New Volkswagen Touareg goes on sale

• New exterior design
• Same five powertrains carried over from before
• Available in Touareg, Elegance, R-Line and high-performance R trims

The facelifted Volkswagen Touareg has just gone on sale starting from £67,640. The latest Touareg gets a new look and updated technology. While there aren’t many powertrain alterations, the new Touareg will also get tweaked suspension setups to subtly alter the way it drives.

The updated Touareg will renew its rivalry with other large premium SUVs such as the BMW X5 and Land Rover Discovery, and Volkswagen says it’s “implemented the wishes of customers in the new model.”

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The new Touareg gets a revised front end with a new grille, redesigned headlights and a bumper with larger air intakes than before, giving the SUV a slightly more aggressive look. At the rear, the tailights now join in the middle to form a full-width light bar with an illuminating Volkswagen badge. Also completing the look are new alloy wheel design options up to 21 inches in size.

The latest Touareg comes in three trim levels: Elegance, Black Edition and high-performance R guise. Elegance is available with a lower-powered plug-in eHybrid system with 376bhp which should prove popular with company-car buyers thanks to lower emissions, and Black Edition cars are available with two diesel options and a sole petrol model. The two 3.0-litre TDI diesels get 228bhp and 282bhp, while the 3.0-litre TSI petrol gets 335bhp. The flagship high-performance Touareg R gets a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a whopping 456bhp.

On the inside, all Touaregs get Volkswagen’s latest ‘Innovision Cockpit’ 12-inch driver’s display as well as a 15-inch infotainment screen with updated voice control and sat-nav. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is now wireless, too.

New 2023 Volkswagen Touareg trim levels and equipment

Also standard on Elegance models is matrix LED lighting, 20-inch alloy wheels, partial leather seats and heated front seats. Being Volkswagen’s flagship SUV, there’s also four-zone climate control, keyless entry and go, wireless smartphone connectivity and charging and a panoramic sunroof.

Black Edition cars get 21-inch wheels, black exterior trim, more comfortable electronically adjustable seats with a memory function, air suspension for increased comfort, a park assist function and tinted rear glass amongst other upgrades.

The Touareg R gets full leather seats with a massage function, plus unique, sporty design touches such as 22-inch alloy wheels and blue brake calipers and an ‘R’ logo. This motif will also be projected onto the ground by the exterior mirrors when getting in and out, adding a touch of exclusivity. 

The facelifted Touareg is now available to order in the UK, with the Black Edition trim and lower-powered diesel engine kicking things off at £67,640. Interestingly, the next step up is the plug-in 376bhp eHybrid model in Elegance trim which should prove popular, starting from £68,810. Black Edition cars with the 282bhp diesel and 335bhp petrol engines are more expensive at £70,320 and £72,070 respectively. Top-of-the-line Touareg R 3.0 TSI eHybrid models with 456bhp start from a hefty £80,370.

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