The V6 becomes the quickest model within the vary, with a 155mph high speed and 0-62mph time of five.9sec. The engine produces 335bhp and 332lb linear unit of torsion and sends those reserves to any or all four wheels through VW's 4Motion machine drive system.
It is additionally 50kg lighter than the prevailing diesel version. Towing capacities stay constant across all models.
Order books area unit currently open for the £52,635 SEL model, with 1st deliveries due in April. The top-spec R-Line technical school version is ready to value £59,235.
When it 1st arrived, the third-generation Touareg was over £6000 costlier than its precursor – a mirrored imageon VW's efforts to push its high model more upmarket . The complete even the worth hike by stating that the new Touareg represents the “biggest leap forward” within the history of the SUV.
The third-generation model, that was unveiled in Peiping throughout the spring of 2018, has been redesigned with new technology, road-focused styling and a revamped interior that's dominated by VW’s new Innovision Cockpit.
This Touareg is that the 1st to possess such a transparent specialise in the Chinese market as a result of, other than being the biggest new automobile market within the world, it's seen rise in SUV demand in recent times. SUVs accounted for V-day of the Chinese market in 2007, however by 2017 this had skyrocketed to forty fifth.
VW boss musician Diess said: “The new Touareg sets a replacement benchmark at the highest of the automotive world and shows what VW will kill terms of style and technology. it's a mirrored image of our complete.”
Three trim levels area unit offered at launch and therefore the United Kingdom beginning worth applies to the entry-level SEL. costs for the plusher R-Line variant, that comes with sportier bodywork details, begin from £55,095, whereas R-Line technical school sits atop of the launch vary with a lot of commonplace kit (more thereonbelow) and a beginning worth of £58,195.
The 3.0 TDI V6 top-end diesel produces 282bhp and 443lb linear unit of torsion from 2250rpm, sanctioning the SUV to sprint from zero to vi2mph in 6.1sec and reach a top speed of 146mph. A 228bhp diesel is also available.
New VW Touareg: should the people's car be a premium car?
The Chinese line-up includes a 362bhp plug-in hybrid that will arrive in late 2019. That variant is likely to go on sale in Europe, although no date has been set. A 415bhp, 664lb ft 4.0 V8 diesel will be offered in some markets, although no UK date has been set for its arrival either.
All of the engine options are powered through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with standard all-wheel drive featuring a centre differential lock, with five standard and four optional drive modes.
To aid the driving dynamic, the Touareg features electromechanical active roll compensation, which adjusts the anti-roll bars to smooth the ride when cornering. It also has air suspension to boost ride and all-wheel steering to aid handling.
Oliver Müller, the Touareg’s vehicle development boss, told Autocar: “We wanted to combine a sporty drive with comfort. The focus in on on-road handling, but it was important to make sure it was still good off road. It’s part of the DNA of the car. The look is more on-road now, but it’s still an off-roader at heart.”
The exterior design of the new Touareg moves further away from the off-road styling of the original, with a bold front grille designed particularly to appeal to the Chinese market. While built on the same VW Group MLB platform as the new Porsche Cayenne, the only exterior part the two now share is the front windscreen. Exterior designer Frank Bruse told Autocar: “The key difference is that we were allowed to do our own door panels; before, we had to share with the Cayenne. That gave us more freedom.”
Q&A: Frank Bruse, Volkswagen Touareg exterior designer
At 4878mm, the Touareg is 77mm longer than before. It is also 44mm wider (1984mm) but 7mm shorter (1702mm). With the rear seats up, the boot has a capacity of 810 litres, 113 litres more than the previous model. The aluminium and steel body helps to make the car 106kg lighter than before.
The dashboard is built around VW’s new Innovision Cockpit, which merges a 15.0in infotainment touchscreen with a 12.0in digital instrument cluster. The customisable infotainment screen also controls features such as smartphone integration, air conditioning and seat massage functions, while analogue controls remain for the volume and other frequently used switches.
A range of driver assistance features come as standard, including traffic jam assist, lane assist, autonomous emergency braking, a night vision camera and a driver fatigue warning.
Standard equipment includes all-round LED lighting, multicoloured interior LED lighting and a 1270mm-long sliding panoramic roof.
The Touareg is designed with a range of customisation options based on three optional trim levels: the wood-dominated Atmosphere; Elegance, based on metal colours; and the stand-alone, sporty R-Line. All three will feature spoilers and side sills, with R-line also gaining wheel arch extensions.
The Touareg will be able to tow trailers of up to 3.5 tonnes.