Volkswagen Touareg vs Kia Seltos

What's the difference?

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.

Looking for a small SUV that’s not tiny? The Kia Seltos could be that SUV, and it’s been updated for 2023.

This review covers the entire Seltos range and reviews this small SUV based on its safety, practicality, price and features, plus ownership costs, its fuel economy and what it’s like to drive.

So, if you’re thinking about a Honda HR-V, a Toyota Corolla Cross or something even as large as a Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage then you need to be thinking about a Kia Seltos, too.