Facelifted Volkswagen Touareg announced

The refreshed Volkswagen Touareg SUV will be priced from £43,000 when order books open on 27 August. Subtle styling tweaks mean the SUV gets the company’s new corporate look, while the standard equipment list has grown and the basic diesel is now cheaper to tax.

Updated bumpers and a new grille mean the front of the Touareg shares much in common with the latest Volkswagen Golf. All models get powerful xenon headlights, and VW has also taken the opportunity to offer new colours and fresh alloy wheel designs.

Inside, the VW Touareg’s front seats come with lumbar support as standard and there are two new optional wood trims to choose from – Sapelli Mahogany and Engineered Ebony. R-Line buyers can pick between two-tone Flint Grey and Titan Black leather seats. The 4x4 also gets Volkswagen’s automatic post-collision braking system as standard. It applies the brakes after an accident to limit the chances of the car being involved in a secondary collision.

The range starts with the basic Volkswagen Touareg SE, which comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, sat-nav, an eight-inch touchscreen, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth phone connection, dual-zone climate control (that gives separate controls for the driver and front passenger), leather interior, front foglights, chrome roof rails, and parking sensors.

The Volkswagen Touareg Escape is designed to be even more capable off-road and comes with raised suspension, a larger fuel tank (100 litres instead of 85 litres), under body protection, headlight washers, and black roof rails. It comes with a more sophisticated four-wheel drive system than the standard car’s – that will give the VW added grip in a variety of off-road conditions. Its smaller 18-inch alloy wheels will be less susceptible to bumps and scrapes.

At the top of the range is the Volkswagen Touareg R-Line. It gets a sporty R-Line body kit, with unique bumpers and wheel arch extensions, and comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, lowered suspension, LED daytime running lights and a panoramic sunroof. Inside, it gets unique interior trim, a heated steering wheel, electrically operated tailgate, plus keyless entry and go.

There are two engine choices – both 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesels with either 201bhp or 258bhp. The addition of low-rolling resistance tyres and a coasting function on the standard eight-speed gearbox means the basic engine’s CO2 emissions have dropped by 11g/km so that road tax now costs £205 instead of £225.

The first cars are set be delivered in November, scroll below for the full price list. For reviews of the current Touareg, and the rest of the Volkswagen range, visit the Carbuyer Volkswagen reviews page.