The 2024 Volkswagen Touareg R is finally here, promising a luxury SUV experience in a high-performance package without the premium price. For just under $130,000, it offers elegance and modern technology compared to its more expensive siblings, the Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne, and Lamborghini Urus.
Exterior
The new Volkswagen Touareg R is equipped with an IQ.Light LED matrix headlight containing a pixel count of 20,000 pixels per module. It is utilized in producing adaptive light, thus enhancing vision and road safety. An LED strip embellishes the grille up front, while a similar motif is reflected at night by the rear lower end, with the Volkswagen logo illuminated like a flying bridge on the dark roads. The performance SUV rides on 22-inch alloy wheels with a piano black finish.
The Touareg R demonstrates a twin-chamber air suspension with adaptive damping, so the ride is as smooth as possible despite the big wheel size. Notable extras on the outside are the large brakes, night vision camera, sensor-equipped roof rails, and a hands-free tailgate that features an intelligent cargo blind system.
Interior
The Touareg R is filled with luxury on the inside, provided by high-class materials and features. At the heart of the cabin, a broad 15-inch infotainment screen dominates, with a 12.3-inch digital driver display. The vented and heated seats are power-operated and memory-equipped. Rear passengers enjoy vast legroom, a dedicated climate control zone, and heated outboard seats. Though there is a fair amount of gloss piano black plastic—this can get a little grubby—the cabin has a very upmarket and comfortable feel.
Infotainment
The infotainment system in the Touareg R is very detailed and easy to use. The 15-inch screen controls almost everything, from climate to media and navigation. It also supports much more sophisticated functionality, like the inclusion of proximity sensing, through which extra contextual menus pop up when your hand approaches it. The system features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in full screen, enhancing connectivity and offering the user an experience like never before. The cabin features an impressive 13-speaker Dynaudio sound system for state-of-the-art sound performance.
Practicality
The Touareg R is also efficient, with 655 litres of cargo space with the rear seats up and an increase to 1,770 with them folded. The rear seats fold easily from the cargo area, with the air suspension lowering the rear end to make loading much easier. No spare tyre is provided with the R due to the hybrid battery system, but there is a tyre repair kit in its place. The car also offers a few storage compartments, like a fair-sized glove box, and a few small-item slots around the cabin.
Engine & power
The Touareg R has a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 petrol engine and an electric motor powering its plug-in hybrid system. The actual electric utility is felt clearly on short trips, sometimes with drivelines to transform it into a genuinely fuel-saving, efficient choice. The hybrid system is rechargeable from household outlets or public charging points, but the duration of recharging varies and depends on available power.
Performance
Together, these produce 340 kW of power and 700 Nm of torque, which results in a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in about 5 seconds for the Touareg R. Weighing virtually in at 2.5 tonnes, the Touareg R goes about its business very nicely and finds an ideal balance between power and economy. Real-world fuel economy will vary, of course, depending on conditions and the use of the hybrid system, but it all remains efficient for a performance SUV.
Charging
Now, let’s talk charging. This is a plug-in hybrid, so this gives, according to the WLTP cycle, just over 50 km. Here, we only have AC, so it’s not the worst for the size of a battery. Charging takes place at about 7 kW with a usable battery capacity of about 14 kWh. As such, you will need close to 2 hours to perform a full recharge using an AC charger. Furthermore, the engine does the charge as a supplementary function better than anything; therefore no worries in that respect.
On the Road
It is an excellent SUV for driving the Touareg R. The ride is sumptuous with this advanced suspension system and responsive steering. The air suspension and adaptive damping iron out road imperfections while the vehicle remains stable and composed even at high speeds. The hybrid system integrates seamlessly with the petrol engine to provide smooth and efficient driving in the city but with ample power when on the highway.
Safety Tech
Safety is of the essence, and it has been well taken care of in the Volkswagen Touareg R. There’s a whole suite of modern safety aids, from autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and a night vision camera to blind-spot monitoring, radar cruise control with lane centring, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, and a 360-degree camera. But notably, it is the night vision camera that, with clarity, presents the view of the road ahead in low light.
How much does the Volkswagen Touareg cost?
As for the pricing, the 2024 Touareg price starts at $86,790 for the Touareg 170TDI low-level base trim, and it can rise to $117,540 for the Touareg 210TDI R-Line. Of course, these variations will be determined by the options and features that end up being chosen. Here is a list of prices for the different trims available:
Touareg 170TDI: $86,790
Touareg 210TDI Elegance: $98,440
Touareg R-Line: $105,290
Touareg 210TDI R-Line: $117,540
