When word surfaced that Volkswagen would create a sports utility vehicle, the cognoscenti were cynical. Then when Touareg appeared the environment was full of the sound of humble pie being eaten.

In a nutshell, the machine jumped right to the top of the list seeing off all rivals – the only real machine that may give a serious run because of its money is the Volvo XC-90, handling, performance, quality of ride, design and execution of the Touareg are beyond criticism – and also the V10 diesel may even take the fight to Porsche’s Cayenne.

Having a power output about the high side of 313PS and sufficient torque to haul a freight train, the V10 machine’s performance needs to be experienced to become believed -yet still returns wonderful gas mileage, and can potter along in traffic without a lot as a hiccough. Even the entry-level R5 TDi is a superb performer, balancing performance and economy that few SUVs can match.