No stranger to Australian shores, the 2021 Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI has been confirmed for local sales before the end of the year. 

Arriving later this year, the 2021 Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI will be powered by a twin-turbo 4.0 litre V8 diesel engine capable of putting out 310kW pf power and a jaw dropping 900Nm of torque. It shares its powerplant with its bigger brothers: the Audi SQ7 and the diesel Bentley Bentayga – though it does have 10kW less than those cars thanks to a lack of electric turbochargers.

All this power catapults the V8 Touareg to 100km/h form a standstill in 4.9 seconds, which is only one tenth slower than the Golf R. Sharing its underpinnings with both the Q7 and Bentayga, as well as the Porsche Cayenne, the Touareg V8 TDI weighs comfortably over two tonnes. 

That’s not the most potent Touareg however, with the recently revealed Touareg R using a 340kW 3.0-litre turbo V6 combined with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Unfortunately that’s yet to be confirmed for Australia thanks to its plug-in hybrid drivetrain. 

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed that the V8 TDI will only be sold in R-Line form, which includes sportier styling cues, huge 21-inch alloy wheels and sports seats. 

When it arrives on Aussie shores the V8 TDI R-Line Touareg is expected to be north of the $120,000 mark, although for the price it comes fully loaded – the only optional extras will be metallic paint and a panoramic sunroof. There is no doubt it will be more expensive than the current V6 Touareg’s $80,000 price tag before on road costs. 

Volkswagen Australia’s managing director, Michael Bartsch has stated that “even fully loaded, the Touareg V8 will undercut the starting price of its rivals to be the best value proposition in the premium large SUV segment”. We expect around $120-130,000.

The Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI R-Line will be popular with those who like towing heavy objects like boats and caravans as it’s V8 diesel engine will deliver the entirety of its torque from a low 1,250rpm while only using a claimed 7.3L/100km.

Volkswagen has confirmed that the Touareg V8 TDI will be a limited run car as production isn’t expected to last long, though official numbers are yet to be confirmed. 

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