Volkswagen Touareg vs Tesla Model X

What's the difference?

The facelifted Touareg is subtly improved across all metrics including price. That's a rare win for a mid-life facelift and should help VW shift more of this accomplished family SUV.

It's not all perfect, with no spare tyre included and the mis-match between braked towing capacity and towball down weight.

The diesel engine is torquey, refined and the 170TDI feels like an awful lot more than a base model with stacks of equipment.

As for the R, it's an expensive flagship with a unique powertrain. One that's very well integrated but the plug-in hybrid experience isn't for everyone. There's no doubting its performance credentials and everyday comfort, though.

No matter the spec, VW's revised Touareg is a family SUV that should definitely make it onto your short list.

After nearly 700km of testing with both cars, it’s fair to say that the Tesla is indeed a capable tow vehicle, provided you keep the distances relatively short and plan around charge station locations.

Overall average - Penrith to Bathurst to Penrith

Fuel and energy consumption will always depend on the driving conditions, which is why we chose different routes for each leg of our testing.

Averaged across the two legs, towing the caravan with the Model X used 101 per cent more energy than without, or halved its driving range, which sounds a bit scary.

The LandCruiser by comparison added 63 per cent on average, which is still a big difference, but matters less in the real world when its big fuel tanks would still give you about 760km of driving range, which can be refilled quickly at any diesel-stocked servo.

So you could do a weekend trip with the caravan from Penrith with one supercharge in Bathurst, but it would’ve been highly unlikely to manage the extra 55km if you were leaving from Sydney CBD.

The bottom line is that there’s plenty of things - like smaller camper trailers - lighter than our caravan that will help the Tesla to do the towing job better right now.

Compared to the ‘Cruiser, the Tesla is a lesson in the benefits of a lower centre of gravity and road-focused handling.

As always, bigger batteries and more recharge points will go a long way to rectifying the Tesla’s towing shortcomings, and I'm sure we'll get there eventually.

But no matter what, its acceleration performance under load is simply excellent.

Thanks to our friends at Avida for making this test possible with the use of the 17-foot Avida Wave Tourer Electric Pop-Top single-axle caravan. They can also be reached on 1300 428 432.

The Volkswagen Touareg is a deeply accomplished large SUV no matter whether you go for the base model or flagship R.

It benefits from a rigorous development that shines through in a car that is quiet, well-built and confidence inspiring, despite its generous size.

Starting with the Touareg 170TDI, passengers are insulated from the 3.0-litre V6 diesel with few vibrations reaching the cabin. There's enough sound to tell how hard you're working the V6 but no excess.

It is the only variant to ride on steel springs with passive dampers, though all Touaregs ride on five-link struts up front with multi-link rear suspension. The 19-inch alloy wheels shod in 255/55 R19 Bridgestone Alenza tyres have a lot of sidewall but sharp edges like expansion joints and speed humps can still be felt in town.

Put some energy through the Touareg's chassis – on the freeway or higher speed country roads, for example – and it settles beautifully. You could jump into the driver's seat and knock over a Sydney-Melbourne drive without breaking a sweat (or needing to stop for fuel).

Despite being 100Nm down on the 210TDI, the base car is also best for towing. All variants carry a 3500kg braked tow rating but the devil is in the detail – tow ball down weight is limited to 280kg on the base car but a restrictive 215kg for the 210TDI Elegance and R-Line.

While it's not an overt sportsperson, the 170TDI's connected 2.5-turn lock-to-lock steering provides confidence in the Touareg's ability on country roads. A revised ESC tune is now smoother in its interventions.

And what of the R? It impresses across an even broader spectrum. You'd expect that for $43K more, though.

The air suspension's Comfort mode effortlessly smooths over sharp bumps in town despite 22-inch alloy wheels, yet firms up to give the R huge reserves of grip on twisty roads.

That electric motor has enough punch to move the Touareg R at reasonable speed in town and the whisper-quiet operation feels extra luxurious.

With the R's trick suspension, Volkswagen offers a greater selection of drive modes. Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual are joined by Comfort and you can control the height of its suspension with the left rotary selector.

The 285/35 R22 Bridgestone Turanza T005s defy expectations for how a tall 2423kg SUV should grip. Volkswagen's not been able to escape physics quite as far as Hyundai did with the similarly-heavy Ioniq 5 N but the Touareg is a totally different style of vehicle.

Some of the controls, such as the soft brake pedal (that blends strong regenerative braking with front six-piston calipers clamping 400mm discs), long-travel throttle and light steering approaching the limit remind you of the Touareg's mass. Every weight shift is natural and predictable, though, so it's an easy car to trust.

A synthesised engine sound is the only other miss, it's not natural and we'd like to be able to hear more of the V6's growl. 

Power is prodigious yet the different sources blend almost seamlessly. The delivery is smooth when you go for an overtake – full throttle is a swelling shove rather than whiplash acceleration – as the electric motor fills the short torque gap while the V6's turbo spools. The 5.1-second 0-100km/h sprint claim sounds on the money.

We were unable to sample the 210TDI R-Line with its active roll stabilisation and four-wheel steer. With the plug-in hybrid powertrain's city-friendly attributes, though, the R-Line may be the pick for rural buyers. 

Energy consumption is just one element of a tow vehicle though, with stability, braking and acceleration performance being the most important details.

The big ‘Cruiser is always a safe bet for towing heavy loads, but it's fair to say its off-road ability, tall body and short wheelbase mean it could be better on the road, and the Tesla goes some way to proving that.

With all those batteries mounted nice and low, the Tesla is significantly more stable with 1.7 tonnes on the back than the LandCruiser, in all conditions. It’s also helped by that longer wheelbase.

The Tesla’s airbag suspension is another surprise advantage, and while it can be a bit choppy around town over minor bumps, bigger bumps on the highway are soaked up really nicely and it all settles quicker than with the LandCruiser - even with the caravan on the back.

Tesla is famous for instant acceleration at any speed, and this effect remains when towing. The LandCruiser’s twin-turbo V8 (with max torque available from 1600-2600rpm) has long been a benchmark for tow vehicles, but the Model X makes it feel sluggish by comparison.

You know how caravan vehicles are usually the slow ones up hills? This time, we were the ones doing the overtaking, even up the steep bends heading out of Lithgow. To overtake, it just takes the slightest flex of your right foot.

Clearly there’s a big caveat though when it comes to how much energy it’s consuming while you’re enjoying that performance, and it’s deceptive because it doesn’t make any more noise like a conventional engine when you’re pushing it. 

You’d also think the weight of the van would overcome the engine-braking effect of the regenerative brakes, but they are still very effective at conserving your brakes downhill and preventing the car from running away from you, and no doubt giving the batteries a bigger boost at the same time.

On that note, the LandCruiser’s cruise control also does a great job of witholding speed on downhill runs, proactively dropping gears to engine brake enough to keep the Avida Wave in check.