2019 Volkswagen Touareg Adds More Luxury While Reducing Weight (With Video)

After numerous leaks and teasers, Volkswagen has finally revealed the Touareg at a special event in Beijing, China.

Underpinned by the MLB platform, which is also shared with the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, and Lamborghini Urus, Volkswagen says that’s where the similarities end, also claiming that the only exterior part it shares with another VW Group SUV is its windscreen, which the Porsche Cayenne also uses. That windshield is now angled more rakishly, complementing the Touareg’s sleeker styling that moves away from its predecessor’s more upright styling. The Touareg’s exterior design is also highlighted by Volkswagen’s wider and taller new grille design that debuted with the Arteon four-door coupe. Flanked by the grille are a pair of sleeker LED matrix headlights, and apart from the aforementioned headlights, the Touareg also comes with other high tech safety gear that includes features such as semi-autonomous traffic jam assist, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, and a night vision camera.

The interior of the all-new Touareg debuts what Volkswagen calls their Innovision Cockpit. It is highlighted by a large 15-inch touch screen that’s integrated into a single glass piece with the 12-inch digital instrument cluster. With many cars nowadays, button count has receded to a point where only the most frequently used functions remain, and the Volkswagen Touareg is no exception. Elsewhere, the Touareg’s interior is more luxurious than ever, with the more liberal use of leather, wood, piano black trim, and soft touch surfaces.

For better ride quality, handling, and capability, the Touareg features active roll bars, while an air suspension is available as an option. This is further complemented by the standard rear wheel steering, which will surely make the Touareg an even more agile handling luxury SUV. The all-wheel-drive system comes with a lockable center differential with five standard driving modes. An optional off-road package adds four more driving modes.

The Touareg’s engine range kicks off with a 3.0 liter V6 petrol, the sole petrol choice, which produces 335 hp and 450 Nm of torque. The diesel range, meanwhile, is plentiful, and it includes a 3.0 liter V6 in 228 hp and 282 hp states of tune. The range-topper is a 4.0 liter V8 diesel that produces 417 hp and a whopping 900 Nm of torque. All powertrains are mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Despite being smaller than the Volkswagen Atlas three-row crossover, the Touareg remains Volkswagen’s flagship SUV, and will set to go on sale in Europe this summer. As for the North American market, Volkswagen says it won’t be offering the Touareg in the continent.