I tested the Volkswagen Touareg – it’s an undramatic luxury SUV brilliantly built to serve the family

FADS come and go in the motoring world – MPVs, for instance, and three-wheelers.

But large, luxury SUVs seem destined to stay.

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Volkswagen has been knocking out Touareg for 24 years, the poorer relation to the fancier Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne.

But that was its saving grace. It was cheaper.

Not now. This new one starts at £68,065, whereas a brand-spanking Audi Q7 with the same engine costs £66,690.

But to give VW credit, the updated Touareg is definitely a posher prospect than it was before.

The front end gets a deeper, more assertive looking grille with slick new matrix LED headlamps and a lightbar.

While round the back is another lightbar, this time in red of course, and the first illuminated VW badge.

Inside, the materials have taken a welcome upgrade, giving the cabin a more business-class look and feel.

And the facelift isn’t just skin deep. The suspension has also been revamped.

But honestly, the Touareg’s ride is just as blissfully comfy as I remember it ever was.

It’s just a shame that when you put your foot down to uncork the plentiful four-wheel-driven torque on offer, there is a frustrating lag in delivery.

Engaging “Sport” mode does help deal with this to a degree.

But unless you go for the full-beans Touareg R with its 462hp and £80k price tag, this really isn’t the kind of car you will drive with unerring urgency all the time.

Some clever new tech features have also arrived on board, and given the popularity of the Touareg with those that tow, the active trailer assist is a must-have.

All-wheel steering is another neat option.

Blissfully comfy

It makes the heavyweight SUV feel easier to wield about town, effectively tightening the turning circle by a good metre.

Available in five powertrains – all featuring three litres, four-wheel-drive, six cylinders and an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox – there are two diesels (231hp and 286hp), one petrol (340hp) and two plug-in hybrid petrols (381hp and 462hp) which can add up to 31 miles of zero-emission driving.

Touareg wasn’t supposed to break the mould, it was the mould.

And, to that extent, it still is – an undramatic, under-the-radar, luxury SUV that is brilliantly built to serve the family with aplomb.

It’s just not as cheap as you might hope it would be.