Currently reading: Revised Volkswagen Touareg prices revealed
Upgraded SUV will go on sale at the end of this month for £43,000, with better fuel economy and new interior options

The updated Volkswagen Touareg will go on sale later this month, with prices starting at £43,000. 

Revealed at the Beijing motor show earlier this year, revisions to the SUV focus on economy, with slow-selling V8 and hybrid versions dropped from the range.

Although V8 diesel and hybrid powertrains will no longer be offered, Volkswagen has retained the 201bhp 3.0-litre V6 TDI and has boosted power for the 242bhp version to 258bhp.

Myriad revisions have been carred out to improve efficiency, including the fitment of low-rolling resistance tyres and stop-start and battery regeneration systems. Both engines are EU6 compliant thanks to a new catalytic converter option that uses AdBlue to reduce emissions.

Volkswagen claims that 201bhp versions return 42.8mpg on the combined cycle and emit 173g/km of CO2, while the 258bhp version records 42.8mpg and 174g/km. Previously, those engines returned 34.4mpg and 33.6mpg respectively.

The 2015 Volkswagen Touareg features larger Bi-Xenon headlights fitted across the range, a new larger grille and a reprofiled bumper. At the rear a new bumper and diffuser is fitted. Other additions include a new range of alloy wheel designs, paint colours and shades of leather upholstery.

All models are fitted with a post-collision braking system and a coasting function integrated into the standard-fit eight-speed automatic gearbox. The car’s optional adaptive cruise control also now includes a city braking function.

Three trim levels are available, with entry-level SE models getting 19-inch alloy wheels, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control and parking sensors. 

Mid-level Escape cars get four-wheel drive, off-road suspension with 18-inch alloy wheels and under-body protection. Top-spec R-Line trim adds 20-inch alloys, lowered sports suspension, LED lights and a panoramic glass sunroof outside, while the cabin is upgraded with a heated steering wheel and keyless entry and start.

Prices for the Touareg start at £43,000 for the 201bhp 3.0-litre TDI in SE specification, and rise to £47,700 for the 258bhp 3.0-litre TDI in R-Line trim.

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JOHN T SHEA 17 August 2014

VW DOWNGRADE THEIR BEST CAR.

So VW drop the excellent V8 diesel just as they raise it to 385 hp in the A8 and Cayenne, and the hybrid just as they finally make sense of it by making it a plug-in and uprating it to 410 hp in the Cayenne? So Porsche buyers get a zero tax and congestion charge PHEV, but not VW buyers? Bad timing! And the situation in Ireland, where I live, is even worse. We've got only the 201 hp diesel for years!
fadyady 15 August 2014

Volkswagen trails on tech front

@289 - Whatever the VW-friendly reviewers would have us believe, the truth is that Volkswagen trails rivals on the technology front (in particular electric hybrid). It doesn't much surprise me that VW has dropped the V6 petrol electric hybrid. Few bought it if any. What was the point of it?
The diesel V6 that cost substantially less offered better CO2 and MPG. In comparison Lexus 450h costs considerably less and is a country mile ahead in terms of efficiency and MPG. Perhaps in future, VW may beg the diesel-hybrid tech from Porsche and offer it in their Touareg.
289 15 August 2014

@ fadyady

mmmmm!, this is strange.
VW seem to be swimming against the tide. Why delete a petrol hybrid just as governmental opinion abandons diesel?
I think they may have to rethink this!

Having said all this, I think the new Touareg looks good, much better than the last iteration which was frankly a retrograde step after the original which also had a really classy cabin.
This could be an option for me.