At this time, the engine speed is controlled within 2000 rpm. After the throttle is stabilized, the instantaneous fuel consumption is about 6-8L/ 100km. However, when the throttle is released for coasting, the corresponding value will drop to 3-5L/ 100km. It once again proves the importance of excellent transmission to improve fuel economy. It is commendable that during the whole high-speed process, regardless of tire noise, wind noise or dynamic noise, the Touareg is controlled in an excellent range, even in the range of 100- 120km/h, and the car can talk quietly. The comfortable and stable driving atmosphere seems to remind me that this is Volkswagen's "flagship" SUV.

This Touareg is equipped with an air suspension, and its damping and height can be changed. In comfort mode, the feedback from the chassis to the road surface is fine and the frequency range is high. Switching the motion mode, the suspension texture becomes relatively tough, and the redundant bounce can be quickly recovered in the face of road undulation. When the tire collides with the road surface, the dull sound is the actual display of the chassis thickness. On the high-speed kilometers, the chassis has a strong "adsorption force" on the road surface, and the four wheels seem to firmly grasp the road surface, forming an excellent stability like "rail transit". Not only that, in the process of changing lines, the posture of the car body is also very comfortable-the direction is cut neatly and the shock absorber returns quickly. Its suspension structure shows amazing lateral support, so that it "weakens" the driver's perception of the external situation, and everything is so casual.

The steering wheel of Touareg has moderate damping, which ensures sensitive handling and linear stability, and will not bring pressure to the driver due to excessive force, especially at low speed or parking. In the dynamic process, the damping of the steering wheel will gradually increase with the increase of the front angle, and the righting force will be relatively gentle, so it will be relatively easy to establish a "tacit understanding" or "feel". In addition, the steering wheel and the front of the car can always maintain a high synchronization rate-the empty position and open space are controlled in a small range, and "how much you hit, how much you come" is an experience that every old driver is happy to enjoy. In short, its precise pointing flexibility is not like a two-ton medium and large SUV at all, but more like the performance of a mid-size car.

Dynamics of unpaved pavement

In the face of extreme road conditions, the advantages of air suspension are revealed-after lifting, the approach angle, passing angle and departure angle of the vehicle can be improved to the greatest extent, and the extension range of the body height can reach 70 mm Surprisingly, after the suspension reaches the highest level, it does not produce the expected strong "collision feeling", but maintains the flexibility of the normal height as much as possible. This is completely different from his Jeep Grand Cherokee-after the latter rises to the highest level, the suspension has almost no buffer and the impact on the road surface will be strong.

When passing through the "potholed road" paved by gravel and logs, the suspension almost isolates 30% to 40% of unnecessary impact, which makes the main driver's seat feel that it is not the "real appearance" of the road. Of course, the suspension can still give timely feedback on key information such as bumps and tilts, which is convenient for me to control and judge.

In the face of the cross shaft project, the Touareg's highly rigid body and 4Motion full-time four-wheel drive (Torsten differential) have their own places to play-in the process, only the right rear door trim panel makes a slight abnormal noise; When the oblique tire is suspended, the four-wheel drive system can make a limited slip response in the shortest time and distribute power to the tire with adhesion. The only thing I have to do is to control the trajectory of the vehicle and control the throttle and braking force reasonably. It can be seen that the cross shaft project made of cement has not caused difficulties to the new Touareg.

Climbing a steep slope of 30 is the real difficulty. In addition to the approach angle and cornering of vehicles, the test of tires will be more severe. Touareg, like most luxury SUVs, is also equipped with road tires, with shallow teeth and poor grip and mud discharge effect. When you start statically, you will stop because you don't catch enough ground in the middle of the ramp. The new Touareg successfully reached the summit with the help of sprint, and its posture was even better than that of Prado with 3.5L power (static start failed to reach the summit). The driving experience is that at two thirds of the ramp, the climbing power of the vehicle increases instead of decreasing, with obvious second-order explosive force. The reason is that after the dynamic inertia is weakened, the involvement of the four-wheel drive system is deepened, and the tire traction force increases instantly after obtaining stronger torque. When reversing down a steep slope, you can use the steep slope descent system. It is worth noting that Touareg's steep slope descent system is very quick to intervene and respond, and it can always be started immediately after monitoring the body inclination (whether before or after). If you release the brakes, the trajectory and inertia of the vehicle will be smoother and smoother, which is much safer than braking at will. Very friendly to people who lack cross-country experience-easy to get started quickly and build trust.

Like many European luxury SUVs, the Touareg is only equipped with a non-full-size spare tire (actually a layer of rubber), which can only be used in an emergency, in order to remind users to repair or replace the damaged main tire in time. From this point of view, the Touareg is not suitable for vehicles in harsh environments all the year round, and its concept is also different from that of Toyota LC and Jeep Grand Cherokee-the latter is a full-size spare tire, which is more capable of coping with emergencies.

The atmospheric design, coupled with the brand's excellent manufacturing technology, will inevitably create Touareg's low-key and extraordinary product attributes. After a four-day comprehensive road test, the Touareg not only won favorable comments on the load capacity and ride comfort, but also showed me "the handling rapidity that does not match my weight" in the dynamic (road) link.

I think this must be attributed to MLB? The solid foundation established by the EVO platform-its excellent structure and materials (a large number of aluminum parts) have raised the driving quality of the Touareg to the "benchmark" level in the industry, so that except for the 2.0T engine, no obvious deficiencies have been found in the core components including the transmission and chassis. In this way, under the premise of sufficient budget, I still insist on recommending 3.0T modeling to make up for the only "short board" of this generation of Touareg in power quality. In the face of complex and changeable unpaved roads, Touareg can conquer these "forbidden zones" with its strong body rigidity, reliable chassis and active and efficient electronic system.

Not long ago, the brand integrated the configuration of the Touareg 2.0T version-only a 2.0TSI Ruishang version with a guide price of 629,800 yuan was retained, which was regarded as the "life continuation" of the 2.0TSI Sharp Wing version (the test drive model in this article). Although the price rose slightly by 65,438+0,000 yuan, the sports appearance components and active safety functions were added on the premise of retaining important configurations such as LED headlights, HUD head-up display, dual LCD screens, air suspension and road condition selection mode, and the cost performance was improved.

In short, in the face of luxury rivals of the same level, Touareg can really stand out from the encirclement with its own "cost-effective" advantage. In my eyes, if you can buy a high-end SUV with introverted style at a relatively affordable price, what is the reason to catch up with those "luxury brands" with very high premium?

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.