- New Volkswagen Touareg: price and release date
- New Volkswagen Touareg: exterior and interior
- New Volkswagen Touareg: engines and gearboxes
- Find a used Volkswagen Touareg for sale
- Looking for more new car news?
- New VW Touareg – exclusive snow drive
The Volkswagen Touareg has been given a light refresh for 2023. Will revised looks, an updated interior and fresh technology give the new Touareg a fighting chance against other premium SUVs like the Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLE?
While this isn’t the most comprehensive of updates, the new Volkswagen Touareg features a redesigned front end with clever IQ.Light matrix headlights made up of no fewer than 38,432 micro LEDs. To the rear, there’s a new light bar running along the width of the car, and a Volkswagen badge that lights up in red.
Just like before, there’ll be a range of different Volkswagen Touareg models available (including Elegance and R-Line variants), while there’ll be an extensive engine line-up on offer. These include petrol and diesels, as well as plug-in hybrid power. There’ll be a range-topping Volkswagen Touareg R eHybrid, too, producing a combined power output of 462PS.
Prices of the new Volkswagen Touareg are yet to be confirmed, but expect it to start from around £60,000. That’ll put it in competition with the Land Rover Discovery, BMW X5 and Volvo XC90.
New Volkswagen Touareg: price and release date
Inflation hasn’t been kind to buyers of premium SUVs. While you could buy a brand new Volkswagen Touareg for around £45,000 just a few years ago, you’ll be looking at around £60,000 today. That still represents good value for money against premium-badged competitors, though – the Audi Q7 starts from £65,000 while you’ll need more than £68,000 for a BMW X5. And, if you’re looking to save cash, a used Volkswagen Touareg can be bought on heycar for as little as £30,000.
Standard equipment on the new Volkswagen Touareg will include two-zone climate control, an electrically operated boot, LED headlights and taillights, a reversing camera, heated front seats and VW’s Discover Pro Max navigation system. Volkswagen Touareg Elegance and R-Line models feature 30-colour ambient lighting, leather seats, IQ.Light HD LED matrix headlights and IQ.Light LED tail lights with dynamic brake and indicator lights.
The range-topping Volkswagen Touareg R eHybrid will be identified by its blue brake calipers, R logo projection from the door mirrors, leather seats with contrasting blue stitching, 20-inch alloy wheels, an opening panoramic sunroof and four-zone automatic climate control.
Orders for the new Volkswagen Touareg are now open ahead of deliveries starting from later in 2023.
The Volkswagen Touareg's rivals include the Audi Q7 and BMW X5.
New Volkswagen Touareg: exterior and interior
The front of the Volkswagen Touareg has been updated with a new, wider grille which extends across the full width of the car. It’s meant to emphasise the Touareg’s hefty width, but we think it looks less aggressive than some SUVs – indeed, it almost looks like a smiley face (just us?).
There are new IQ.Light HD LED matrix headlights with three LED modules and three L-shaped LEDs for the daytime running lights, as well as the new illuminated centre strips that runs across the front of the grille. There’s a light bar running across the rear of the Touareg, too, while even the Volkswagen badge lights up.
Inside, the Volkswagen Touareg is now fitted as standard with a 12.0-inch Digital Cockpit display alongside a 15-inch Discover Pro Max central infotainment screen. Dubbed the ‘Innovision Cockpit’, Volkswagen says this one-screen design forms a continuous digital landscape, while providing lane-level navigation and hi-res HD map data.
There are a few further minor tweaks to the interior designed to make the Volkswagen Touareg’s cabin that little bit nicer for long journeys. These include soft side trims for the centre console (so you won’t bag your knees), along with new higher-capacity USB-C charging connections. You can also get the updated Touareg with a powerful Dynaudio sound system and a head-up display (both optional).
Range-topping Volkswagen Touareg R eHybrid has a total power output of 462PS.
New Volkswagen Touareg: engines and gearboxes
The new Volkswagen Touareg is available with petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid power. All three use some kind of 3.0-litre V6 engine – that means it’ll have plenty of poke, and enough grunt for towing a caravan or transporting a car full of passengers (and their kit). All are paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as well as Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system.
There’s one petrol engine available in the updated Touareg: a 3.0-litre turbocharged unit which produces 340PS. There’s a choice of two diesels (231PS or 286PS), along with two plug-in hybrid models. The Volkswagen Touareg eHybrid produces a combined 381PS while the sporty Volkswagen Touareg R eHybrid has a hefty 462PS.
One of the biggest changes to the Volkswagen Touareg will be noticeable on the move. The running gear has been modified, with a new roof load sensor fitted. This allows agility to be increased when a roof box isn’t fitted – addressing criticisms that the old Volkswagen Touareg was a little wallowy. As before, the Touareg will be available with traditional steel springs as well as air suspension – both modified to improve comfort and agility. All-wheel steering is available, too, while an off-road driving profile will come in handy should you wish to venture off the beaten track.
Prices for the new Volkswagen Touareg are likely to exceed £60,000.
Find a used Volkswagen Touareg for sale
The fact that this fairly light update for the Volkswagen Touareg is good news for used car buyers. As the current model has been on sale since 2018, you can save a lot of money by buying a lightly-used example – and you’re not going to feel like you’re missing out by not driving a brand new car.
A budget of £30,000 will get you a four-year-old example from one of heycar’s trusted dealers. Looking for something a little newer? A one-year-old Volkswagen Touareg can be picked up for around £52,000 – that’s a saving of £6,000 compared to new.
Looking for more new car news?
Don’t buy a new car until you’ve read the heycar lowdown on all the new cars coming soon. The Alpine A290 is an electric hot hatch due in 2024, while the new Volkswagen ID.7 is a desirable electric saloon car that (indirectly) replaces the popular Passat. There’s also an affordable Volkswagen ID.2 on its way, while the Kia EV9 is a flagship electric SUV. There’s also a handful of new electric Fords, including the new Ford E-Transit Courier and the Ford Explorer SUV.
While the Volkswagen Touareg is no longer on sale in the USA, these latest updates should mean its future is safe in Europe for the next few years. In the future, it’s likely that the Touareg will be replaced by an ID-badged electric SUV.
Priced for the new Volkswagen Touareg are yet to be confirmed. The current model starts from around £58,000 – expect it to remain close to that.
All Volkswagen Touareg models come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and the 4Motion permanent all-wheel drive system.
New VW Touareg – exclusive snow drive
Keyword: New 2023 Volkswagen Touareg: price, specs and release date