2024 Volkswagen Touareg R-Line 3.0 TSI V6 facelift in Malaysia – first CKD out of Europe, priced at RM472k

It’s been more than a decade, but the Volkswagen Touareg is back in Malaysia. The facelifted third-generation flagship SUV, first introduced back in 2018, arrives in CKD locally-assembled 3.0 TSI V6 form and sits at the top of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia’s (VPCM) lineup.

Built at the Hicom plant in Pekan, Pahang (for the first time outside of Europe) and available in a single R-Line variant, this massive five-seater crossover is priced at a heady RM472,272 on-the-road without insurance. While certainly not cheap, it’s RM130,000 less expensive than the Porsche Cayenne, which is also locally assembled at the Inokom factory in Kulim, Kedah.

This figure, by the way, includes the Volkswagen Assurance Package (VAP), consisting of a five-year, unlimited-mileage extended warranty and a five-year maintenance package. With the standard two-year warranty, the price drops to RM454,272.

Under the bonnet lies a 3.0 litre turbocharged V6, the same one found in the Porsche Cayenne, which is also based on the MLB Evo platform. Here, it produces 340 PS and 450 Nm of torque – 13 PS and 50 Nm less than the Porsche – sent to all four wheels via the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission. So equipped, the car will get from zero to 100 km/h in six seconds flat (three tenths of a second slower than the Cayenne) on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The Touareg rides on self-levelling air suspension all around, which can adapt the ride height (by up to 70 mm upwards) to match the terrain and can also be lowered by up to 40 mm at the rear for easier cargo loading and unloading. The car is capable of wading up to 550 mm of water.

This third-generation version is longer, wider and slightly lower than the old model, measuring 4,878 mm long, 1,984 mm wide and 1,702 mm tall, with a 2,894 mm wheelbase. Despite the increased dimensions, the car is 106 kg lighter than before, thanks to a mixed-material construction featuring 48% aluminium and 52% high-tech steels.

On the outside, the Touareg retains the angular design language that has characterised Volkswagen models of late, with a large and wide front grille – integrated with the headlights – giving the car greater road presence.

The facelift, revealed to the world last May, adds IQ.Light HD LED matrix headlights with a whopping 38,432 micro LEDs, including 19,200 on either side for the high beam. These are joined together by a light strip that runs across the grille – a graphic repeated in the also-new full-width taillights with L-shaped graphics. The rear VW logo is now illuminated in red to match – a feature previously reserved for China and the US.

On the R-Line model, you get a massive lower grille with gaping air intakes for the twin front radiators, plus a large rear diffuser with twin (thankfully real) trapezoidal exhaust exits. Locally, the car rides on 20-inch “Braga” two-tone alloy wheels with a five V-spoke design.

Inside the swanky SUV, you get the latest version of the Touareg’s Innovision Cockpit infotainment system, consisting of a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a ginormous 15-inch centre touchscreen, the latter integrating the air-con controls and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Qi wireless charger is standard, as is a 13-speaker, 730-watt Dynaudio Consequence sound system.

Elsewhere, you get power-adjustable, heated and cooled front seats with memory, along with a power-adjustable flat-bottomed steering wheel with haptic touch buttons and a sliding and reclining second row. The car features no less than five USB-C ports that deliver up to 45 watts of power each. Behind, you’ll find a generous 810-litre boot, expandable to 1,800 litres with the 40:20:40-split rear seats folded.

The rest of the kit list includes keyless entry, push-button start, four-zone automatic climate control, 30-colour ambient lighting, a 360-degree camera system and a hands-free powered tailgate. Despite the price, you don’t get a sunroof or a head-up display, but you do weirdly have night vision, a first for a Volkswagen in Malaysia.

Safety-wise, the Touareg is fully featured with driver assists as part of the IQ.Drive suite. These include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert with auto braking, park assist, a driver attention monitor and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Last but not least, the Touareg is available in five colours – Lapiz Blue, Silicon Grey, Grenadilla Black, Oryx White and Dolomite Silver.

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