THE NEW VW TOUAREG ARRIVES - AND THE RANGE-TOPPER IS THE 340 KW R EHYBRID
The world premiere of the latest version of Volkswaen’s popular Touareg SUV recently took place, and as expected it looks great and is packed with all the best technologies that VAG has to offer. “The new Touareg impresses with top quality and outstanding comfort. We have once again systematically implemented the wishes of our customers in this model: We have sharpened up the design, integrated an illuminated rear logo, and made operation even more intuitive. We've also enhanced the driving characteristics, making our premium Volkswagen even better. The result is a true all-rounder that will excite on-road, off-road and naturally also as a first-class towing vehicle.” says Imelda Labbé, Member of the Volkswagen Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. There are a few tiers of Touareg available, the Elegance, the R-Line and the range-topping R eHybrid. The latter is the one that we want to see up close. After having the previous version on loan from Volkswagen SA for a Camp Fest weekend, it quickly became a favourite in the SUV stakes. The new model features new technologies spread across the range, like the IQ.LIGHT HD matrix headlights that allow you to keep things bright thanks to a more focused beam of light (it’s more technical than that, but that’s a basic comment on the system). “The Touareg has always been a technology pioneer for us, allowing us to transfer new developments into other brand models as part of a top-down strategy. And we are following the same approach with the new Touareg. It is the first Volkswagen model to be launched with the newly developed HD matrix headlights – one of the best lighting systems in the world. More than 38,000 interactive LEDs project a light carpet exactly onto the driving lane and illuminate the road more precisely than ever before. We will soon transfer this HD matrix lighting system to next smaller SUV-class models.” comments Kai Grünitz, Member of the Volkswagen Board of Management for Development.
So we prefer the performance stuff, and performance-oriented models are usually the ones that are at the top of the range. It’s no different with the latest Touareg. Capping this range of premium SUVs off is the Volkswagen Touareg R eHybrid, which as the name suggests, features a hybrid powerplant. As expected when you combine the old tech of a petrol-powered engine coupled to an electric motor, there’s plenty of power on tap. The base engine is a supercharged 3.0-litre V6, and with the electric motor added in, the power on tap becomes a healthy 340 kW. Full specs and details aren’t quite fully released yet, so we don’t have a torque figure or any performance data, but that’s sure to come out soon. The torque will be immense, a rather appreciated side effect of electric propulsion. The SUV will be available with all manner of available options by way of onboard features in the comfort and safety stakes, as well as paint colours. We don’t really need to see any of the paint options though, the newly available Silicon Gray Matt paint option is where it’s at. The images you see here show what that paint looks like on the sizeable SUV, and it’s just right. One thing you have to keep in mind when you’re talking about premium SUVs is that the Touareg shares components with the Porsche Cayenne, and this means the quality matches the other iconic German automaker’s well-known quality, but at a better price. We won’t say more affordable, because that’s not a term used at this level of motoring.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the recent digital worldwide reveal of the new Volkswagen Touareg, one of the German automaker's most popular SUVs slotting in above the Tiguan and below the Atlas - although the latter isn't seen in some important markets and that makes the Touareg the biggest and the best available model. It's always been a brilliant SUV, and this latest version is packed with all VW's latest tech, including a hybrid powerplant that heads up the range as the flagship model. Click through to see this Volkswagen production: The new Volkswagen Touareg | Volkswagen
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