Bear in mind the Volkswagen Touareg R50? It was considered one of Volkswagen’s engineering mega initiatives underneath the management of the late Ferdinand Piëch, an SUV designed to be superior to all others, powered by a twin-turbocharged 5-litre V10 diesel engine that was bespoke to only it and the much more indulgently designed Phaeton luxurious saloon. It’s a hanging distinction to the extra pragmatic Volkswagen of right now, however the Touareg nonetheless exists, and as soon as extra there’s one with an R badge connected to it.

UK pricing begins at £71,995, placing it marginally above Porsche’s £69,980 Cayenne E-Hybrid and beneath the BMW X5 xDrive45e. Being the range-topper although, it comes with loads of package as customary which is able to assist to justify that price ticket.

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The Touareg R does with out the bespoke engineering of its predecessor, mechanical or in any other case, fairly combining a number of Volkswagen Group MLB Evo-friendly elements to create a flagship Touareg with a powertrain borrowed from the Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid and Bentley Bentayga PHEV. 

The powertrain itself includes a 335bhp 3-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine, a 134bhp electrical motor and 14.3kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Collectively, Volkswagen quotes a peak energy determine of 455bhp, with torque peaking at 516lb ft. These numbers are an identical to these of each the Porsche and Bentley, and for comparability’s sake 120bhp greater than the R50 of 12 years in the past, but additionally some 111lb ft down.

The flagship Touareg will hit 62mph in 5.1sec, 0.1sec behind the Cayenne, and go on to a restricted high pace of 155mph. The entire Touareg’s 455bhp is distributed to all 4 wheels by way of an eight-speed computerized transmission, which is ready to differ the break up torque by as much as 70 per cent entrance and 80 per cent rear. As a plug-in hybrid, the Touareg R can be in a position to attain as much as 87mph in pure EV mode, and may have round 25 miles of electrical vary.

Regardless of the high-tech undercurrent of the brand new Touareg R, the energetic anti-roll system and rear-wheel-steering methods as present in different MLB Evo SUVs within the group usually are not but obtainable as a consequence of packaging constraints, though Volkswagen is adamant they are going to be obtainable in future.

To assist distinguish the Touareg R from its lesser siblings, the R has adopted a couple of bespoke styling remedies borrowed from the Golf R and T Roc R, together with the now related Lapiz Blue paintwork, as much as 22-inch wheel choices, distinctive inside leather-based end and a new-generation steering wheel.

Pricing begins at £71,995 within the UK and order books are open now.