Volkswagen adds Adventure to ageing Touareg

VOLKSWAGEN will produce a limited-edition version of its venerable Touareg SUV, the Adventure, that will slot into the range below the V6 TDI yet offer almost as much kit as the more expensive car.

Some $5500 cheaper than the V6 TDI, the Adventure will sell for $79,990 plus on-road costs when it arrives in dealerships from April.

“This concept is all about practical usage and functionality,” said Volkswagen Australia product planning manager Jeff Shafer. “When you look at this, it's the ideal towing car.”The Adventure’s base specs are similar to those of the V6 TDI, with air-spring suspension, a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel making 180kW and 550Nm, an all-wheel-drive layout and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Items that have been downgaded include the wheels (19-inch instead of 20-inch), the leather interior (lower-grade Vienna instead of Nappa) and headights (fixed bi-Xenon in place of dynamic units). It will, however, gain roof rack cross bars as standard equipment.

“That engine has 550Nm of torque, it's got air suspension and an extended fuel tank of 100 litres, so that 3.5 tonne towing capacity can really be taken advantage of with this car,” said Mr Shafer. “In fact, from an accessories standpoint, we will be offering customers a discounted towing package.”A $300 discount will take the cost of the towbar down to $1650 fitted.

A new hue, Sand Gold, has also been added to the range.

The second-generation Touareg debuted in Australia in 2011, and although it was facelifted in 2014, it has the distinction of being the oldest car in the local roster by some margin. It will have to soldier on for at least two more years, however.

“Touareg is our flagship of the SUV range,” said Mr Shafer. “The new model, which we’re really looking forward to, is really going to reset the bar. We expect to see things happening at an international level this year, but we won’t see it here for a while yet.”A concept SUV previewed in Shanghai in 2016 is said to be a precursor to a more connected third-generation Touareg, which will also gain hybrid technology as an option.

Competing against the likes of the BMW X5 and X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, Touareg sales are on the slide locally, posting a 48 per cent dip in sales both in January and in year-to-year figures. VW registered 102 cars in January.