Volkswagen is finally giving the Touareg the R treatment.
The Touareg R is equipped with a 250kW turbocharged V6 petrol engine, which doesn’t sound like much. But then Volkswagen adds a 100kW electric motor to the mix and that gives it a total system output of 340kW and 700Nm of torque.
The hybrid drive of the Touareg R consists of a V6 turbocharged petrol engine, the 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.
A centre differential lock with asymmetric dynamic torque distribution 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.
The 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 kickdown.
The Innovision Cockpit comes as standard in the Touareg R. It consists of the digital instruments (Digital Cockpit, 12-inch screen) and the Infotainment system screen (Discover Premium, 15-inch TFT touchscreen). The driver can access specific information about the Touareg R and the hybrid functions using the energy flow displays in the Infotainment system (showing the battery’s energy reserve, the energy supply to the drive system, and battery charging) and the electric range monitor (showing the electric range, driving profile and the potential to increase the range by deactivating electrical consumers). The combined power meter and rev counter on the left-hand side of the Digital Cockpit shows the current status of the hybrid system. It displays the consumption (under acceleration) or feed-in (under deceleration) of electrical energy, along with the hybrid mode. The remaining electric range and the fuel range are also shown.
This new top model in the product line and brand comes to market with an enhanced and customised range of standard equipment. The otherwise optional R-Line specification package and the Black Style exterior design package, which is also available for other models at extra cost, form the basic matrix of the standard configuration.