VW Touareg 2019 will be bigger and lighter

After a long wait, VW has finally unveiled the all-new third-generation Touareg during a special event in Beijing, China.

The new VW Touareg has a more elegant styling that deviates from the off-road character of its predecessors. Even though it's built on the same MLB architecture as the Porsche Cayenne, VW says the only look the new Touareg shares with Porsche is the windshield.

VW's new flagship SUV is now 4878mm long, 77 mm longer than the current model. The width is 1984 mm (+44 mm) and the height is 1702 mm (-7 mm). The new platform and coupe also help reduce weight by 106kg over its predecessor.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of the new Touareg is its interior, which VW calls the Innovision Cockpit. The instrument panel houses a 15-inch touchscreen display, combined under a glass surface with a 12-inch digital instrument cluster. Some buttons are reserved for frequently used functions, but otherwise everything is on the screen.

The chassis is equipped with active linkages for more comfort on the road and better dynamics, and VW also offers an air suspension option. The all-wheel drive system features a lockable center differential and five drive modes as standard, while an optional off-road package adds four more drive modes and rear-wheel steering as standard.

The engine lineup will include petrol, diesel and possibly a plug-in hybrid, all mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The first petrol engine was a 3.0-liter V6 with 335 hp. and a torque of 450 Nm.

Diesel engines include a 3.0-liter V6 with 228 hp. and 282 hp, with VW adding a 4.0-liter V8 that produces 417 hp. and maximum torque of 900 Nm. At the end of 2019, a 362 hp hybrid engine will appear in China. and 58 km in electric form, with VW not announcing a date for its European debut.

The new VW Touareg also features new LED headlights, Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Autonomous Emergency Brake, Night Vision Camera and other safety and driver assistance systems.

Sales of the all-new third-generation Touareg are expected to begin this summer in Europe, with prices expected to rise due to significant advances in on-board technology and the model's higher class.

However, the company has no plans to offer the new SUV in North America, so buyers will have to settle for the Atlas, which will soon get a sportier 5-seat version to be unveiled next week at the New York Auto Show.

http://www.vwmanual.ru/en/touareg/1 - a manual for the repair of first-generation German Tuareg SUVs.