Volkswagen Touareg goes upmarket

Fresh from releasing its 2013 model year Passat, Volkswagen has announced of its MY13 Touareg, which will be available from September with $15,000 worth of extra standard equipment for V6 models, including a reversing camera and leather upholstery.

Also adding a luxury bent to the German brand’s top-shelf SUV will be bi-Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, electric seat adjustment, a driver fatigue warning system and 18-inch alloy wheels as standard on all variants.

Due to slow sales, however, the range has been trimmed to two diesel models, following the discontinuation of the V6 FSI petrol variant.

Volkswagen Group Australia Managing Director, Anke Koeckler, said sales of the petrol V6 model totalled less than five per cent of Touareg sales in this country - low enough to ring its death knell.

The MY13 Touareg range is now exclusively diesel-powered, with the entry-level 150kW V6 TDI continuing to open the range at $62,990 plus on-road costs.

“We are always observing what's happening in the market, so the rear-view camera is becoming standard in our upmarket models, the Passat and Touareg,” said Ms Koeckler.

The price of the range-topping 180kW V6 TDI model has increased by $1000 to $78,990 ($83,990 for the 4XMotion version), but Ms Koeckler contends that customers get around $15,000 worth of extras as standard, including new 20-inch alloy wheels and air suspension.

“As it is a big wheel, we are putting air suspension as standard into the V6 models just to make sure the driver and passengers are still comfortable.

“We make it available to make the product more attractive, and you sum up all the option prices from the current MY12 model and it comes to $10,000 or $15,000.”

All models in the Touareg line-up also come with 12-way electrically adjustable driver and front passenger seats. Electro-pneumatically adjustable backrest and side bolsters are standard equipment for the updated SUVs and the height and angle-adjustable front head restraint have been redesigned to reduce the severity of whiplash injuries. The Touareg’s 60/40-split, folding rear seat can now also be folded remotely via the luggage area.

As we recently reported, ADR documents also show that Volkswagen has been given the green light to market a new V8 diesel-powered Touareg in Australia, but the local Volkswagen boss says it's far from a done deal.

“It's still not confirmed, and it's not yet an engine we're going to release here in Australia," stated Ms Koeckler. “We're working on that, but it's still a bit too early to talk about it.”

As an aside, a Touareg V6 TDI recently completed a 23,000km journey from Melbourne to St Petersburg in Russia in the hands of Rainer Zietlow, whose Challenge4 team completed the record-breaking long-distance trek in just under 18 days.

MY13 Volkswagen Touareg pricing (plus on-road costs):
Touareg 150TDI eight-speed auto - $62,990
Touareg 180 TDI eight-speed auto - $78,990
Touareg 180 TDI 4XMOTION eight-speed auto - $83,990

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