BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: VW facelifts Touareg

Volkswagen has presented an upgraded Touareg ahead of its world debut at this weekend’s Beijing motor show.

Brandishing new front and rear styling, improved efficiency, extra equipment and new interior trims, the 2015 Touareg arrives in European showrooms in November.

Expect the new-look Touareg to arrive early next year in Australia, where Volkswagen’s largest SUV first went on sale in 2003, before being replaced by the second-generation in mid-2011.

In detail, the front-end changes include larger headlights with standard bi-xenon beams across the range, a reprofiled front bumper and a deeper grille with four instead of two horizontal fins.

A redesigned rear bumper also aims to add visual width, accompanied by a new rear diffuser between twin exhaust outlets and LED rear foglights.

There are also new door mirror caps, a range of new wheel designs and new paint colours.

Inside, the Touareg gets the option of new colours for the standard leather upholstery, new design accents and new lighting.
New standard technologies include an automatic post-collision braking system, and updated (optional) radar-based automatic distance control system and a ‘coasting’ for the standard eight-speed automatic transmission.

Also now standard is a new SCR-DPF catalytic converter module that uses AdBlue, along with low rolling resistance tyres, idle-stop and a battery regeneration system.

European versions therefore offer a slight increase in fuel efficiency, but specifications have not yet been confirmed for Australia, where the Touareg is currently available in three 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel variants (starting at $63,990) and flagship V8 TDI R-Line form.