VW’s new Touareg arriving for 182-reg with prices to start at under €70,000

VOLKSWAGEN expect the new Touareg large SUV to arrive here in June – in plenty of time for the 182-plate in July.

They will have prices over the next few weeks, but I think it’s fair to say they will start under the critical €70,000 mark.

The two V6 diesels will be the big sellers (3-litre, 282bhp, 3-litre V6, 228bhp – there is also a 335bhp 3-litre V6 petrol). Top towing capacity is 3.5 tonnes.

The company says the new car is the “biggest leap forward” in the history of the SUV. Unveiled in Beijing last week, the third-generation model has been heavily overhauled. There is new technology and an interior built around the marque’s Innovision Cockpit.

All versions have an 8spd auto gearbox; all-wheel drive is standard, with centre differential lock, five standard and four optional drive modes.

There is also electromechanical active roll compensation – it adjusts the anti-roll bars when cornering.

With such a focus on road driving, the company is merely responding to the reality that most people will seldom test its off-road abilities.

As they say, the look is more on-road, but at heart it is still an off-roader.

At 4,878mm, the Touareg is 77mm longer and 44mm wider (1,984mm) but 7mm shorter (1,702mm). Boot space is up 113litres if you lift up the seats. Due to the aluminium and steel in the body, the car is 106kg lighter.

The Innovision Cockpit merges a 15in infotainment touchscreen with a 12in digital instrument cluster. The 15in screen controls smartphone integration, air con etc.

There’s a big spread of driver assistance technologies such as autonomous emergency braking, traffic jam assist and night vision camera.