Volkswagen confirms full-time Touareg range

VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has locked in its full-time Touareg range, confirming that the third-generation large SUV will be available in two grades from early October or late November this year.

Launched last month in limited Launch Edition form, the new Touareg will become $10,000 more affordable when the permanent line-up arrives, with the entry-level 190TDI to kick off proceedings from $79,490 plus on-road costs, while the flagship 190TDI Premium will add more standard equipment for $6000.

As both grades’ names suggest, they will be motivated by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine as the Launch Edition. It produces 190kW of power from 3250 to 4250rpm and 600Nm of torque from 2250 to 3250rpm.

Drive is sent to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s variable 4Motion system, which uses a mechanical Torsen centre differential in this application. It is mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.

As reported, VGA was hoping to instead introduce two different bent sixes, but the company’s product marketing manager, Jeff Shafer, told GoAuto this week in Queenstown, New Zealand, that the 170kW/500Nm 170TDI and 210kW/600Nm 210TDI variants have been held up “for at least 12 months” due to ongoing – and well-documented – homologation issues related to Europe’s WLTP testing standard introduced in September last year.

Standard equipment in the 190TDI includes 19-inch Osorno alloy wheels, a hands-free power-operated tailgate, keyless entry and start, a 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, four USB ports, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control and Vienna leather upholstery.

Advanced driver-assist systems extend to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep and steering assist, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality.

The 190TDI Premium ups the ante with air suspension, 20-inch Montero alloy wheels, adaptive IQ Matrix LED headlights, ventilated front seats with massaging functionality, and Savona leather upholstery.

A Mistral beige interior colour is an exclusive no-cost option for the 190TDI Premium, serving as an alternative to the standard black hue.

Just like the Launch Edition, the 190TDI and 190TDI Premium can be optioned with the $8000 Innovision Package that adds a 15.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a windshield-projected head-up display and multi-colour ambient lighting.

The 190TDI Premium is also available with two new bundles, including the $8000 R-Line Package that nets buyers four-wheel steering, active anti-roll bars, 20-inch Nevada alloy wheels and R-Line exterior and interior styling.

Meanwhile, the $8000 Sound and Comfort Package features a larger fuel tank (+15L), a 730W 12-speaker Dynaudio sound system, heated rear seats, four-zone climate control, a power-adjustable steering column with memory functionality for the front seats and side mirrors, and surround-view cameras.

As before, a tilt- and slide-adjustable panoramic sunroof with a power-operated blind costs $3000, but it is now exclusive to the 190TDI Premium.

Premium paintwork still costs $2000, with Antimony Silver Metallic and Malbec Red Metallic joining Silicone Grey Metallic and Deep Black Pearl Effect, while Reef Blue Metallic has been replaced by Aquamarine Blue Metallic. Pure White remains the only no-cost colour on offer.

Sales of Touareg have taken a significant hit this year in the lead up to the new model’s release, with 414 examples sold to the end of June – a 36.7 per cent decrease over the 654 deliveries made during the same period in 2018.

Touareg is the seventh best-selling model in the $70,000-plus large-SUV segment, trailing the BMW X5 (1792 units), Range Rover Sport (1420), Lexus RX (991), Porsche Cayenne (758), Land Rover Discovery (709) and Volvo XC90 (632).

2019 Volkswagen Touareg pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs