With the V8's abundant torque, the VW SUV seldom needed to gear-down from 6th to 5th to devour the peaks. While ascending in 6th

After a week of driving, I gave the Touareg two enthusiastic thumbs-up for ride quality. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

gear, the tachometer registered in the mid- 2,000 rpm range. When the pitch steepened, the Touareg autobox quickly inserted 5th gear before any loss of forward motion was encountered, prompting a jump to 3,300 rpm and a corresponding increase in power output. The Touareg's combination of effective gearing and V8 punch also wins it a "nod" for passing power.

After a week of driving, I gave the Touareg two enthusiastic thumbs-up for ride quality. My tester was equipped with the air suspension package, which at the turn of a console-mounted barrel switch, provides the choice of three suspension damping settings - Comfort, Auto and Sport. I generally chose the Auto setting for my mixed bag of driving. It nicely blended the smoothness of the Comfort setting with the handling characteristics of the Sport option, a setting I found too rigid for typical urban driving. The Auto setting never let me down when

When bumps and pavement depravity abound, the big VW's absorbent suspension and solid body structure prevent jarring and shock from penetrating the cabin and marring its supple ride quality. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

negotiating highway sweepers at well above the advised speed or bounding over potholes on backcountry roads.

The heavily-loaded Touareg swayed slightly in hard corners but held its line quite confidently throughout the twists and turns one can expect amidst the mountains. Steering it is a purposeful activity due to heavy steering resistance and fairly dull feedback; it certainly can't be labeled 'over-powered,' as in some domestic SUVs I have sampled. When bumps and pavement depravity abound, the big VW's absorbent suspension and solid body structure prevent jarring and shock from penetrating the cabin and marring its supple ride quality.