This is the new Volkswagen Touareg R. It’s the second generation of VW’s flagship SUV to wear the R badge after the 2008 R50 and the first ‘R’ model to come with hybrid power.
The powertrain is taken from the Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid. That’s a 335bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine paired up with a 130bhp electric motor. There’s a 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery located under the boot supplying power to the aforementioned motor.
The combined power output of the two is quoted at 456bhp and 516lb ft of torque. Those figures make it the most powerful model in the VW range, and quite comfortably, too. Power is put through all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox and allows the Touareg to tow up to 3.5-tonnes.
There’s no word on official 0-62mph times but it shouldn’t be far off the Cayenne e-Hybrid’s five seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155mph. I think it’s safe to say it’s plenty quick enough.
Providing the battery is sufficiently charged, the Touareg R will always start in E-Mode. Its all-electric top speed is 87mph – exceed that and the V6 will kick in. Electric range is around 25 miles which isn’t massive but should cover the average daily commute.
Inside, the Volkswagen Touareg R won’t be too dissimilar to the standard model other than some ‘R’ badging on the steering wheel and seats and some blue accents. Other than that, it shares all of the usual features including the 12-inch digital dash display and 15-inch touchscreen media unit.
Externally, it gets new ‘R’-exclusive bumpers and lots of black trims including the louvres for the intake grilles and wing-mirror casings. You also get a set of black 20-inch alloys and the option of Lapiz Blue paint. All of these tweaks bring the Touareg’s styling in line with the ‘R’ variants of the Golf and T-Roc.
Obviously, there are plenty of other extras you can add on including Tan leather and alloy options going up to 22-inches. No pricing has been announced but we should find that out when it appears at the Geneva Motor Show.
What do you think of the Volkswagen Touareg R then? Will it be popular or will it live in the shadows of the Porsche, BMW and Audi equivalents? I’m certainly looking forward to seeing a few on the road. Let us know what you think via the comments section below or via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
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