Volkswagen is set to add a range-topping new premium model to its flagship Touareg line – the Touareg R*. The ver- satile model’s 340 kW (462 PS) plug-in hybrid drive offers an innovative blend of superlative performance and electric efficiency. When the battery is sufficiently charged, the new SUV always starts in the all-electric E-MODE for zero emissions. The battery capacity is designed so that the Touareg R can cover the average daily commute under electric power. Like all Touareg models, the new R version comes with permanent all-wheel drive (4MO- TION) as standard. 4MOTION and the powerful drive system (700 Nm of torque) means the Touareg R has also been homologated for a maximum trailer weight of 3.5 tonnes. The premium model can cope with this maxi- mum trailer weight even in E-MODE. As the first plug-in hybrid SUV in the world, the Touareg can also be fitted with the trailer manoeuvring system Trailer Assist. And yet another first: the Touareg will be available with Travel Assist for the first time. The premium model will be the first Volkswagen to boast assisted driving (automatic longitudinal and lateral guidance) up to a speed of 250 km/h.
First R model with plug-in hybrid. The new flagship model was designed by the Volkswagen R performance brand, which traditionally develops the sportiest models in the Volkswagen range. The Touareg R represents a par- adigm shift – it is the first Volkswagen R model to feature a plug-in hybrid drive. It is also the first time a hybrid model has been the most highly-pow- ered Volkswagen. The extremely well appointed Touareg R, which features the Black Style exterior design package along with 20-inch alloy wheels (Braga) and R-Line interior trim (including Vienna leather with crystal grey stitching), is set to enter the market in the second half of 2020.
Intelligent electric performance. The Touareg R is the third plug-in hybrid model in Volkswagen’s European product line, following in the wheel-tracks of the Golf and Passat. The Touareg R is the first all-wheel drive model in Volkswagen’s PHEV range, and is also another milestone in the realignment of Volkswagen R that started in 2019. Jost Capito, managing director of the Group’s in-house performance brand, explains: “We are currently vigorously expanding the Volkswagen R range. Following the compact CUV models – T-Roc R1and T-Roc Cabriolet R-Line2 – Volkswagen R is introducing another sport utility vehicle within a very short space of time – the Touareg R, which has a quite unique position and unrivalled charisma.” The Touareg R is syn- onymous with a new and intelligent level of electric performance in seg- ment of large touring SUVs.
Authentic, avant-garde, practical. Volkswagen R is responsible for the visual and technical configuration, and with it the conceptual direction of the new model. The Touareg R is based on the third generation of the product line launched in 2018, which in turn was an evolution of the model first intro- duced in 2002. All current Touareg models feature a dynamic and elegant design, maximum safety and long-distance comfort, state-of-the-art con- nectivity and a largely digitalised cockpit. The overall concept is also de- signed with a high level of everyday usability in mind. Some 60% of all Touareg owners in Germany and 40% in Europe also use their SUV as a tow- ing vehicle – remarkably high figures. The Touareg is often driven by sporty, active people who value the utmost safety, outstanding driving comfort, in- tuitive control and cutting-edge connectivity. The new Touareg R has been designed specifically for this extremely tech-savvy customer group. For the first time, they now have a performance model that can be driven tempo- rarily in all-electric mode with zero local emissions. The new Touareg com- plies with the Euro 6d-TEMP-EVAP-ISC emission standard.
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SOURCE: Volkswagen
