THIS is the Volkswagen with the very classy chassis - the Touareg, the flagship of the Wolfsburg range.

As product manager Scott Fisher said: "Everything we can possibly do to make a car as good as it can be we have done to the latest Touareg."

And that's good news for you and me because it is now on sale on forecourts across the UK.

This is the third generation Touareg, a big car with an equally big 3.0-litre turbo charged six cylinder diesel engine.

The impressively high seating position is matched only by the feeling of power you get when you press down on the pedal. This baby may be big but he's not slow.

A bold stance, rugged roof rails, gloss black front air intakes and a gloss black rear spoiler above trapezoid tailpipes all add to the glamour of the company's biggest SUV. R-Line badging and styling add a flash of sportiness to the car along with 20in diamond turned alloys.

Inside there are gloss black inserts for a plush, luxurious feel which is continued with the Vienna leather upholstery. There is loads of room and the rear seats have a 40/20/40 split for all the different options you could want for load carrying.

And there are plenty of driving options too. Scott Fisher was right when he said this latest incarnation of the Touareg has had everything thrown at it.

The 4MOTION means it comes in permanent four wheel drive but the Active Control gives you a choice of on-road, off-road, off-road individual and snow. Then there are four different driver profiles to choose from - Eco, Comfort, Normal and Sport.

There are five different choices for chassis control and in this guise, the R-Line - the Touareg comes with orts suspension.

It has every possible VW in-car entertainment system onboard along with enough safety systems to make your eyes water. It has a self-learn nav which anticipates and recognises your usual journeys and offers options if they are needed, four USB charging points, voice activated control for telephone and navwhich is Google Earth - and a welcome sign when you switch on. Endearing.

There's Night Vision too via a thermal imaging camera, Traffic Jam and Roadwork Lane Assist, a Front Cross Traffic Assist, active all wheel steering and new anti-roll technology.

It is great to drive too, powering away in the outside lane of the motorway - but here's the thing. This car has been designed so cleverly that it has the same turning circle as a Golf.

It's nimble and agile on its feet for such a big guy and feels colossally safe. Who would dare while you are driving this car.

The power tailgate makes light work of stowing and storing stuff in the back and if you want to take it through water there is a wading depth of 500mm - 580mm if you opt for the air suspension.

Other options are just to spoil you like the massage function, the panoramic sunroof, premium soundpack but everyone deserves spoiling some time.