The T-Roc R won’t be the only powerful Volkswagen
SUV to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. The automaker has just announced
that the Touareg range-topper will debut an eight-cylinder turbo diesel engine
at the Swiss event. The 4.0-liter V8 TDI unit delivers 421 PS and a
monumental 900 Nm of torque.
Hooked to an eight-speed automatic transmission and
standard 4Motion AWD, the brawny engine enables the Touareg to accelerate from
0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and reach an electronically limited top
speed of 250 km/h. Interestingly, these performance specs are
identical to the smaller T-Roc R that has half as many cylinders.
In order to reassure customers who get easily
restless when hearing the words “Volkswagen” and “diesel” pronounced in the
same sentence, the automaker says the new V8 model complies with the Euro
6d-Temp emission standard.
Customers who will go for the Touareg V8 TDI will
get more than just a more powerful engine. Included in the package are goodies
such as the air suspension, Vienna leather upholstery, power tailgate, comfort
seats, an anti-theft alarm system, stainless steel pedals, automatic
headlights, and automatically dimming exterior mirrors. Additionally, the Touareg
V8 TDI comes equipped as standard with 19-inch Tirano alloys instead of Touareg
V6 models’ 18-inch wheels.
The eight-cylinder Touareg will be available in the
standard Elegance design package or the Atmosphere package. The former offers
an interior dominated by metal and cool color tones while the latter brings a
warmer ambiance thanks to wood and natural tones.
The VW Touareg V8 TDI will go on sale in European
markets at the end of May, and as with the rest of the range, it won’t be sold
in America.
