Yahoo Autos 2024 Volkswagen Touareg PHEV Is the One That Got Away
The Volkswagen Touareg launched in 2002, and a second generation appeared for 2011, before taking its exit after the 2017 model year. While VW replaced the Touareg in the U.S. with the larger Atlas, elsewhere the model went on to a third generation, which has been out since 2018. We recently got a chance to see what's become of VW's ambitious SUV.
The third-gen Touareg is longer, lower, and wider than its predecessor, but it is still nowhere near as large as the bus-like, three-row Atlas, which is more than seven inches longer and three inches taller. It remains strictly a five-seater, although the rear seats slide fore and aft and recline. The commodious luggage compartment includes a power-operated cargo cover.
We drove the Touareg in the U.K., where VW offers five engine options, all turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6s backed by eight-speed automatic transmissions. There's a standard gasoline version, two TDI diesels (still!), and a gas-burning plug-in hybrid available in two states of tune. The latter ones are of the most interest.
Volkswagen of America currently has no hybrids in its portfolio, an omission that is increasingly glaring. The Touareg, though, has offered a PHEV powertrain in other markets since 2020. The version we drove—the base Elegance trim, which sits below the Black Edition and R models—makes a combined 376 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The R turns up the wick to 456 horses.
With a 14.3-kWh battery, the Touareg PHEV has an EV range of 31 miles on the Euro WLTP cycle—that would translate to about 26 miles using EPA methodology. That's decent, but not great. The electric propulsion is seamlessly integrated, and the powertrain easily pushes this big SUV along with little effort. Like its forebears, the Touareg was developed alongside the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, and it shows. The structure is rock solid, and the steering feels hefty and precise. Air springs and an active anti-roll system are optional, as is four-wheel steering, although the Touareg we drove wasn't so equipped. We could have used the four-wheel steering, as the Touareg otherwise has an awkwardly large turning circle. With a firm ride and taut body control, the tuning for the standard coil-spring suspension is firmly Germanic, evoking a kinship with this VW's platform-mates. The Touareg also boasts a higher level of driver assistance than VW offers in the States. Those technologies include standard HD matrix headlights (IQ.Light) and optional remote parking capability, night vision, and trailer maneuvering assist.
The interior is more upscale than those in VW's U.S. offerings. The design doesn't particularly wow us, but the materials are far superior to what we get in the U.S. A 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster is about on par with what our Volkswagens get, but the 15.0-inch infotainment display appears billboard size and is canted toward the driver. Unfortunately, physical knobs and buttons are all but eliminated, making this a not-so-user-friendly setup.
One reason for the Touareg's U.S. departure was that its steep pricing was a tough sell. When last offered here in 2017, the base price had reached $50,405. It hasn't gotten any cheaper since. With options, our test car stickered for the equivalent of $93,000. Ouch.
Nice as it is, a $90K-plus VW SUV would likely be anchored to the showroom floor should Volkswagen bring the Touareg back to the States. The Touareg's plug-in-hybrid powertrain, on the other hand, would make a world of sense in the Atlas (and the Atlas Cross Sport). It would be a nifty step-up offering over the 269-hp turbo four, currently the sole powerplant in both models. Even if the Touareg can't reasonably return stateside, its plug-in-hybrid powertrain would surely elevate its successor here.
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