New Touareg shows its face

By Nathan Millward

Motor Industry

20 September 2006 02:29

Here are the first official photos of Volkswagen's facelifted Touareg, already uncovered during hot weather testing by CAR Online.

A chrome effect grille surround and Eos-inspired headlights bring the luxury 4x4 in line with VW's latest models, while at the rear, revised lights, bumper and exhaust pipes spruce up the Touareg. New safety gadgets are introduced. VW is claiming a world first with ABS-plus, which churns up wedges of gravel or sand off-road, bringing the 4x4 to a halt up to 20 percent earlier thanks to this snowplough effect. A blind spot camera, revised ESP and a new rollover camera also feature.

The UK engine line up and trim options remain the same, with the 3.6-litre V6 petrol and three TDI oil burners – 2.5, 3.0 V6 and 5.0 V10 - all available in ‘Touareg’, ‘SE’ or ‘Altitude’ trim. The 2.5-litre TDI comes as standard with a six-speed manual and optional Tiptronic automatic transmission. All other engines come with the auto ‘box as standard. US customers will be able to opt for a new 350bhp 4.2-litre V8, shared with its Audi Q7 sister car. Interior tweaks include redesigned seat backs and a top speaker system from Danish experts Dynaudio. The new Touareg goes on sale in late January 2007. Prices are yet to be confirmed but expect a marginal increase over the current model.

By Nathan Millward