Photo: Volkswagen
While the new Golf and refreshed Jetta are being shown in New York, Volkswagen has revealed the updated Touareg on the web. The first SUV they've ever made is now in its second generation and a mid-life update is in order, bring the outdated look up to date. Changes have been made to the outside and reflect the latest VW design philosophy. An update interior is a welcomed change, as is the more environment range of engines.
Exterior
Starting with the cosmetics, the 2015 Touareg features a redesigned front fascia. The upper and lower grille have become more visible, thanks in part to extra shiny trim. The SUV features Bi-xenon headlights as standard on all trim levels, is offered with new colors and two new wheel designs in sizes up to 21-inch.
VW explains that the new design of the bumper is similar to that of the 2014 Scirocco R, as "the lower air inlet now forms a stylized "A" instead of a "V" that transitions into the side air inlets to the right and left."
The German automaker is offering the new SUV with two new wheel designs. The standard 18-inch ones are called "Arica" and feature 10 spokes. The 20-inch ones have a 5-spoke design and are called "Masafi". You can check those out in the gallery below. 12 colors in total are now to be offered on the model, five of them being brand new: "Light Silver Metallic", "Sand Gold Metallic", "Moonlight Blue Metallic", "Black Oak Brown Metallic" and "Reef Blue Metallic".
Finally, we come to the engine range, which is the most market-specific of any model we've ever seen.
In Europe, you can get V6 and V8 TDI diesel that now comply with EU6 emissions regulations. There's also a hybrid model, which is the only one that drinks petrol on the old continents. The V6 TDI's produce 204 PS or 258 PS (10 kW more now), while the V8 spill makes 340 PS.
Average fuel consumption for the 205 PS version has been reduced from 7.0 l/100km (equates to 184 g/km of CO2) to 6.6 l/100km (174 g/km of CO2). Despite producing 13 extra PS, the top-spec V6 has also dropped its numbers, from 7.2 l/100km (equates to 189 g/km CO2) to 6.8 l/100 (178 g/km of CO2). The 2015 Touareg Hybrid mates a 333 PS V6 TSI to a 52 PS electric motor. Despite its total 380 PS output, consumption is just 8.2 l/100 km (equates to 193 g/km CO2). It can drive at speed up to 50 km/h in all -electric driving – with zero emissions.
In Asia, the new Touareg is being offered with three petrol and two diesel engines. For its Chinese debut, two V6 TSI turbos have been chosen, offering 290 PS and 320 PS. There's also a naturally aspirated V8 model with 360 PS.
In Russia, the automaker plans to sell only a V6 FSI with 249 PS and the same V8 FSI with 360 PS that the Chinese get.
Finally, American and Canadian buyers will be offered 3 choices: V6 FSI with 280 hp, Hybrid with 380 hp and V6 TDI with 239 hp. Sounds familiar? That's because the company isn't ready to drop the 3.6 for a turbo yet, but it will be in 2015, at least according to our insiders.
Starting with the cosmetics, the 2015 Touareg features a redesigned front fascia. The upper and lower grille have become more visible, thanks in part to extra shiny trim. The SUV features Bi-xenon headlights as standard on all trim levels, is offered with new colors and two new wheel designs in sizes up to 21-inch.
VW explains that the new design of the bumper is similar to that of the 2014 Scirocco R, as "the lower air inlet now forms a stylized "A" instead of a "V" that transitions into the side air inlets to the right and left."
Colors and Wheels
The Cabin
Changes to the interior of the 2015 Touareg are not major. VW's typical Vienna leather pack can now be ordered in "Bonanza Brown" (dark brown). You can also configure a new light sandy Nappa leather interior. The RNS 550 system is fitted as standard, but the optional RNS 850 is the system to get now, since it gets "mobile online services": Points-of-Interest (POI) search via Google, map display via Google Earth mapping service, Google Street View functionality and "online traffic information".Finally, we come to the engine range, which is the most market-specific of any model we've ever seen.
In Europe, you can get V6 and V8 TDI diesel that now comply with EU6 emissions regulations. There's also a hybrid model, which is the only one that drinks petrol on the old continents. The V6 TDI's produce 204 PS or 258 PS (10 kW more now), while the V8 spill makes 340 PS.
Average fuel consumption for the 205 PS version has been reduced from 7.0 l/100km (equates to 184 g/km of CO2) to 6.6 l/100km (174 g/km of CO2). Despite producing 13 extra PS, the top-spec V6 has also dropped its numbers, from 7.2 l/100km (equates to 189 g/km CO2) to 6.8 l/100 (178 g/km of CO2). The 2015 Touareg Hybrid mates a 333 PS V6 TSI to a 52 PS electric motor. Despite its total 380 PS output, consumption is just 8.2 l/100 km (equates to 193 g/km CO2). It can drive at speed up to 50 km/h in all -electric driving – with zero emissions.
In Asia, the new Touareg is being offered with three petrol and two diesel engines. For its Chinese debut, two V6 TSI turbos have been chosen, offering 290 PS and 320 PS. There's also a naturally aspirated V8 model with 360 PS.
In Russia, the automaker plans to sell only a V6 FSI with 249 PS and the same V8 FSI with 360 PS that the Chinese get.
Finally, American and Canadian buyers will be offered 3 choices: V6 FSI with 280 hp, Hybrid with 380 hp and V6 TDI with 239 hp. Sounds familiar? That's because the company isn't ready to drop the 3.6 for a turbo yet, but it will be in 2015, at least according to our insiders.
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