New VW Touareg (2010 / 2011) – Price & Details

The new VW Touareg starts at £38,225 in the UK

We got the reveal of Volkswagen’s big off-roader - the VW Touareg - in the run up to the Geneva Motor Show back in February, but it’s taken the intervening months for VW to get their act together enough to get UK prices to us and model details. But now they have.

Prices kick off at £38,225 for the Touareg SE 3.0-litre TDI 240 PS whilst the hybrid model costs s very un-green £54,995, just £1,500 less than the Altitude V8 4.2. It’s not cheap to be green at Volkswagen.

Even if you can’t stretch to the Hybrid – or can’t resist the V8 for almost the same money – you can reassure yourself that you’re still being frugal. The new Touareg weighs in at 200kg less than the old model, despite having grown by 40mm, and that’s reflected in the economy.

This efficiency is best illustrated with what is expected to be the top seller – the 3.0-litre V6 TDI – which does 38.2 mpg and has emissions of 195 g/km but still manages to tow 3.5 tonnes – just not all at the same time.

The Hybrid Touareg may cost a few bob, but at least it can pick up its skirts and fly as well as offer decent economy. 0-60mph in the Hybrid is a very credible 6.3 seconds with a rather frugal 34.4mpg available if you manage to restrain your right foot.

The new, top of the tree 4.2-litre TDI V8 produces 337bhp and 590 lbs ft of torque and - astonishingly - records 31 mpg  with emissions of 239 g/km. All models get an 8-speed tiptronic ‘box.

The order book for the 2011 VW Touareg is now open and first customer cars will arrive in October.

Not the coolest SUV on the block, but actually it’s one of the best.

By Cars UK