Yahoo Autos Facelifted VW Touareg adds standard equipment, tech, and razzle dazzle
After a teaser campaign that lasted months and ran until 24 hours before debut, the facelifted third-generation Volkswagen Touareg is here — "here" being Europe and other markets that aren't America. The obligatory facets of a facelift are here, beginning with the LED light bar under the new grille, connecting the headlights. Buyers who want to upgrade the headlights can opt for VW's new IQ.LIGHT HD matrix units, each housing corralling 19,216 individual LED pixels. VW says these provide a glare-free main beam, the automaker pledging to propagate them throughout the SUV lineup now that the company's technology leader has them (please bring them to the U.S.!). In back, a full-width LED light bar turns into the taillights at the flanks, stopping in the middle at an illuminated VW logo, the first time there's been a dayglow rear logo on a VW in Europe.
Engineers tweaked the standard steel and optional air suspensions to boost handling and comfort. They also tied the Touareg's dynamic control unit into a roof load sensor, the result being that when the control unit detects additional weight on the roof, it changes parameters for the stability control to improve safety. Four new wheel options start at 19 inches and end at 21 inches, and can be wrapped in optional performance rubber.
Inside, the Innovision Cockpit's 12-inch digital gauge cluster and Discover Pro Max 15-inch infotainment screen are now standard equipment. Infotainment improvements mean finer lane-level navigation, better high-res map data, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, more conversational commands for the voice control, and USB charging ports upgraded to 45 watts from 15 watts. Current owners asked for more padding in the center console armrest, VW delivered.
