Close up with VW's Innovision multimedia system

Check out our video ABOVE for an insight into the Innovision set-up aboard the new Volkswagen Touareg, and listen in to our chat with product manager Marcus Hofmann below.

You can read all about the Touareg here, and check out our awesome trip through Morocco on WhichCar TV.

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(transcript)

TR: Yeah, so looking at a pair of dials on the centre console there. So all right mate, should we jump and have a quick look at the technical onboarding [crosstalk 00:05:03]. I'll jump in the driver seat. You're going to jump in the passenger seat. This is our new Volkswagen Touareg.

We're going to run this for about six months, pretty similar to the Tiguan all space programme that we did, videos and we'll do stories and we'll do photos. But now we're onboard with this awesomely huge system. The multimedia system looks like a large screen television.

MH: It's definitely a massive step forward in terms of that digital and that innovation that we have. In this case here, we're looking at the innovation cockpit, so to speak, where we have not only the dials and the gauges, but then also your entertainment system as well.

Biggest change is where the dial, so your air conditioning, your climate control have been taken away from hard dials, and now incorporated into this system here. And again, air conditioning is still down the bottom. The ability that you do have, is you had a little bit of that flexibility around programming and customising it to your own likes and desires.

A little quick example, if here's your home screen, I think you can call it. If you then hold one of these down, it gives you that ability through this menu here to choose, "Okay, well I'm going off road." As an example. I can choose off road.

MH: It will then adjust that particular screen for you. At the same time you've got these things on the side as well. What you can see with the star, it means you can put them as your favourites at the same time.

So you've got the home button down here, very similar to your smartphone. And you've also got your menu function up here as well. You still got things like your gesture control, all part of it, it's all integrated. It does take a little bit of getting used to. But again that's the way technology's going. But again, it is very simplistic to use as well to understand.

TR: So the two screens, it's obviously got a digital dash as well. Your active dash display, I think you guys call it?

MH: Yeah. So we've got the heads up display as well. So again, it's first one of Volkswagen where it's actually projected onto the screen. If you look in terms of the distance, you may see in some other cars where it's really close, and your focal point for your eyes, you're actually it's too close, and you have to focus.

And you can see it quite clearly, but then you've got obviously focus ahead as well. So that focal change in your eyes, it's actually quite tiring. Whereas we've designed it around 2.3 metres ahead, which then means as far as your focal point, it's actually really easy when you're driving, to see your information and also concentrate on the road. So there's some real innovations that I think we've incorporated in the car.

TR: Definitely going to have to bring you a video of this, because this is pretty awesome. Even things like the ambient lighting throughout, there's a lot of light signature stuff that just is, I've never seen this in a Volkswagen product. I've seen lights in the foot well, I've seen a little bit of led lighting on the doors, but this is next level.

MH: You've got 30 colours that you can choose from. So depending on what your mood is, Robo, you can change it to blue, of course, Volkswagen colours, or red, whatever you desire.

TR: I love it.

MH: You've got the spectrum to choose from. The other real cool inside the car is in terms of the seats. Now firstly from the leather that we've selected, it's a big change. We used to have Vienna leather, then we have Napa, and now we've gone into a Savona leather. Which is again another step up in terms of quality. So it's a little bit softer in terms of imperfections, you know there's barely any there. I'm not sure what they do with those cows, better.

MH: Very well looked after, and nurtured and pampered, but you can really feel that in terms of the softer. And that gives you that comfort in a seat from the leather throughout the car. But the other big thing is in terms of in the seats itself, you also have ventilation. So from the base of the seat and also the back of the seat.

TR: Back of the seat?

MH: Yeah, so from this section here and also the bottom. In addition to that, then we've got multiple massage functions, different settings. So I'm sure you'll enjoy that on your own drives.

TR: This car is going to be awesome. I love it already.

MH: But it actually has 10 air pillows that are in the seat. And they basically expand about six centimetres. So they blow up and then they blow down, whether it's the top part of your back or your lower part of your back, you got to try not to fall asleep. But quite comfortable at the same time.

TR: This is interesting though. This is taking luxury ... Volkswagen has always talked about itself as a premium for the people. One of those flagship phrases I suppose. But this truly is next level. Is this a direction that you guys are going to do for other stuff?

MH: Definitely for this car, without a doubt. This is the flagship of Volkswagen now, and it is sitting in that value proposition, especially with all the equipment that we have. And certainly where we want to position ourselves overall.

And again, you can see that in terms of the appointments, the features that we have as part of the car. It is definitely leaning towards that luxury element as well. But also it's that value. That's really what we're trying to push as well too. You get all the bits and pieces. It's a Volkswagen.