VW's updated Touareg is now available to order, with first deliveries arriving 1 March 2007.
Prices will start from £29,465 on the road RRP for the 2.5-litre TDI 174 PS with DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) before rising to £57,535 for the range-topping Altitude 5.0-litre V10 TDI DPF.
VW reckoned over 2,300 individual parts were replaced in the course of the update.
Among the most noticeable is the adoption of the new Volkswagen ‘face’ first seen on the Eos coupé cabriolet. The Touareg gets a new grille section, re-profiled headlights framing a new bumper and a pair of aerodynamic wing mirrors. At the rear the light clusters are replaced by distinctive new units featuring two pronounced circular lenses.
More subtle is the mildly revised rear bumper along with new tail pipes. The changes continue inside where the interior features new leather finishes and redesigned front seats which are joined by a refreshed instrument panel incorporating a new multifunction display.
An option new to the Touareg is a 620W Dynaudio stereo system.
New among the oily bits is VW's ABSPlus system which it's claimed can cut braking distances by up to 20 per cent on loose or muddy surfaces. When applied to the V10 TDI model the system is linked to new Brembo brakes to haul the chunky SUV to a stop.
Front Scan technology is also an option -- this is a system uses a series of sensors linked to Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to scan the road ahead for any dangers and can – if necessary – slow the vehicle to a complete halt, a first in an SUV. Similarly, Side Scan senses the area next to the vehicle and acts as a lane changing aid by lighting a small warning lamp in the wing mirrors to warn of the danger of collision.
It also gets new rollover sensors that scrutinise acceleration, yaw angle and yaw speeds. Should the system detect that a rollover is imminent the head / thorax airbags are automatically deployed to reduce the risk of injury. Could be useful off-road...
The new Cayenne-alike comes in three versions: Touareg, SE and Altitude. As with the previous model the Touareg gets 4XMOTION permanent four-wheel drive, air conditioning, a CD player coupled to ten speakers, hill start and descent assist, six airbags and ESP (electronic stabilisation programme.)
The engine line-up remains unchanged with the option of a single petrol 3.6-litre V6 276bhp or the choice of three diesel engines in 2.5-litre TDI DPF 172bhp, 3.0-litre TDI 222bhp or 5.0-litre V10 TDI DPF 306bhp guises. The 3.6-litre V6, 3.0-litre TDI and 5.0-litre V10 TDI engines are all fitted with six-speed automatic gearboxes as standard while the 2.5-litre TDI retains a six-speed manual gearbox as standard with the option of an automatic gearbox.