IF you’re in the market for a tough, luxurious SUV, the new Volkswagen Touareg with its revolutionary bright lights that don’t dazzle, newly designed and upgraded running gear and incredible levels of comfort is available to order.
This latest upgraded model strikes the perfect balance for an owner whether you are on-road, off-road or towing. The redesigned front-end features an illuminated strip in the radiator grille, a similar line across the rear, an illuminated red brand logo, and its new 20-, 21- and 22-inch alloy wheels will turn heads . There are distinctive design touches included for each of the different equipment levels; for example the flagship R-eHybrid, features 22-inch Estoril diamond-turned wheel rims with blue brake calipers. The car is available in five powertrains, each with a 3.0-litre V6 power unit: one turbocharged petrol engined version (335 bhp), two turbodiesel engines (227 bhp and 282 bhp) and two plug-in hybrid drives (V6 petrol engine plus electric drive motor delivering 376 bhp) and the R-eHybrid delivering a hefty 455 bhp.
All engines have as standard an eight-speed automatic gearbox and 4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive. The Touareg is famous for providing elevated levels of comfort, but the running gear on the new car has undergone a complete redesign to allow an even greater spread between performance and comfort on all types of terrain, from smooth motorways and undulating lanes to bumpy and hilly tracks. A roof load sensor works with the vehicle electronics and running gear for increased agility when carrying a roof box, and the all-wheel-drive has high-tech options such as active roll compensation and all-wheel steering.
A plethora of innovative technology systems include Travel Assist, (keeping you in the right part of a motorway lane), 360-degree bird’s eye view (shown in the infotainment display), Park Assist with remote parking capability (allowing the driver to park the car remotely from outside the vehicle) and Trailer Assist (assisted manoeuvring with a trailer).
The interior is upgraded for added comfort on long journeys to include soft armrests and padding on the centre console to cushion the occupant’s knees from bumps.
New door panels made of a foamed material come with attractive double decorative seams. The Innovision Cockpit features the latest hardware and software, including high-resolution HD map data, voice control and wireless app integration for smartphones. It combines a digital 12-inch instrument cluster and the Discover Premium infotainment system with a central 15-inch touchscreen with the two displays forming a continuous digital landscape for the driver. Electronic devices such as tablets can be charged with 45 watts instead of the normal 15, while an optional 730-watt sound system promises as many thrills for people’s hearing as the rest of the vehicle does for their other senses.
Hannah Doherty, Touareg Product Manager at Volkswagen, said: “The new Touareg really does offer everything, whether you’re looking for a rugged off-roader, a smooth long-distance cruiser, or a towing workhorse, and all with the superior comfort and high-tech features you’d expect from Volkswagen’s flagship model. The new HD matrix headlights are an especially exciting development, both for the Touareg and for Volkswagen’s future SUV models, as the technology spreads across the range.”
The recommended retail prices range from £67,640 to £80,370 (on the road, including VAT). Now that’s not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s an awful lot of car and performance – and it’s a VW.
