New VW Touareg heading for South Africa – expected launch date and features

·27 May 2023

VW has unveiled its facelifted Touareg for 2023, and prospective South African buyers can expect the SUV to arrive on local showroom floors in the fourth quarter of 2023, reports TopAuto.

VW noted that the third-generation Touareg has undergone extensive improvements and will launch with new technologies and an updated exterior and interior design.

New features

An immediate distinguisher between the old from the new Touareg is the new front and rear design. At the front, the complete unit, including the radiator grille, headlights, and the front apron, has been given a new look.

Additionally, the centre horizontal strip in the radiator grille is also illuminated for the first time on the new Touareg.

At the same time, at the back, the SUV gains a continuous horizontal LED strip for the taillight clusters that incorporates a red-illuminated VW logo that comes standard except for the base model.

Updates for the interior encompass a new Innovision Cockpit that offers a sizeable digital driver’s display and central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, integrated navigation, and an improved voice control system.

The optional cockpit features include a powerful 730W Dynaudio sound system and a head-up display.

Additionally, the Touareg will come with new USB-C connections with a charging capacity of 45W (previously 15W), permitting fast charging of electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops.

Several advanced assistance features have also been made available for the new Touareg, in addition to a “large number of convenience and assistance systems as standard,” VW said.

These optional extras include Travel Assist, Park Assist Plus with remote control, Trailer Assist, and Night Vision.

Performance

The new Touareg suspension system has been updated with a new roof load sensor that is closely integrated with the running gear electronics.

If a roof box is fitted, the sensor detects this and passes on the information to assist systems such as Electronic Stability Control. This system then, in turn, intervenes earlier to increase driving stability.

The SUV will also come with active roll compensation and all-wheel steering, depending on the model.

According to VW, the new Touareg will be sold to the global market with five 3-litre V6 integrated engine configurations, including turbocharged petrol, two turbo-diesels, and two plug-in hybrids, all paired with an eight-speed automatic box and 4Motion permanent all-wheel drive.

The trim options include Elegance, R-Line, and the high-performance R e-Hybrid.

In South Africa, the current model is only sold with one V6 turbo-diesel driveline and in two trim options, Luxury and Executive, and we expect this selection will continue when the new Touareg arrives, said TopAuto.

VW South Africa has yet to announce the official pricing for the South African market, but this is expected to be made closer to the launch date.

New VW Touareg R-Line