Volks at play

VOLKSWAGEN’S marketing folks (and the assembled media) have many decades of experience among them, and they are determined to attract customers to the brand.

THE VOLKSWAGEN convoy makes its way down a steep slope in Tagaytay, with the aid of electronic safety features like hill descent, which brakes the car automatically at a set speed.

Volkswagen Philippines launched with not one but two slogans, though not necessarily compatible with each other. The first one, “the people’s car,” was understandable given the company name. But the vehicles’ styling, equipment level, and pricing did not exactly connote a plebeian mode of transportation.

The second one read, “Engineered for play.” Now that’s more like it. The VWs seem eager for a spirited drive, from the lower-slung new Beetle to the not-yet-for-sale Scirocco R. But what about the more practical side of the Volkswagen stable, the utility vehicles? Could they be just as companionable as the passenger cars?

To prove a point, VW Philippines assembled its trio of vehicles that are expressly for play-and perhaps an equal measure of work. They are the Tiguan, the compact SUV; the Touran, the compact MPV; and the Touareg, the larger SUV. They invited us for a whole-day spin in the vehicles, from the brand’s new showroom at Bonifacio Global City to a presumably more leisurely oriented locale, and then back.

Instead of saving the best for last, Volkswagen assigned us to first drive the flagship, the Touareg. Though it looks deceptively compact from a dozen paces away, the Touareg is suitably wide and bulky once you walk up to it. There’s room inside for five, with ample shoulder and knee room for all passengers. Unlike its corporate sibling the Audi Q7, the Touareg foregoes the third row of seats. The trunk is huge, with a 908-liter capacity with all seats up.

Limo-like ride comfort

The initial direction of our convoy was simple: away from the city, southbound. Pointing the tall Volkswagen down C5 and then the Skyway, it was immediately apparent that the Touareg is built for effortless long-distance cruising. Serene and silent at speed, the SUV provides limousine-like levels of ride comfort. Its composure at speed is such that we found ourselves going much faster than we would have gauged, given the vehicle’s behavior. Our passengers noted that we hit easily hit 170 kilometers per hour on a short stretch of South Luzon Expressway. This was not without its occupational hazards, as the highway patrol has its own arsenal of speed guns at the ready.

JP ORBETA, president of Automobile Central Enterprises Inc., official importer of Volkswagen, poses beside the Touareg.

Touareg is powered by a 3-liter turbodiesel V6, with 245 horsepower on tap, and a whole lot of torque, 550 Newton-meters, starting at just 1,750 revolutions per minute. The eight-speed automatic shifts imperceptibly, and with that many gear ratios, the engine can just serve up its torque seamlessly. Brakes are suitably powerful for high-speed cruising.

The Touareg is equipped with the sort of dynamic and electronic systems expected on a German touring machine. Front double-A arms and a multilink rear suspension are abetted by an air spring system, which can vary the car’s ride height. The car can hunker down on the highway, then raise itself up in case you decide to go off-roading. As with its Porsche Cayenne alter ago, the Touareg’s dampers can also be switched from comfort to a firmer sport or sport plus mode. The only things missing are power-actuated memory seats and a motorized liftgate. The audio system could also use more connectivity options. We actually prefer adjusting seats manually, but at this price range, these conveniences are a must.

For the next leg, we switched to something smaller—the compact crossover/SUV, Tiguan. It’s shorter in length than familiar crossovers like the Subaru Forester and Honda CR-V, and the Tiguan once again looks smaller than it actually is. Credit (or blame) VW’s understated design and straightforward styling.

Immediately apparent is that the Tiguan has less sound insulation than the Touraeg. That this is also diesel-powered will be obvious. Its 2-liter engine is always audible, from idle to hard revving, although it is never obnoxious within the cabin. Characteristically, the turbo unit provides plenty of torque, with 320 Nm on tap from 1750 rpm. There’s hardly any uphill stretch or steep driveway, such as the ones at Starbucks Tagaytay, that the Tiguan cannot tackle with ease. The transmission is a six-speed automatic, with four-wheel drive as standard.

The cabin looks Spartan at first, but nearly everything needed is present. Seats are fabric, with manual adjustment all around. One-upping the Touareg, the Tiguan has an electronic keyless-go system, which means you just keep the transponder key in your pocket and push a starter button, low on the center console, to start the vehicle. With considerably less mass than the Touraeg, the Tiguan relished climbing the sharp switchbacks leading up to Canyon Woods, and slicing through the roads going down to Taal Lake.

European people-carrier

For the journey back to the city, we then climbed into the Touran, Volkswagen’s MPV. A people-carrier in the European mode, the Touran looks more like a C-segment wagon that a vehicle capable of carrying seven. Rather than a full-time minivan, though, the Touran is more aptly described as a 5+2. Its individual rear seats can easily fold away to free up room for cargo.

Like the other two utility vehicles, the Volkswagen Touran is also diesel powered. Somehow, the MPV’s 2-liter diesel seemed to be better isolated, sound-wise, than the Tiguan’s. With 110 HP on tap and 280 Nm starting at 1750 rpm, it won’t wake up a sleeping baby with any engine noise. The Touran’s compact dimensions, at 4400 meters long and 1794 millimeters wide, makes it a cinch to park in any small space.

We arrived back at Volkswagen center in BGC none the worse for wear, the only real hazards being going too fast for our license in the Touareg, going too quickly around the hairpins in the Tiguan, and almost being lulled to sleep by the Touran’s silence. Though by no means can they be called “people’s car” by the local market, “Engineered for play” sounds just about right.