VW prices V8 Touareg oiler from $136,490

VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia (VGA) has announced pricing for its new range-topping Touareg V8 TDI, which will hit Australian showrooms in October priced from $136,490 plus on-road costs.

The German car-maker has also announced new engine tunes for its 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, phasing out the 190kW/600Nm 190TDI grade and replacing it with two new tunes.

Entry to the large SUV range will now start at $81,490 (up from $80,790) for the 170TDI and its 170kW/500Nm output, while the most potent V6 is now the 210TDI (210kW/600Nm), offered on two grades – the $99,490 Elegance and $108,490 R-Line.

The limited-run Touareg Adventure, due in showrooms in August, will be the last grades available with the Euro 5-compliant 190TDI engine, with the new versions upgraded to a Euro 6 rating.

Along with an improvement in emissions, both new V6 engines are capable of a combined fuel consumption figure of 6.8 litres per 100km, down on the 7.4L/100km of the 190 TID. For reference, the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 sips 7.5L/100km.

Improvements have been achieved with the fitment of idle-stop, well as a catalytic reduction system with AdBlue. A larger 90L fuel tank has also been fitted, marking an increase of 15L.

All variants are still paired to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, driving all four wheels with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

Certain active safety features have been updated, including Traffic Jam Assist which is now replaced with Travel assist, which allows for semi-automatic driving at a greater range of speeds, and can recognise when the driver has even a finger on the steering wheel when active lane guidance is activated.

Standard equipment on the entry-level 170TDI includes LED head-, tail- and daytime running lights, auto-dimming mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, electronic tailgate with keyless access and start, 19-inch Osorno alloy wheels, 9.2-inch navigation system, Vienna leather upholstery with heated and electric front seats, two-zone climate control and driver profile selection.

A full suite of active safety features are also included, such as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian monitoring, lane-keep assist, emergency assist, travel assist, adaptive cruise control, side assist with front and rear cross-traffic warning, park assist, driver fatigue detection, surround-view monitor, front and rear parking sensors and rearview camera.

The $8000 Innovision package is optionally available on the 170TDI and adds a 15.0-inch infotainment system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, additional ambient interior lighting, volume scroll wheel and gloss black centre console.

The $99,490 210TDI Elegance builds on the spec of the 170TDI and adds IQ Light Matrix LED headlights, Innovision package, headlight cleaning system, premium LED tail-lights with dynamic indicators, 20-inch Montero alloys, air suspension, Savona leather trim in black or two-tone colour, as well as heated and ventilated front seats with eight massage programs.

The 210TDI Elegance and 170TDI can also be had with the $8000 sound and comfort package, adding area view, premium sound system, four-zone climate control, memory front seats, mirrors and electric steering column, heated outboard rear seats, park assist plus and manoeuvre braking.

Stepping up to the 210TDI R-Line adds all-wheel steering, active roll stabilisation, 20-inch Nevada alloy wheels, R-Line front and rear bumpers, rear and side window tinting, specific Savona leather upholstery, memory function for the front seats, mirrors and steering column, brushed stainless steel pedals, R-Line heated steering wheel with paddle shifters and Soul Black headliner.

The sound and comfort package can also be had on the 210TDI R-Line but for $6500 due to the standard fitment of the memory function.

As for the top-spec V8 TDI, specification largely mirrors the 210TDI R-Line, with the addition of 21-inch alloy wheels, tyre pressure monitoring, sound and comfort package and Night Vision, which uses thermal imaging to identify pedestrians and animals when driving at night.

The other obvious difference is the fitment of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo-diesel V8 also found on the Audi SQ7 and Bentley Bentayga, outputting 310kW/900Nm and allowing for a sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds.

A panoramic sunroof ($3000) and premium paint ($2100) are the only options on the V8 TDI, with buyers able to choose from Antimonial Silver, Silicon Grey, Aquamarine Blue metallic, Malbec Red metallic and Deep Black pearl.

Through the first five months of the year, Volkswagen has sold 417 examples of the Touareg, up 62.3 per cent year-to-date.

2020 Volkswagen Touareg pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs