Volkswagen Touareg R PHEV Should Be Launched In Malaysia
Is this Touareg R aggressive and powerful enough to excite SUV buyers.
Since 2012, Volkswagen in Malaysia has not looked at continuing to sell the Touareg luxury SUV in the country as this large and well equipped SUV has not been able to compete with the success of Volvo, Mercedes, Lexus and BMW made SUV’s. Then, there is the small number of Audi, Range Rover and Porsche SUV’s that attract more attention from the premium luxury segment.
Ah, lets not forget the popularity of used reconditioned AP imported SUV’s that flood our market year after year. The last model of the VW Touareg that was officially sold was the Touareg 3.6 V6 FSI which retailed for RM428,888. It shared its engineering with the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne which were both more expensive to buy due to badge snobbery.
Today, this 9-year old luxury Volkswagen SUV is selling for just between RM60,000 to RM80,000 in our used carmarket. This is almost an 80-85 percent depreciation and represents good value if you can afford the high parts and maintenance costs.
Meanwhile, please note that a 2012 Porsche Cayenne 3.6L is trading from RM130,000 to RM160,000 and the 2012 Audi Q7 3.0 TFSI retails from RM80,000 to RM100,000. So, the used Touareg is starting to look quite tempting.
Meet the R
The Touareg R was launched in early 2020 and it is the third plug-in hybrid model in Volkswagen’s European product line, following in the success of the Golf R and Passat R variants. The Volkswagen Touareg R is the first all-wheel drive model in Volkswagen’s PHEV range and delivers 462PS and 700Nm of torque.
Intelligent electric performance
The hybrid drive of this Touareg R uses a 2,995cc V6 turbocharged petrol engine with an electric drive motor and a lithium-ion battery (energy capacity of 14.1 kWh) built into the luggage compartment underbody. The power electronics convert the direct current of the battery into alternating current for the electric drive motor.
An 8-speed automatic gearbox (with Tiptronic) and a transfer box transmit power to the front and rear axles (4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive). A centre differential lock with asymmetric dynamic torque distribution (Torsen traction) acts as a transfer box for the flow of forces between the front and rear axle. A maximum of 70 percent of the drive force reaches the front axle and up to 80 percent reaches the rear axle.
All-electric drive up to 140 km/h
When fully charged this PHEV Volkswagen Touareg R can be driven in all-electric mode at a speed of up to 140 km/h; above this, the V6 TSI is activated automatically or at any time using kick down. The maximum speed of this R inspired VW SUV is electronically controlled at 250km/h.
Top R dynamic performance
As a typical Volkswagen R model, the Touareg R provides ultra-dynamic performance. Like at the touch of a button, the driver just has to press the accelerator to access the full output of the electric motor (100 kW/136 PS) and the turbocharged V6 petrol engine (250 kW/340 PS) as required.
The two drive systems can then be combined in a boost function to use the vehicle’s dynamic reserves – for instance to overtake another vehicle quickly and safely – and to exploit the full system power of 340 kW (462 PS). The maximum system torque is 700 Nm.
All-wheel drive hybrid
The hybrid drive of the Touareg R essentially consists of a 2,995 cm3 V6 turbocharged petrol engine, the electric drive motor and a lithium-ion battery (energy capacity of 14.1 kWh) built into the luggage compartment underbody. The power electronics convert the direct current of the battery into alternating current for the electric drive motor.
An 8-speed automatic gearbox (with Tiptronic) and a transfer box transmit power to the front and rear axles (4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive). A centre differential lock with asymmetric dynamic torque distribution (Torsen traction) acts as a transfer box for the flow of forces between the front and rear axle. A maximum of 70% of the drive force reaches the front axle and up to 80% reaches the rear axle.
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