OUR CARS
LOGBOOKVW TOUAREG LUXURY 3.0 V6 TDI
>Odo reading at start/now1 204/3 637km>Distance covered2 433km
>Fuel consumed219.32ℓ>Average fuel co nsumption11.1ℓ/100km
>Service inter val15 000km>Service costCovered by5-year/100000kmservice plan
>Total fuel costR2539.98>Running cost1.04c/kmMONTH 3
VW TOUAREG
LUXURY
3.0 V6 TDI
4MOTION
R-LINE
Milkshakeruns some 450km long.
ByCalvin Fisher
Milkshake runs some 450km long.
What it’s
meant for
Ups/downs
Consummate cruiser
Comfor table
anywhere The fuel
consumption is n’t
comingdown quick
enough More ‘defeat
devi ce’ allegations?
Watch this spaceAH, YES THEturbodiesel powertrain.
Before T, D and I beca me scarlet letters, the
initialism, especially when paired with a Euro
marque was indeed a moniker for creamy,
smooth performance. The pseudo-clean eco
credential s were merely a by-product of what
was believed a super -efficient mill for ge tting
on with yourdaily drive insuper -economical
fashion. Mine then is the V6 one, not the inlin e-
fourcyli nder currently under the spotlight for
defrauding the emissions watchdogs of the
world, although a recent accusation has now
been levelled at this engine too. But buttery
performance to complemen t its business su it
aesthetic is perfectly unaffected, especially with
the eigh t-speed Tiptronic auto that Volkswagen
has enlisted for it. So it dawned on me that the
perfect tribute drive existed, to Barrydale, a
picturesque village on the R62.Specifically, I
took the 420km ro undtrip to a restaurant I
spotted there on a recent visit, aptly named
Diesel and Crème, itselfa love letter to
motorcars of all description. Go there for the
fatigued enamel signage and the decadent
doub le-thick milkshakes. Stay there for the
burgers. And the chips. And the onion rings.
There are many ways to Barrydale from Cape
Town, but I willonly entertain two. The first
route (the ‘to’ bit) involves a mindless trun dle
along the N1 until you get to the Hu guenot
Tunnel. He re you have two moreoptions: take
the tunnel and unless you have something with
a screaming V10 or 12 let the mind-numbing
continue, or, ifyou enjoy twisted tarmac, take
the Du Toitskloof Pass, where yourV10 or 12
won’t be wasted either. The Touareg is a ke en
handle r despite its enormousness so I opted for
the latter, before seeking out the fun-as-hell
R60, then R62 which would take me to
Barrydale. You’ve already heard ab out the
milkshakes so I’lldive stra ight into the return
drive – essentially routetwo. It involves
returning along the R62 for a couple of hundred
metres before veering leftwards along the
R324, better known as the Tradouw Pass. This
is polished asphalt; wide and winding,
cambered and flowing with turns that open
and close on you while it climbs the topography
before dropping dramatically into the valley
that carries it onto the N2 for the return amble
homeward. Breath-takin g, and an exce llent
showcase of not just that creamy diesel V6, but
also the shrinks-around-y ou monocoque
chassis. Sorry, but I’m ab out to say ‘car-like’.
It is though, handling like a (really,really)
pumped-up Golf, with increased levels of
premium feel as well. This is a cleverly
engineered car with off-road ability inspades
should you require it. I haven’t yet, but as soon
as they make an exce llent enough milkshake
ina gravel hut somewhere inthe Overber g we
willbe there.