Volkswagen Touareg returns to Singapore. Added features means added lux

Sentosa, Singapore - Volkswagen’s flagship Touareg SUV, returns after a six-month hiatus. Volkswagen has also streamlined the lineup, now just offering two variants of their biggest car. With today’s COE prices, the Touareg Elegance retails for $366,900, while the range-topping Touareg R-Line is priced at $399,900.

This is actually not a facelift, but a revision with more equipment if you may. VW Singapore is keeping their cards close to themselves on whether a facelifted version of the third-generation SUV will reach our shores in the future. But if you are looking for a BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE - rivalling luxury SUV without breaking the bank (as much), the Touareg is a seriously well-equipped offering.

New features include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), once reserved for the R-Line model, are now available on all vehicles. There is also a 360-degree camera to aid in parking and manoeuvring in tight spaces. The rear doors now feature soft-closing, and sunblinds are also standard.

Park Assistant Plus, also standard across the range, makes its debut here. The system is able to park the Touareg in parallel and vertical lots, the latter, both reverse and nosed-in. Once the Touareg recognises a parking space, all the driver needs is to keep the Park Assist button depressed, and the car does the rest.

Also standard across the range is the Front Assist system with the City Emergency Brake function. This aids in preventing frontal collisions by pre-condition the brake system, and alerting the driver of a possible impending collision. The City Emergency Brake function puts the Touareg to a complete stop at city speeds if needed.

While all cars are fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) for improved handling, and equally improved ride customisation, the R-Line variant also benefits from a self-levelling air suspension which not only reduces its heights at high speeds, for improved stability and reduced wind resistance, it also is capable of providing 70mm more ground clearance for passage over challenging terrain. The air suspension also allows the rear of the Touareg to be lowered by 40mm for easier loading and unloading.

The Touareg R-Line also benefits from an all-wheel steering system, that allows the rear wheels to steer in the opposite direction to speed of up to 37km/h, giving it similar manoeuvrability as a compact vehicle; reducing its turn circle from 12.19m to 11.19m. Above 37km/h the rear wheels steer in the same direction as those in-front which helps with smoother lane changes, and improved highway handling.

On the inside, the Touareg features a massive 15-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, complemented with a head-up display. In-line with Volkswagen’s rebranding, the Touareg also receives a new steering wheel, complete with VW’s revised emblem.

Both Touareg models are powered by the group’s super-smooth 3.0 V6 petrol engine, which produces 340hp and 450Nm, with drive going to all wheels, courtesy of Volkswagen’s 4Motion AWD system. The Volkswagen Touareg is available now at Volkswagen Centre Singapore (VCS).

PHOTOS Volkswagen Singapore