The Touareg was a first step into the 4x4 SUV industry for the German manufacturer, designed to lead the market among all of the other marques currently vying for consumers'' attention. What Car? praised the strong engines and easy-to-use interior controls, but argued that the market is saturated with other potentially higher quality options.

First Generation Volkswagen Touareg 4x4 (2002 - 2010)

Volkswagen launched the Touareg in 2002, as the result of a joint project between Volkswagen Group, Porsche and Audi. It used the Volkswagen Group PL71 platform, which was also used for the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. Although these vehicles share similarities there are some technical differences, as well as styling and equipment variations.

VW made it so that the Touareg came with a four-wheel drive system as standard, with optional extras such as a 4-wheel adaptive air suspension and continuous damping controls available to further improve the car''s off road capabilities. It also boasted an automatic progressively-locking centre differential and a "low range" setting, which was controlled from within the cabin.

2006 saw a facelift version of the Touareg unleashed onto the world, with its release at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. It was later unveiled again as a 2008 model at the 2007 New York Auto Show. This facelifted model saw some design changes, including a change to the shield grille used in other VW passenger cars.

As part of the marketing of the VW Touareg as a premier off-road and towing vehicle, in 2006 Volkswagen held a stunt where a Touareg 2 V10 TDI towed a Boeing 747.

Second Generation Volkswagen Touareg 4x4 (2011 - Present)

The Mk2 Touareg was released in 2010 in Munich, before being unveiled at the 2010 Beijing International Auto Show later that year. This updated Touareg model featured a number of technological advances to help solidify its standing in the luxury 4x4 SUV market. VW used the Touareg to showcase its Dynamic Light Assist headlight technology - a world first. This systems works to continually and gradually adjust the range and pattern of the high-beam, avoiding illuminating on-coming vehicles whilst keeping the areas around them illuminated.

Externally, many of the VW''s looks were carried over from its predecessor, with styling cues staying cohesive within Volkswagen''s current vehicle lineup. The Touareg is now available in three trim levels: SE, R-Line and a bespoke off-road variant called Escape.

A redesigned facelift version of the Touareg was unveiled at the Auto China show in Beijing during 2014, featuring updated styling to both the front and rear end as well as new trim levels and additional features. This updated design was meant to create a wider overall appearance, with a deeper radiator grille and a redesigned bumper with a new rear diffuser. New colourways for the interior and design accents also add to the new-and-improved feel of the Touareg, enhancing its luxury persona. VW have also worked to further improve the overall fuel efficiency of the Touareg, with low resistance tyres and engine updates to help improve running costs. Euro NCAP are yet to test the current Touareg, but previous models have performed well when it comes to safety.

Cheap Volkswagen Touareg 4x4 Car Parts

Many of the Volkswagen spares you need to get back on the road will be available to buy now. For other parts, you will hear back from the independent breakers in our network with some quotes to give you a wider choice. It doesn''t matter if you need a new Touareg gearbox or engine, or something smaller like a wing mirror, all spare car parts are thoroughly checked, fully guaranteed for at least a month.