VOLKSWAGEN'S flagship passenger car used to be the Phaeton limousine which, if you approached it with a certain mindset, was a lot like a Bentley, only with a vastly smaller price tag and a less baroque grille.
The Phaeton has been sent to pasture, leaving the Touareg SUV as VW's biggest, poshest and most expensive car.
It fulfils this role admirably, having steadily grown plusher over the years.
For example, the model tested on this page, an SEL Tech model burnished with some options, is a tenner over £59k.
This makes the Touareg a people's car for not-quite-all-the-people. Nor is this the most expensive model; the range starts at a little over £46,500, but the range-topping Black Edition is a £60k car.
That sort of money can buy you a lot of accomplished SUVs wearing a nameplate that most people might regard as more desirable than the VW badge - among them BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, and then there's the new Land Rover Defender, as featured elsewhere in Drive, to add to the mix.
That's the context within which the Touareg plies its trade. Bolstering its case, however, is the sheer quality of the thing.
This iteration of Touareg arrived in 2018, toting a sharp digital cockpit and a very large central screen, along with a priority on driver comfort.
Unlike, say a BMW, where the emphasis is on performance, the Touareg is an SUV that has been designed to be capable, cosseting and practical.
It's also packed with driver assistance systems to ensure that both occupants and pedestrians are kept as safe as possible.
The Touareg uses a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine, which brings robust and torquey performance befitting a car of this type.
You can have the engine with two power outputs - 228bhp or 282bhp, with a brawny 369lb ft or 443lb ft of torque respectively.
Whichever engine you opt for, you get an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel-drive.
The driving position is commanding and the Touareg is quiet and comfortable on the move, particularly if the optional air suspension (around £1,700) is fitted - it brings a sumptuous level of ride quality that's hard to achieve with standard steel springs on a car like this.
It also means that, should you want to, you can firm the ride up for when more corners come into sight.
But though the engine is punchy, this isn't really a car you will want to put on its door handles through tight bends.
It's not exactly a grown-up Golf R, then. But that's OK; it's a lovely cruiser and for most people, most of the time, that will be spot-on.
If you want an SUV which doesn't shout too hard about being an SUV, then the Touareg might be the car for you. Though is anyone spending north of £50k on an SUV really trying to be that coy?
From the outside, the sheer size of the thing makes it hard to miss, though the styling isn't exactly flamboyant.
If you want an SUV which doesn't shout too hard about being an SUV, then the Touareg might be the car for you. Though is anyone spending north of £50k on an SUV really trying to be that coy?
The Touareg has been designed with practicality in mind, which is why its cabin is large and spacious with plenty of space for five to sit comfortably.
The front seats are well supported without being overly firm while there's a good degree of space for those sitting in the back, too.
Of course, given the car's large proportions there's plenty of headroom, so even taller drivers and passengers will be able to get comfortable.
There's no seven-seat option though, perhaps a black mark compared to rivals which can be had with three rows of pews.
Still, the seats-up boot space is huge at 810 litres of load-lugging volume. This can be extended to 1,800 litres by folding down the seats.
In short, if you need more space you're probably better off opting for a van. The boot is square and easy to access.
It's a very well equipped car, too, perhaps helping it to justify its price.
SE L Tech specification, as tested, starts at £52,055. For that, you get pretty much all the toys you could want, including a 15-inch central infotainment display and a 12-inch customisable digital display in front of the driver.
Apple CarPay and Android Auto are both included, so you can make the most of that huge display by connecting your smartphone and mirroring its functions there.
Even with all its cutting-edge technology, against some rivals the Volkswagen Touareg perhaps feels a little bit of a throwback - a big, solidly-made, unpretentious and easy-going five-seat SUV.
It's undoubtedly comfortable, practical and tastefully styled while also being very well-appointed inside.
Less characterful than a Land Rover Defender, the Touareg is nonetheless an admirable and highly capable choice.
