Volkswagen Touareg SUV to make India comeback

The Touareg SUV was first launched in India way back in 2008, as a move to help Volkswagen establish itself as a premium brand through a top-down approach. The SUV with Volkswagen badges was priced almost at par with the Audi Q7 (they both have the same underpinnings and engine) and was brought into the country via the Completely Built Unit (CBU) route right from the start. It was launched in its 2012 guise too, but low sales finally forced VW to discontinue the SUV in India in 2013.

However, it seems like Volkswagen hasn’t completely given up on the Touareg. The SUV could make yet another comeback into India in its 2015 iteration as a CBU. “I need to have a complete range of products, a complete portfolio of products, right from Touareg, which will be a CBU, then we have a Passat, the mid-size SUV, Jetta, Vento, Polo, compact SUV, a compact sedan and maybe even a sub-Polo car, which will give us a big portfolio to attack the market,” is what was said by Mr. Mahesh Kodumudi, the managing director of Volkswagen India.

The Touareg SUV – in its latest guise – was showcased at the Beijing Motor Show, in April 2014. The Touareg’s front and rear fascias have been refreshed in the new model. The headlamps have now become larger in size, and the front grille and bumper get tweaks as well. The tail lamp cluster gets revised too and the rear bumper also sees a reprofiling.  The 2015 Touareg also gets updated interiors with a better equipment list.

Internationally, the SUV will be offered in three variants: a 3.6 liter V6 petrol, a 3.0 liter V6 TDI and an electric hybrid unit. The 3.0 litre V6 TDI motor is what India will get, and this is the same unit which propelled the discontinued version of the Touareg in India. The diesel motor has a peak power output of 240 Bhp while peak torque is rated at 550 NM.

All said, the fact that the Touareg is a 5-seater remains a major limitation for the SUV in India. Also, since Volkswagen has no plans of assembling the SUV in India, don’t expect the 2015 Touareg to be priced aggressively either. A price tag of Rs. 60-65 lakhs for the 2015 Touareg  is likely.

Via TheEconomicTimes