The rigid Touareg unibody helps it to maintain a car-like exterior appearance, with all body panels put together with a very un-truck-like precision after first being stamped in galvanized steel to ward off any threat of premature rust. In fact, VW has warranted the Touareg against rust perforation for 144 months with unlimited mileage.
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| The Touareg's short front and rear overhangs enable it to attack sharply angled pitches without grinding its nose or tail. (Photo: Volkswagen AG) |
The SUV's wheelbase is a lengthy 2,860 mm (112.6 in), a significant increase over the highly capable Acura MDX that rolls about on a wheelbase of 2,700 mm (106.3 in). Interestingly though, the overall length of the VW is 4,750 mm (187.0 in), a full 38 mm (1.5 in) shorter than the MDX. These specs illustrate just how brief Touareg's front and rear overhangs are, which of course enables it to attack sharply angled pitches - up to 28-degrees - without grinding its nose or tail into terra firma.
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| Touareg was designed and engineered to be a competent off-road trekker with as much as 300 mm (11.8 in) of ground clearance. (Photo: Volkswagen) |
Another important measurement to prevent bottoming-out or high-centering a vehicle is ground clearance. The Touareg easily powers past the 203 mm (8 in) of clearance between Mother Earth and the MDX by leaving as much as 300 mm (11.8 in) of atmosphere between its undercarriage and the earth. Okay, so who's taller in this numbers war? The sleek Touareg stands at 1,720 mm (67.7 in), eclipsing the MDX's height of 1,811 mm (71.3 in). One more figure that proves Touareg was designed and engineered to be a competent off-road trekker is a wading depth of 584 mm (23 in), thanks to sealed electrical connections and door seams.
The Touareg's generous outside dimensions translate into a commodious interior. Although five adults fit comfortably, there is no 'emergency' third row seating as in the MDX. This omission certainly contributed to the overall shorter length of the VW.