6 Revelations About The 2018 Volkswagen Touareg
During a special ceremony in Beijing on Friday, Volkswagen released a redesigned Touareg, marking the very special relationship the European company has with China, which it considers its second home.
1. New Flagship Of The VW Brand
This third-generation Touareg is being put in the upmarket level seeing as it recently became the new flagship of the VW brand. Previously, that role was with the Phaeton but the full-size sedan was already discontinued in 2016. An electric successor is being planned, but that won’t come into fruition until the next decade.
2. Wider And More Dynamic Look
Compared to its predecessor, the outgoing model, the new Touareg has a wider look and it’s also bigger. It’s three inches longer than before, now standing at 192 inches. It’s also 1.7 inches wider at 78 inches and 0.3 inches shorter at only 67 inches.
3. MLB Platform
The curb weight has been reduced by as much as 233 pounds in some variants, thanks to VW’s version of the MLB platform, which features multi-material construction and used by Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne. The main benefits are air suspension, roll stabilization, and rear-wheel steering.
4. Plush Interior
The cabin of the new Touareg is as luxurious as others in the game. It has a digital dash with a 12.0-inch screen that is now the instrument cluster. There’s also a 15-inch infotainment hub. For safety features, there’s the automatic emergency braking, driver fatigue warning, and a night vision camera. Overall, VW calls the cabin design “Innovision Cockpit.”
5. Drivetrain Options
The Touareg will go on sale this summer in Europe. Depending on the market, there will be choices of two 3.0-liter V-6 diesels, producing 228 and 282 horsepower, respectively, and a 3.0-liter V-6 gasoline delivering 335 horsepower. There will also be a plug-in hybrid setup with 362 horsepower for the Chinese market. There are also news that a 4.0-liter V-8 diesel producing 415 horsepower will come as another option.
Standard to these engines are an 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive with a center differential lock. Some extras are available, care of a special off-road pack that adds extra driving modes, a larger fuel tank, and under body protection.
6. Release Dates And Locations
The new Touareg won’t be coming to the United States. The local division of VW in the US dropped the model at the end of the 2017 model year because of low sales and the decision to focus on the Atlas.
