Volkswagen's only SUV introduced through the vehicle import channel in the Chinese market, the Touareg, finally ushered in the mid-term facelift version recently, the new car has been comprehensively upgraded in the interior and exterior design, high-end configuration, power system and other aspects, and is expected to continue to enter the Chinese market as an imported car in 2024.
For reference, the current Touareg has a domestic guidance price of 533,800 (including 2.0T models), and there is a lot of discounts, about 500,000 can almost be on the road.
In essence, as a product of the MLB evo platform, the Volkswagen Touareg, which is positioned as a medium and large SUV, is actually quite closely related to the Audi Q7 and Porsche Caycan (Cayenne). From this point of view, this car is completely equivalent to the million-level Audi/Porsche in terms of mechanical quality, if you really don't care about brand value.
Because it is a mid-term facelift version, the exterior silhouette of the new Touareg has not changed much, and it looks like an "inflated" Tiguan L, but in fact, these two cars are not the same thing at all. The most typical is the vehicle architecture part, the Touareg is a typical front-longitudinal rear-drive chassis architecture, with a pure luxury car pedigree, and the Tiguan L and even the Touan derived from the Volkswagen MQB platform are only family SUV models with a front transverse architecture.
Of course, the new Touareg still has some youthful fine-tuning in details, such as the IQ.LIGHT HD matrix headlight design applied for the first time, which contains 19,200 miniature LED light sources to achieve interactive lighting, and the middle grid position is also decorated with a through-type LED light strip, plus the black center net and lower surround that comes with the R-Line package, and the front face does look more visually impactful than the current model.
Like the front face, the new version features a through-through taillight design with a blackened finish. In addition, the whole car also incorporates "blackened" elements in details such as roof racks, exterior mirrors, and large rear wings, with exclusive five-piece wheels, so that the whole car presents a more obvious young and sporty temperament.
It is worth mentioning that the new Touareg also launched the R eHybrid hybrid version optional, the whole car still adopts the R-Line package, but the front and rear surround are slightly fine-tuned, and equipped with sharper black wheels and blue brake calipers.
As for the cockpit design, the new Touareg has not changed much, with a built-in Discover Pro Max advanced infotainment system, a full LCD instrument cluster that supports projected navigation function, and supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connections, which is already a "basic operation" in China.
In addition, the remodeled Touareg is also equipped with a new USB-C interface, and the charging power has been upgraded to 45w, compared with the wireless charging of mobile phones that have been fully popularized in China, the Touareg is even a little behind in this regard.
Of course, after all, it is the most expensive Volkswagen SUV model, and the new Touareg is still willing to spend money on some high-end configurations. For example, the interior material has been upgraded, and details such as front seat armrests and center console knee pads have been made of soft materials, as well as an optional night vision system and HUD head-up display.
The most critical part is naturally the power system, the fuel version of the new European version of the Touareg is equipped with EA837 3.0T V6 turbocharged engine, this engine is already a familiar face of Audi/Porsche imported cars, the maximum power of 340 horsepower, the maximum torque of 450 Nm. The imported domestic version will be equipped with a 2.0T engine, but it will most likely be upgraded to the fourth-generation EA888, with a book data of 245 hp/370 Nm.
The Touareg plug-in hybrid version will be equipped with a 3.0T V6 gasoline engine, plus a P2 layout electric drive unit, depending on the tuning, there are 381 hp/600 Nm (eHybrid standard version) and 463 hp/700 Nm (R eHybrid performance version) two versions. The battery part uses a ternary lithium battery pack with a capacity of 14.3kWh, and the pure electric cruising range is 47 kilometers and 44 kilometers respectively, which is obviously not enough to see in China, and even cannot be on the green card (the national standard requires at least NEDC pure electric range of more than 50km).
The transmission part, including the fuel version and the plug-in hybrid version, the new Touareg is still equipped with ZF 8AT transmission, and the standard Quattro full-time four-wheel drive system from Audi, which is a mechanical four-wheel drive with a mechanical limited-slip differential as the core, exactly the same as the Audi Q7.
The chassis part, which is a product of the MLB evo platform, front and rear five-link independent suspension is also basic operation for this car, and the suspension calibration has also been upgraded to balance comfort and support. On this basis, the new Touareg can also be equipped with advanced functions such as dual-chamber air suspension, active roll control, and active rear-wheel steering as options as the Q7/Cayenne.