Volkswagen Passat vs Volkswagen Touareg

What's the difference?

I'm calling it - the Volkswagen Passat is the forgotten hero of station wagons.

It's surprisingly large while retaining the creature comforts and understated styling of old-world glamour.

Then enters the R-Line. A badge that diehard Volkswagen enthusiasts know is synonymous with sporty performance and handling.

However, it can be overlooked for its more affordable rivals, the Mazda6 and Skoda Octavia wagons.

But does affordability take it out of the running for the family market? Or is this the answer for the drivers who don't want to compromise on performance but still have a kid (or three) to throw in the back?

I've been hauling my little family of three around town this week to see what the big blue wagon could do.

It’s big, it’s fast, it’s luxurious, Volkswagen’s Touareg has always been a stand-out large SUV.

This one, the full-fat R is the latest take on the halo Volkswagen model. It has big shoes to fill.

See, top-spec Touaregs in the past are hardly rivals to the Toyota LandCruisers and Hyundai Palisades of this world. They’re a different breed, with the first-generation Touareg powered by a variety of engines up to a 5.0-litre turbo-diesel V10, and the second-gen version packing petrol and diesel V8s in its upper levels.

They were the ultimate sleeper family SUV, ridiculous engines with rich VW Group lineage in a seemingly mainstream family-friendly package.

But this third-generation version can’t quite replicate the over-engined craziness of its predecessors. It has to think outside the box as emissions regulations crack down the world over.

This Touareg R is a plug-in hybrid. A performance-focused one at that. Can it hope to replicate the unhinged nature of its forebears and find an appropriate place atop the hierarchy of Volkswagen’s R models? Let’s find out.