VW’s Touareg SUV Now Has a 456-HP Hybrid R Variant

From Car and Driver

• The Europe-market Volkswagen Touareg SUV is adding an R variant.

• It has a plug-in-hybrid powertrain with a total of 456 horsepower.

• The Touareg R will debut at the Geneva auto show but won't be sold in the U.S.

Volkswagen dropped the Touareg SUV from its U.S. lineup a few years ago, but it lives on elsewhere—and it now has a high-performance R variant. With a plug-in-hybrid powertrain producing a total of 456 horsepower, the Touareg R looks the part thanks to a sharp exterior treatment with black trim and 20-inch wheels, even if it isn't quite on the same performance level as the Golf R hot hatch.

Powering the Touareg R is a 335-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter gasoline V-6 that pairs with a 134-horsepower electric motor. An eight-speed automatic transmission is on hand, as is all-wheel drive, and VW claims that the car can go up to 87 mph in electric mode. There's no estimate for all-electric driving range available yet, but the battery pack measures 14.1 kWh.

We never got this third-generation Touareg body style in America. It looks particularly good in this bright-blue exterior color, and the interior appears particularly luxurious, too, with its large display screens, black leather upholstery, and blue stitching.

But we're fairly certain that this Touareg R will remain forbidden fruit, unfortunately, as VW has effectively replaced this model with the less-luxurious but more spacious three-row Atlas on our shores. Given that the Touareg can cost upwards of $70,000 in Europe, maybe we're not missing out on that much.

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