REMEMBER, the first ever Volkswagen Touareg? It was launched in 2002 sharing its underpinnings with the Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7. Why did Porsche and Audi share their engineering with Volkswagen?
Well, Volkswagen had shares in both Porsche and Audi (VW bought 50% of Audi in 1964 and already had shares in Porsche since 1948) so it was easy to share the engineering and also the cost of development.
A Little Touareg History
This first generation Touareg arrived in Malaysia in 2006 for RM398,888 with a 3.2 V6 engine and it sold just a few units. Then in 2012 the facelift arrived using a 3.6 V6 FSI engine with full luxury appointments. Priced at RM428,888 it was marginally cheaper than its Porsche-badged cousin, but sales were still not all that great.
This is why since then, Volkswagen in Malaysia no longer offered the Touareg (especially the next generation model which was launched in Europe in 2015) in its lineup and even private importers (AP Holders) are not keen to sell this SUV due to its high depreciation and high running costs.
A Performance Touareg
Now comes a brand new VW Touareg from Germany with a plug-in hybrid powertrain for good power delivery and lower fuel consumption. Launched in 2018, it did not arrive in Malaysian showrooms and so you will not see it on our roads.
Two years later there is this new flagship model designed by the Volkswagen R performance brand, which traditionally develops the sportiest models in the Volkswagen range. Remember the VW Golf R?
A Fuel Sipping Touareg
This VW Touareg R represents a paradigm shift where it is the first Volkswagen R model to feature a plug-in hybrid drive (PHEV). It is also the first time a hybrid model has been the most highly-powered Volkswagen.
The extremely well appointed Touareg R, which features the Black Style exterior design package along with 20-inch alloy wheels and R-Line interior trim (including Vienna leather with crystal grey stitching), has already seen good sales in Europe and there just might be a reason to launch it here in Malaysia with the right tax incentives as a PHEV.
An All Wheel Drive Hybrid
The hybrid drive of this Touareg R uses a 2,995cc V6 turbocharged petrol engine with an electric drive motor and a lithium-ion battery (energy capacity of 14.1 kWh) built into the luggage compartment underbody.
The power electronics convert the direct current of the battery into alternating current for the electric drive motor. An 8-speed automatic gearbox (with Tiptronic) and a transfer box transmit power to the front and rear axles (4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive).
A centre differential lock with asymmetric dynamic torque distribution (Torsen traction) acts as a transfer box for the flow of forces between the front and rear axle. A maximum of 70% of the drive force reaches the front axle and up to 80% reaches the rear axle.
All-electric drive up to 140 km/h
When fully charged this PHEV Volkswagen Touareg R can be driven in all-electric mode at a speed of up to 140 km/h; above this, the V6 TSI is activated automatically or at any time using kick down. The maximum speed of this R inspired VW SUV is electronically controlled at 250km/h.
Fast changeover between E-MODE and Hybrid mode
The driver can control the hybrid functions and select the driving profile using the menu button on the 4MOTION Active Control in the centre console or the corresponding menu in the Infotainment system. Both are clearly arranged next to each other on a shared screen.
The available hybrid functions are E-MODE for all-electric driving and Hybrid mode for optimised and automatic interaction between the electric motor and the V6 engine.
If the driver touches the E-MODE field when in Hybrid mode, the Touareg R switches to all-electric drive at speeds of up to 140 km/h if the battery is sufficiently charged.
Conversely, the vehicle switches to Hybrid mode if the driver touches the Hybrid field when in E-MODE.
Touareg R Rivals
The immediate rival will be the all new BMW X5 xDrive45e which uses a 2998cc 6-cylinder turbocharged PHEV motor and sells for RM440,745 in Malaysia.
The next rival is the Lexus RX300 F Sport which is powered by a 1998cc turbocharged petrol engine and sells for RM424,187.
We will have to wait and see if Audi Malaysia will bring in the Q5 Sportback that is powered by a 1998cc TFSI engine working with a 12v mild-hybrid system. – The Vibes, February 2, 2021
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