Volkswagen's latest-generation Touareg is now available in South Africa and the Uitenhage-based manufacturer has announced the specifications and pricing of its all-new Premium SUV range. The 3rd-generation Touareg comes to market replete with advanced safety tech, connectivity, and, of course, a luxurious cabin. Compared with its predecessor, it is wider and longer (claimed luggage space has increased from 697 to 810 litres), yet it is 106 kg lighter, thanks to the clever use of aluminium and high-tech steel. There are numerous alloy wheel sizes and designs to choose from, ranging from an 18-inch to a 21-inch. There's just one engine for now. It's the 3.0 V6 TDI which offers 190 kW and 600 Nm. Power goes to all four wheels via an 8-speed transmission. What's more, Volkswagen claims its new Touareg is one of the safest and comfortable cars in the world. For the first time, the Touareg has been equipped with night vision, which can detect pedestrians or animals in the road. The headlights are highly advanced and feature 128 LEDs in each unit. The Touareg also features trailer assist, which makes trailer maneuvres a lot easier, as well as numerous sensors and cameras for parking. There are 2 levels of trim available for the new Volkswagen Touareg: Luxury and Executive. Luxury does what it says on the tin, whereas Executive leans towards the sportier elements. The dual-screen setup is quite similar to what Mercedes-Benz offers in the E-Class and other contemporary high-end models. Still, it looks great. As a pure 5-seater SUV, the Touareg has heaps of room for all passengers. 4-corner air suspension with electronic shock absorption control and 4-wheel steering. The new Touareg shares its underpinnings with the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus. The new Touareg comes standard with a 5-year/100 000km maintenance plan, 3-year/120 000 km warranty, 12-year anti-corrosion warranty and space saver spare wheel. Service intervals are set at 15 000 km.
The North American-spec 2.0L FSI Turbo engine should not be confused with the similar European-spec FSI powerplant, which features a third mode of engine operation, stratified charge combustion, to allow short periods of extremely lean burn. In such low-speed, light throttle conditions, the very slight amount of fuel added to the mixture can result in stoichometric ratios as high as 65:1 (the normal ratio for gasoline engines is 14.7:1) and periods of exceptional fuel mileage. Because of North America’s lower fuel quality (which would require special catalysts to handle the extra NOx emissions from our high-sulfur-content gasoline), this technology is not yet available outside of Europe. True stratified combustion will be integrated into this engine, and other VW (and Audi) FSI powerplants, when the high sulfur content of U.S. Even without ultra-lean-burn technology, the benefits of the 2.0L turbo are clearly evident. The EPA estimates that the combination of direct injection and forced induction, when compared to a conventional gasoline engine, delivers on average 15% more power and a 10% reduction in fuel consumption. Add the character of a genuine performance engine into the equation, and Volkswagen’s 2.0L Turbo FSI is an appealing blend of sportiness and clean-running economy. Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen of America and its affiliates employ approximately 3,000 people in the United States and are responsible for the sale and service of Audi, Bentley, and Volkswagen products through retail networks comprising in total more than 900 independent U.S. Volkswagen AG. "DSG" is a trademark of Volkswagen AG. All other trademarks used in this document are the property of their respective owners.
The seats have a foldable central armrest, which doubles as a fifth seat when necessary and houses two cup holders and a storage box. “The interior design achieves elegant simplicity, with clean lines and user-friendly instrumentation,” Mr Ramaciotti said. “The functional features are camouflaged to allow the attention to focus on the soft curvaceous surfaces of the dashboard and the central tunnel,” he said. Like all Maseratis, the Ghibli’s interior is built around a driver interface that is intuitive and simple to use. The instrument cluster features a large speedometer and a large tachometer that flank a 7” TFT display for many of the car’s operational features. The Ghibli S standard equipment includes leather seats, wood trim, eight-way electrically adjustable front seats , dual-zone climate controlled air conditioning and active cruise control, with Bi-Xenon Adaptive Front Headlights System, and fixed braking callipers. Maserati also provides an exceptional degree of personalisation with a vast range of materials for the client to choose from, including wood, carbon fibre, leather, Alcantara ceiling and numerous optional choices.
We have a 2017 Touareg Wolfberg Edition which has either a quirk or an issue. Not sure which. When you first start the car it takes a good 3-4 minutes for the entertainment system to "boot up". Whether listening to a podcast via bluetooth or listening to Satellite doesn't seem to make a difference. Also, every couple of weeks or so it looses all of it's satellite presets. Is this just a quirk, or is it an issue i need to have looked at? I did a VIN search and there don't seem to be any recalls or "Manufacturer Campaigns", but I may not have looked in the right place for those. You may have a radio update available. If the vehicle is still under warranty, take it into the dealership for your concern. Are all the touaregs like this with the radio? Come post about Volkswagen news and other interests. New models, old classics, whatever you want!
