The third-generation Volkswagen Touareg is bigger than ever, but that doesn't stop it from moving quite swiftly down the highway. With a 3.0-liter V-6 diesel under the hood, the lighter Touraeg reaches 62 mph in under eight seconds so expect a lot more from the beefy V-8 that's just around the corner. What you won't see, though, is the Touareg return to U.S. shores.
The new-for-2019 Touareg was unveiled this past March in Beijing, China. It's both bigger and lighter than ever and, while retaining its mid-size position, it aims to be more luxurious than the previous two generations as Volkswagen's flagship model. Currently, only an array of V-6 diesel engines are available, but these units seem to keep up alright on the German Autobahn as seen in the POV video below.
The Touareg is proof that VW still clings on to the diesel
The Touareg, Volkswagen's biggest SUV, is brand-new for 2019 and the initial offering of V-6 diesel engines is familiar. The exterior styling now reflects the German automaker's latest design language as well as the customers' plea for more interior space. As such, the third-gen Touareg is 2.79 inches longer than the old one but still six inches short of the Atlas, the mid-size SUV that effectively replaced the Tourage in North-America, the market for which it was conceived.
There is, first of all, the Euro 5 version of the 3.0-liter V-6 that offers 254 horsepower and 368.78 pound-feet of torque. Then, you can choose between two Euro 6 units: a 228-horsepower engine and a 286-horsepower engine that also has more torque at 442.53 pound-feet. This latter one is powering the R-Line model we see hauling down a stretch of the Autobahn that has no speed limits in place.
In the video, we see the Touareg reach 62 mph in 7.5 seconds while surpassing 124 mph took 22.5 extra seconds, which isn't particularly stellar, but a diesel isn't really about out-and-out acceleration. Regardless, the speed continues to climb all the way to a respectable 142 mph. All this time, we're treated with a great view of the Touareg's 'Innovision digital cockpit' that features a digital gauge cluster as well as a large, 15-inch, infotainment screen on the center console.
Meanwhile, in the engine department, the Touareg will soon receive a belated Christmas present: the 4.0-liter V-8 diesel with 415 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The gas 3.0-liter V-6 engine that's also in the works should churn out about 335 horsepower. The cleanest of the lot, though, will be the plug-in hybrid version that will definitely be a fixture on the Chinese scene. The price for a new Touareg will float around the $63,000 mark, some $13,000 more than the base MSRP for a 2017 Touareg and over $15,000 more than a fully-optioned Atlas.
Further reading
Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Touareg
Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas
Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas R-Line