2020 VW Touareg R-Line review

It might be strange to hear this, but some of our favourite moments in the new VW Touareg R-Line was when it was parked. That’s not to say isn’t fun to drive - we’ll get to that shortly - but sitting inside and discovering new gadgets and buttons to fiddle with was genuinely exciting.

The only comparison we can think of is when you get a new smartphone. You sit there, locked in, just messing about with the features and working out what they all do. The VW Touareg R-Line is this but on big scale. Every time we got behind the wheel we’d discover new tech stuff to play with.

But how is this mid-size SUV overall? Let’s begin…

Exterior

VW has shaved off the more rounded finish of previous models to deliver an aggressive looking 2020 Touareg. The pouting chrome grille is the first sign that this new model means business. And it had to change.

Previous Touaregs may have been on a par in terms of power and tech with its rivals such as the Porsche Cayenne or BMW X5, but it wasn’t as desirable. At least until now. The subtle tweaks to the body manage to shake off the “family taxi” tag.

Drive

As we alluded to, the 2020 VW Touareg R-Line is a fun drive. In fact, it’s excellent. There’s a satisfying lurch forward when you put your foot down that gives a superb sense of speed down the straights. And we’re impressed with its ability to handle sharp corners without flinging us from side-to-side - a problem a lot of its competitors suffer from.

It’s quiet too. Apart from the roar of the exhausts as you engage the sport mode, you can barely hear a squeak from the outside world, which makes long distance drives a joy.

There are a bunch of driving aids to help you on your way too. A 360 degree camera will help you park and notify you of any incoming people or vehicles as you move out. It has a night vision mode to identify movements in the dark.

It also has one of the most overoficious lane assists we’ve ever encountered. Now we know it’s there to help, but there were some occasions where we were gently changing lanes and it would try to wrestle us back.

Overall

VW has scored a winner in the luxury mid-size SUV sector with the 2020 Touareg R-Line. It has improved the model in every conceivable way and delivers a vehicle that not only works great, but looks it too.

Sure, the in-car entertainment has one too many menus to navigate on-the-move and the hefty price tag is hard to swallow, but the VW Touareg R-Line is an excellent package. And one that we’d happily just sit around in while it’s parked outside our house.