Volkswagen confirms Touareg 190TDI Launch Edition
BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 21st Feb 2019
VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has confirmed it will begin selling the third-generation Touareg large SUV in May, with its initial 190TDI Launch Edition variant to be superseded by full-time 170TDI and 210TDI grades later this year.
Priced from $89,990 plus on-roads costs, the 190TDI Launch Edition is motivated by a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel engine that produces 190kW of power from 3250 to 4250rpm and 600Nm of torque from 2250 to 3250rpm.
As such, the 190TDI Launch Edition’s key rivals will be the 190kW/620Nm Mercedes-Benz GLE350d wagon ($110,300) and 195kW/620Nm BMW X5 xDrive30d ($112,990).
When the 190TDI Launch Edition’s direct predecessor, the $85,490 180TDI, is optioned with the $5400 Driver Assistance Package, it is $900 more expensive than the new model that comes with a much higher specification level.
Standard equipment in the 190TDI Launch Edition includes an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, variable 4Motion all-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension, black 20-inch Braga alloy wheels, dusk-sensing Matrix LED headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, rear privacy glass and a power-operated tailgate.
Inside features a 9.2-inch touchscreen Discover Pro infotainment system, gesture control, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, wireless smartphone charging, four USB ports, keyless entry and start, four-zone climate control, a power-operated steering column, and heated, ventilated and massaging front seats with memory functionality, as well as Savona leather upholstery and ambient lighting.
Advanced driver-assist systems extend to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep and steering assist, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, driver attention alert, a park assist, reversing camera, and front and rear parking sensors.
Just three options are available, including the $8000 Innovision Package that bundles in a 15.0-inch touchscreen Discover Premium infotainment system, a 12.0-inch Active Info Display digital instrument cluster, a windshield-projected head-up display and multi-colour ambient lighting.
A tilt- and slide-adjustable panoramic sunroof with a power-operated blind costs $3000, while premium paintwork (Silicone Grey Metallic, Reef Blue Metallic or Deep Black Pearl Effect) attracts a $2000 premium. Pure White is the only no-cost colour available.
Claimed fuel consumption on the combined cycle test is 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres, while carbon dioxide emissions are yet to be confirmed.
Speaking to journalists this week at a media event in Brisbane, VGA product marketing manager Jeff Shafer said the 190TDI Launch Edition could be on sale for the less than six months, with the 170TDI and 210TDI likely to arrive “towards the end of the year”.
“We’ve got an expectation that those will come to Australia at some point, but the timing is a little unclear – it’s a homologation issue,” he said. “Not only are we unique in terms of some of the fuel requirements, but NEDC versus WLTP is a big issue.”
As reported, VGA has been forced to reduce the number of variants it imports from Europe due to the continent’s recently introduced Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) fuel consumption and emissions regulation.
The strict homologation process means higher-volume markets and variants have been prioritised, making Australian-market Touareg production from Slovakia harder to come by.
Like the 190TDI Launch Edition, the 170TDI and 210TDI are both powered by 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engines, which develop 170kW/500Nm and 210kW/600Nm respectively.
A similarly sized 250kW/450Nm petrol unit, dubbed 250TSI, is unlikely to head Down Under as VGA says the Touareg is planned to be a diesel-only offering.
This also rules out the 270kW/700Nm plug-in hybrid powertrain that will launch in China before potentially being made available in other markets including Europe.
This is consistent with VGA’s recent statements about passing on hybrid models and waiting for battery-electric vehicles to become available.
However, the door is left open for the 310TDI and its 310kW/900Nm 4.0-litre turbo-diesel V8 to join the local Touareg line-up in the future, although it is not in VGA’s short-term plans.
Sales of the Touareg took a significant hit last year in the lead up to the new model’s release, with the 939 examples sold representing a 41.7 per cent decrease over the 1612 deliveries made in 2017.
As a result, the Touareg was the ninth best-selling model in the $70,000-plus large-SUV segment, trailing the BMW X5 (2700 units), Range Rover Sport (2258 units), Lexus RX (2051), Mercedes-Benz GLE (1939) and Land Rover Discovery (1833), among others.
