Volkswagen Touareg R debuts in Geneva

The debut of Volkswagen's new flagship model, the Touareg R, will take place at the 90th Geneva International Motor Show. The car will only be available as a plug-in hybrid with a 340 kW (462 hp) powertrain. A powerful off-road vehicle with a sufficiently charged battery always starts in E-MODE, which ensures zero carbon emissions. Like all Touaregas, the R version is also equipped with 4MOTION all-wheel drive as standard. Thanks to this, and also thanks to a powerful drive that develops a maximum torque of 700 Nm, Touareg R can pull a trailer weighing 3.5 tons. Towing such a trailer is possible even in the electric E-MODE mode.

The debut of the Touareg R will take place at the 90th Geneva International Motor Show.

The Touareg R* was developed by the Volkswagen R division, which for many years has specialized in preparing the sportiest models in the Volkswagen model range. It is also the first R-car with a plug-in hybrid drive, demonstrating Volkswagen's overall approach to electrifying its lineup. For the first time in the history of the brand from Wolfsburg, its most powerful model is a hybrid car. The well-equipped Touareg R will go on sale in the second half of 2020.

The hybrid powertrain of the Touareg R consists of a 2995cc turbocharged V6 petrol engine. cm with a power of 250 kW/340 hp, an electric motor with a power of 100 kW/136 hp. and a 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery under the boot floor. An 8-speed automatic transmission and transfer case constantly sends torque to all four wheels.

Up to 140 km/h hybrid Touareg R can move only thanks to the electric motor. Only above this speed does the turbocharged V6 TSI petrol engine start. The driver can easily check the battery level through the Hybrid menu on the multimedia system screen. If you're using navigation, a so-called Battery Manager tracks your route and takes into account its topography to minimize power consumption and maximize your carbon-free range.

New to Volkswagen's flagship model is the Travel Assist system, thanks to which the Touareg can drive in semi-automatic mode at speeds up to 250 km/h. As the world's first plug-in hybrid SUV, the Touareg R can be equipped with Trailer Assist to make it easier to maneuver with a trailer.

The Touareg R is the third plug-in hybrid model in Volkswagen's European range, along with the Golf and Passat, but the first to be offered with all-wheel drive. Jost Capito, Head of Volkswagen R, said: “We are actively working to expand the Volkswagen R range. The Touareg R is uniquely positioned not only within the Volkswagen range, but also among large SUVs.”

* studio model is similar to the production model

Photo: Volkswagen