Volkswagen Touareg vs Volvo C40

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.

The C40 becomes a compelling option in the electrified small SUV space, offering a premium look and feel, great range and tech inclusions at the price, as well as awesome on-road dynamics.

Its main downsides are the rear seat, which is compromised by its platform and design-led roofline, and the overwhelming power and added traction of the dual-motor makes the single motor less attractive on the value front.

Still, regardless of variant chosen, the C40 looks to offer a stand-out balance of price, range, and performance, against its traditional rivals and newcomers alike.

The Touareg is an elegant large SUV that has presence in its size, if not eye-catching design flair.

For the facelift, Volkswagen has smartened up the fascia and rear bumper. New 'click clack' front lighting signatures give extra menace while the rear light bar and glowing VW badge let you know this, indeed, is the new Touareg.

Fresh alloy wheels designs are interesting but the R-Line's are a little chunky for my tastes.

Inside, it's a similar story, though worth calling out is the open pore wood trims on 170TDI and Elegance that are so classy compared to the chintz of a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The R gets Lapiz Blue accents and stitching inside though is generally very similar to the other models, meaning you might not feel so justified spending the extra cash.

Fans of light-coloured leather will be glad to hear the 210TDI Elegance can be ordered with Mistral cream leather upholstery for no extra cost.

Volvo has become a brand with a distinctive and consistent design language which embodies the kind of beautiful minimalism normally associated with Scandinavian brands.

I have always liked how Volvo says more with less design elements, with only gentle touches of chrome or gloss black, and a lack of over-the-top sporty pieces avoiding the temptation to over-sell the sporty potential of the brand’s range.

The C40 takes the small SUV formula, well established by its XC40 relation, and gets a bit weird and experimental. It’s slightly lower and has a more coupe-styled rear, with a strongly raked rear window giving it a sportier and more aggressive look than the rest of Volvo’s SUV range.

The styling is sold by an angular spoiler piece running atop the boot, and the rear light clusters have gone all minimalist, constructed of individual pieces rather than a single transparent housing, and they give a nod to the C30 hatchback which this car is the spiritual successor to, by name and nature.

The interior offers up no surprises, sticking to the formula Volvo has established across all of its current models. An effortlessly premium space with, again, a minimalistic dash dominated by the portrait touchscreen, the C40’s premium nature is confirmed by its finely patterned inlays, simple chrome pieces, and abundance of soft-touch surfaces.

The big upright vent fittings with clever rhomboid patterns on their adjustment dials are always a highlight piece of modern Volvos, and the pattern work is continued on the central volume adjust dial and even on the little rotating pieces of the light and wiper stalks. Clever.

Even the software is paired back on the multimedia suite and digital dashboard, with easy to use shortcuts and simple menus which suit the car.

Volvo might turn off some buyers with the more unconventional shape of the C40. But for those looking for a more traditional SUV it also offers the XC40 in the same two variants, and the Polestar 2 caters to those not looking for an SUV at all.

Volkswagen has been busy improving usability of the touchscreen. There is now a vertical row of shortcut buttons for front and rear demisters, air recirculate and other heavily-trafficked functions.

Another row of shortcuts at the top of the screen allow you to a easily jump from navigation to car settings, phone mirroring and back.

Excitingly, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto take full advantage of the massive screen, now running to all four corners.

In general, the user interface is excellent and very user-friendly though there is occasional lag symptomatic of an older-gen processor. Also, when adjusting the HVAC settings, phone mirroring disappears briefly. Annoying but not end-of-world stuff.

Continuing on the theme, VW's customisable digital driver's display is very crisp and can display a map. The new head-up display is bright enough to work with polarised sunglasses, too.

There is plenty of space to stash snacks and drink bottles in the door pockets. Two large cup holders can be found in the centre console, there are three USB-C ports in the front (now 45W instead of 15W) and storage under the supportive armrest.

The back seat is roomy with enough space for three adults across. There's a transmission tunnel but it's low enough not to be too troublesome.

The Touareg's rear doors open wide and are fitted with soft-touch materials as well as classy integrated sun blinds.

With a standard panoramic sunroof, and lots of space between the front seats, vision out is fantastic. The cabin feels light and airy but thanks to tinted glass and powerful four-zone climate control it never gets too hot.

There are also two more USB-C ports and a second 12V socket in a fold out section of the rear console.

As before, the Touareg is only offered with five seats, with no optional third row to match some rivals.

All variants feature a standard power tailgate with auto-close functionality.

The boot has a crucial flaw for Australian buyers, though: no Touareg is equipped with a full-size or space-saver spare tyre. It's an inflation kit or tow truck if you get a flat.

Other attributes, including an 810L maximum space with five seat up or 1800L with the second row folded, are rather stellar. So is the finishing, with quality carpet, a cargo net included, sturdy tie-down points and a classy bag for the PHEV's charging cables.

There are shopping bag hooks on either side, remote pull tabs to fold the 40/20/40 backrest flat and buttons to raise and lower the air suspension for easier loading.

The C40 is essentially a XC40 with a cropped down roofline, and there are some obvious downsides which this new shape brings.

The front seat throws no surprises, though, offering plenty of room for two adults with a welcome level of adjustability for the seat and wheel. The seats could be more comfortable, though, with a notable lack of padding in the base compared to some luxury (or even non-luxury) rivals. 

I’m a fan of the fabric trim which comes on both grades, bucking the trend of needing to have leather or leather-like trim for a car to feel ‘premium’.

The ample window space up front, including the massive glass roof helps the C40’s cabin feel spacious, but the view out the rear with its aggressive design is all but a very limited letterbox aspect, particularly if the rear seat headrests are in the upright position. 

While some controls are exclusively via touch interface, there is a physical volume dial, and shortcut buttons for the defogger functions. 

Temperature is controlled by touch, however, and the detail settings have some smaller toggle adjustments. Tricky to jab at when you’re on the move.

The digital dash is refreshingly simple, but minimally adjustable, with the choice of either a nifty navigation screen, a blank screen, or trip details being the only options.

Cabin storage is good but not stellar. There are bottle holders and big pockets in the doors, a set of two cupholders in the centre (beats the Polestar 2’s single cupholder), a small tray with a wireless charger under the multimedia screen, and a smallish console armrest box.

The rear seat is where the real problem exists. Unlike the XC40, the C40’s cropped roofline means my head was hard up against the roof (I’m 182cm tall). 

I did have decent knee room behind my own seating position, however the seat comfort in the back still isn’t as good as some rivals. 

The middle position is also compromised, thanks to the raised centre floor piece the C40’s platform needs to facilitate all-wheel drive in its combustion relations.

A bottle holder appears in each door pocket, and in a rare inclusion, there are heated outboard rear seats, adjustable air vents, and USB-C charging ports.

The boot has a quoted capacity of 413 litres with the rear seats up. The floor is comparatively high suggesting a smallish space when loaded with luggage cases, for instance. Stay tuned for a follow-up review so we can see how well it holds our three-piece demo set.

The floor itself has an adjustable, pop-up divider and multiple luggage hooks, making it quite versatile, and there is a cavity beneath which can hold your charging cables as well as the inflator kit in place of a spare wheel.

When it comes to electric vehicles, it’s impossible to consider price alone, as you also have to consider driving range, and the C40 manages to impress on both fronts.

Its refreshingly simplified range consists of just two highly-specified variants, a single motor which starts from $74,990, offering a 434km driving range, or a dual motor starting from $82,490 which offers a 420km driving range.

There’s much more devil in the detail, but to set the scene there are now quite a few direct rivals in this price-bracket, including everything from the Tesla Model Y (from $72,300), Mercedes-Benz EQA (from $78,513), Polestar 2 (from $63,900) and even the Kia Niro which is similarly sized and specified (from $65,300).

Interestingly, the C40 is closely related to the Polestar 2, but has a much higher base starting price. Volvo says this is because it carries a higher standard specification, and offers the C40 without option packs.

Standard gear on the base single motor C40 includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a 9.0-inch portrait multimedia touchscreen (running a Google-based always-online software suite), LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, a fixed panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable front seats, heated seats for the front two and outboard rear seats, a powered tailgate, as well as keyless entry with touch-free ignition.

Interestingly, Volvo also told us some 90 per cent of customer interest so far has been for the more expensive dual-motor variant, which is particularly impressive for doubling the power output while adding 20-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree parking suite, premium Harmon Kardon audio, and an alternate interior trim.

Both variants score safety equipment and items which are otherwise part of expensive option packs in the Polestar 2 range. We’ll take a look at the full safety gear later in this review.

Overall, the C40 impresses on the premium car value front compared to rivals, bolstered by solid range and impressive performance.

The Touareg's core 3.0-litre common rail direct-injection turbo-diesel V6s carry over unchanged developing 170kW (at 4000 rpm) and 500Nm (from 1750-3000 rpm) in 170TDI tune and 210kW/600Nm in the 210TDI.

It's the plug-in hybrid that's interesting. A 3.0-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol V6 teams up with gearbox-mounted 100kW and 400Nm electric motor. An eight-speed transmission means it feels conventional when in petrol (or hybrid) mode with no slurry CVTs.

It means that the Touareg R has the same '4Motion' full-time four-wheel-drive system with mechanical transfer case. Volkswagen uses braking systems to simulate a locking diff for off-roading, known as Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) and Extended Differential Lock (XDL).

Great news here, the C40 can be chosen with two powerful layouts, either a front-wheel drive 170kW/330Nm set-up, or a dual-motor all-wheel drive arrangement, able to make use of nearly double the power at 300kW/660Nm. The dual-motor is capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in just 4.7 seconds.

The front-drive is backed by a 69kWh battery allowing it a 434km range, while the dual motor ups the battery size to 78kWh to allow a 420km driving range.

Focusing firstly on the R, its fuel consumption is either stellar or proportional for a large SUV, depending on the battery charge and conditions.

The lab-certified 3.3L/100km, though, is fanciful given how most will use this vehicle.

Charged up to 100 per cent, we got 46km from the Touareg's 14.3kWh battery in E-Mode – pretty close to the 51km rating – in a typical suburban commute.

It will take around 2.5 hours to charge the Tourage from 20 per cent-full at a 7.4kW wallbox, or eight hours using a three-pin socket.

Alternatively, you can recuperate charge on the move in Hybrid mode. Using regenerative braking and excess engine power, the hybrid battery can be returned to 100 per cent on a long drive.

On our extended, twisty country drive we saw 11L/100km in the R using hybrid mode, with a target of 50 per cent charge to carry us through small towns. A combined range of 750-800km from the 75L fuel tank is realistic.

Planning your route, regular charging and paying close attention to what works best for economy will prove beneficial in the long run – a plug-in hybrid is not for the disengaged motorist.

The diesel engine's consumption was a more straightforward affair. Compared to the 7.3L/100km rating, we saw 8.0L/100km over hilly terrain with some dirt roads.

It is perfectly efficient in the country and the 90L tank means 1000km driving range from a fill-up is perfectly normal.

Surprisingly, energy consumption is quite high for both C40 variants. The single motor is the more efficient of the two, consuming 16.8kWh/100km on the more lenient ADR testing schedule, while the dual motor officially consumes 22.2kWh/100km to the same standard. I saw around 23kWh/100km overall in my short test of the dual-motor variant.

Energy consumption could be better for both, as I have achieved more consistently impressive results particularly from Hyundai and Kia electric cars.

Where the C40 is more impressive though is its charging specs, which are exactly where they need to be for a car this size. On a rapid DC charger, the C40 can charge at a rate of 150kW meaning a 10 - 80 percent charge in 40 minutes for the dual motor, or 32 minutes for the single motor.

On the slower AC standard, the C40 charges at a rate of 11kW. Expect a 10 - 80 percent charge time of around five or six hours on this standard. 

The C40 uses a European-standard Type 2 CCS charging port, although it misses out on the handy two-way charging feature offered by some rivals.

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. 

If you’ve driven any kind of XC40 or even a Polestar 2 before, the C40 will offer no surprises. It’s pretty much exactly the same from behind the wheel with a few subtle tweaks.

This is a very good thing. The C40 is quiet, easy to drive, and its electric motor and regen system offer a smooth single-pedal experience.

It is also alarmingly, overwhelmingly, rapid. While its massive set of batteries under the floor make it feel heavy off the line in stop-start traffic, sticking your boot into the accelerator will remove any doubt, particularly in the dual-motor variant, that this Volvo means business.

The dual-motor also has an incredible torque-vectoring system, making it extremely difficult to elicit so much as a squeak from its tyres. It also feels as though torque is distributed quite evenly between its two driven axles, making it feel neither prone to over- or understeer.

This has the effect of making the C40 feel somewhat indestructible in the corners, with absurd levels of grip. 

The same feeling is present in top-spec versions of the Polestar 2, only the feeling of ever-present weight is more noticeable in the higher-riding C40, which can make it unsettling to take corners at the kinds of speeds it is capable of.

The steering tune is interesting. Volvo offers two software-controlled modes, either heavy or standard, and the standard mode is heavy enough. 

Despite its electrical assistance, the wheel does continue to offer some organic feedback, making the C40 a pleasure to steer on countryside roads.

The ride is also surprisingly good, despite massive wheel options. I was impressed how easily the C40 handled most bumps and undulations, communicating little to the cabin. 

The ride can approach its limits with such big wheels and the weight of its batteries, generally these are communicated via unsettling thuds from underneath the car. Regular undulations at higher speeds also had the C40 bouncing around a little.

On the whole, though, the cabin is kept relatively insulated and serene, adding an element of total confidence, similar to that offered by Teslas, whilst offering better ride quality with a softer edge. At higher speed, at least on the 20-inch wheels, road noise does pick up, however.

In terms of electric driving, there is a single adjustable setting for regen. The car either offers a full single pedal mode with maximum regenerative braking to bring the car to a halt with the motor alone, or a ‘standard’ mode which tones the regen down and offers it blended in via the brake pedal. 

Single pedal mode is more efficient. I suggest you stick to it if you want to make the most of this car’s efficiency.

I was surprised to have so few complaints about the C40’s drive experience. This is a balanced and capable EV which is yet another example of how even vehicles which use combustion platforms are improved out of sight by full electrification.

Sticking to its brand promise, Volvo offers the full range of active safety equipment on the C40 regardless of variant.

This includes freeway-speed auto emergency braking, rear auto braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and one of the best adaptive cruise control systems on the market.

The only item the single motor misses out on is a 360-degree parking camera, which is exclusive to the dual motor variant.

It is notable how the adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring rear cross-traffic alert, and rear auto braking are on the options list for the Polestar 2.

These active systems combined with eight airbags (the standard dual front, side, and curtain, as well as a driver’s knee and centre airbag) make for a five-star ANCAP safety rating to the latest 2022 standards.

Volkswagen covers the Touareg with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

The R's high-voltage battery is covered for eight years and 160,000km.

Volkswagen's pre-paid Care Plans offer the best deal for servicing. All models are due for maintenance every 12 months/15,000kms with the diesel costing $1900/$3500 for three/five years and the plug-in hybrid $2050/$3400 for the same intervals.

The C40 is covered by Volvo’s five year and unlimited kilometre warranty, with a separate eight-year, 160,000km warranty for the battery. There is also eight years of roadside assistance attached.

It is pleasing to see the service intervals for the C40 are long, as they should be for an electric car with so few moving parts, set at two years or 30,000km. 

The first 24 month service is free of charge, and Volvo tells us service pricing after this period will average out to around $100 a year ($200 per visit).