2020 Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI bound for Australia

Volkswagen Australia is set to crown its new flagship Touareg SUV with a muscular V8-powered turbo-diesel engine next year.

The new 250km/h Touareg V8 TDI unveiled at the Geneva motor show this week borrows its powerful donk from the Audi SQ7. The 4.0-litre turbo-diesel makes 310kW and an earth-churning 900Nm – enough to clip the 0-100km/h ticket in 4.9 seconds.

While right-hand drive production remains unknown at a factory level, Volkswagen Australia corporate communications manager Paul Pottinger said the local arm would be putting its hand up for the all-encompassing flagship.

“It’s not going to be here tomorrow or the day after, or possibly this year,” he explained. “But it’s something we’re definitely looking at.

“We had a V8 diesel as part of the outgoing range. Despite being more expensive it had a loyal segment of followers. There’s still a great deal of interest from Australian customers and we aim to fulfil that remit.”

The outgoing V8 refers to the $117,000 4.2-litre Touareg last offered in 2017. The bent-eight was armed with 250kW/800Nm outputs, and also did service in the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne S Diesel.

The Touareg has a history of large-capacity engines, the high-water mark being the V10 TDI offered between 2004 and 2010 and even a limited-production W12 ‘Sport’ variant. And Aussies clearly have a penchant for them.

“It’s a distant prospect but a prospect nonetheless,” Pottinger said of the latest incarnation.

As it stands, Volkswagen will launch a diesel V6 variant of the all-new Touareg in May. The highly-specced, tech-laden newcomer will initially be available in a sole $89,990 Launch Edition variant.

The 190kW/600Nm 3.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel V6 will offers more performance and equipment than the model it replaces, the outgoing Touareg 180TDI, which was last sold at $85,490 plus ORCs or $90,890 fully loaded.

Pricing is expected to come down in the third quarter of this year, when 190TDI Launch Edition is replaced by the full-time entry-level 170TDI and the range-topping 210TDI variants, the latter topping $100,000.