New VW Touareg launching in South Africa soon – Everything we know

The new VW Touareg is launching in South Africa in the third quarter of 2024, more than a year after it was first unveiled in May 2023.

As the headlining vehicle in VW’s catalogue, the premium SUV is leading a host of introductions that the automaker has planned for the country this year.

With extensive improvements in areas such as the suspension, exterior and interior design, and standard equipment, there are lots to look forward to in the upgraded Touareg.

What to expect

The mid-cycle refresh of the VW Touareg brought a revamped exterior look underscored by a restyled grille, front apron, and LED headlights, while at the back, it gained a continuous horizontal LED strip between the taillight clusters which incorporates a glowing VW logo in certain markets.

Buyers now have access to a new selection of alloy wheels, too, starting at 19 and going up to 21 inches.

Additionally, the upcoming Touareg is the first VW to be available with the brand’s newly developed HD Matrix headlights which include over 38,000 interactive LED bulbs projecting a “light carpet” onto the road for maximum night-time visibility.

They also boast a continuous glare-free main beam that is more accurate than ever before at masking the area of oncoming traffic and vehicles, thus allowing the brights to be switched on permanently.

The VW’s cabin was on the receiving end of a host of updates, including a revised 12-inch digital driver’s display flanking a 15-inch central touchscreen with improved navigation and voice control functions.

Furthermore, the 15W USB-C charging ports of the outgoing SUV are upgraded to 45W plugs to permit significantly faster charging of devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops.

VW has also increased the comfort levels inside its flagship vehicle based on customer feedback, with softer centre console trims now being standard amongst other, smaller alterations.

The suite of optional extras is expanded as well, now including Travel Assist, Park Assist Plus with remote control, Trailer Assist, and Night Vision.

Mechanically, VW has bolstered the Touareg’s suspension system with a new roof load sensor that detects when cargo is loaded on top of the vehicle, thus enabling systems such as the electronic stability control to intervene earlier if necessary for increased driving stability.

If no roof load is recognised, it allows for “even sportier performance,” said VW.

The top-spec derivatives further come with active roll compensation and all-wheel steering at no additional cost.

In global markets, the new Touareg will be sold with five powertrains including a turbocharged petrol, two turbo-diesels, and two plug-in hybrids, all paired with an eight-speed automatic box and 4Motion permanent all-wheel drive.

Additionally, the trim options include Elegance, R-Line, and the high-performance R e-Hybrid.

In South Africa, the current model is only available with one V6 turbo-diesel driveline and in Luxury, Luxury R-Line, and Executive R-Line guises.

We expect that the V6 will continue to be the only powertrain offered on the new Touareg once it lands on local roads, but that the three-tier model range will be slimmed down to just the Elegance and R-Line as we have seen from other modern VW vehicles.

The complete South African specifications of the new Touareg, including its pricing and model line-up, will be announced closer to its launch in Q3 2024.