Comeback
Like a nomad returning to the nest after a few years of wandering, the Volkswagen Touareg is making its comeback on the Dutch market. Facelifted, Volkswagen’s largest SUV is now only available as a plug-in hybrid. Time for a renewed acquaintance.
The Touareg back with a vengeance? Was he gone then?
Yes, the third generation of the Touareg came on the market in the Netherlands in 2018, but disappeared from the price list three years later. High BPM taxes priced the Toureg out of the market. It was simply no longer profitable for the importer to offer the large SUV.
Why is that the case now?
This has everything to do with the arrival of a plug-in hybrid version, the eHybrid. Thanks to this combination of a petrol engine and an electric motor, the ‘paper’ CO2 emissions are much lower than with the versions with only a petrol or diesel engine. As a result, the bpm for the eHybrid is much lower than for the versions with only a V6 or V8 combustion engine. This means that the Touareg remains somewhat affordable with an entry price of €89,990.
So the V6 and V8 are no longer supplied?
No. The V6 and V8 diesels will not return, at least in the Netherlands. The 340 hp V6 TSI petrol engine does, but only in combination with an electric motor that is powered by a 17.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This brings the system power of the Touareg eHybrid to 381 hp for the Elegance version and 462 hp for the R. This plug-in hybrid drivetrain is the same as in the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7, the sister models of the Touareg.
How does a Touareg eHybrid drive?
We drove it as R, so with the strongest of the two available electric motors. With a system power of 462 hp and a torque of 700 Nm, it is certainly powerful enough. A sprint to 100 takes barely five seconds, full acceleration is accompanied by a nice, thick six-cylinder roar. Intermediate sprints are also completed quickly, especially if you choose the Sport program, where the automatic transmission responds more alertly than in the less sporty modes. However, the Comfort mode is our preference, even though this is a real R version. Sportiness and a 2.5 ton SUV just don’t go well together, at least not with the Volkswagen Touareg. It simply does not invite you to tight corners and push the limits. Then take a Cayenne. The standard air suspension makes the Touareg eHybrid R a comfortable mile-eater with a pleasant, powerful drivetrain. A downside is the limited electric range. 50 kilometers is not much compared to the competition. For example, the plug-in version of the BMW X5 can be powered from a distance of 86 kilometers.
How much can the Touareg eHybrid tow?
Here the Touareg puts its biggest trump card on the table: with a maximum trailer weight of 3,500 kg, it can tow considerably more than the aforementioned X5 (2,700 kg). The in-house competitors with the same platform and the same drivetrain (Q7, Cayenne) are logically allowed to do so, but they are considerably more expensive than the Touareg. In the segment of ‘premium’ plug-in SUVs priced around 100,000 euros, only the Range Rover Sport comes close with a towing capacity of 3,000 kilos.
So this is the facelifted version of the third generation Toureg. What has been updated?
As usual: front and butt. At the front we find a new bumper section and a narrow LED strip now runs between the newly arranged headlight units with standard so-called IQ Light HD Matrix lighting, just like at the back between the lamp clusters. You wonder why, because such a continuous light bar is no longer distinctive. That is (still) an illuminated brand logo, although it is one from the ‘because it is possible’ category, because to be honest it looks a bit cheap. Inside, the adjustments were limited to a new multimedia screen and digital instruments. What is striking is the layout of the speedometer; There are no numbers between 100 and 140, but only dots, which certainly does not improve clarity.
How much does the Touareg eHybrid cost and when will it be in the showroom?
Volkswagen charges a minimum of €89,990 for the Elegance, the R costs €10,000 more. The importer expects the most enthusiasm for the latter version, because for a limited additional cost you have a more lavishly decorated Touareg, including air suspension and an adaptive chassis. It will be available at Dutch dealers at the end of November.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl