Volkswagen Touareg V8 TDI confirmed for 2019, could come to Australia

Volkswagen has confirmed pricing and spec for its hugely powerful top-of-the range V8 turbo-diesel Touareg in its home country of Germany, although a future rollout is unclear for the V8 Touareg in Australia.

The 4.0-litre V8 large SUV is the most powerful passenger vehicle offered by the brand globally, with outputs set at 310kW/900Nm. That's a significant increase over the only Touareg to be offered in Australia when it hits showrooms this month - the V6 TDI Launch Edition (170kW/500Nm), which the brand’s local arm will be sticking with for now.

Volkswagen Australia spokesperson Kurt McGuiness said an expansion of the local Touareg range will be announced soon, with the V8 not entirely ruled out.

“We’ve had the V8 before, and it was a popular model,” he said.

According to McGuiness, “it will depend on availability” but “isn’t ruled out” for the Australian market.

The 4.0-litre V8 Touareg has a confirmed towing capacity of 3500kg (surprisingly, the same as the V6) and can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds while managing to meet stringent Euro 6d emissions standards.

Other refinements that arrive on German-delivered V8 Touaregs include 'Night Vision' thermal imaging to support the safety suite at night, a head-up display, 'Traffic Jam and Roadwork assist' and 'active all-wheel steering'.

When quizzed on Night Vision for the Australian market, Mr McGuiness explained “that technology is more suited to winter climates” and that there are no plans to introduce it on any Australian VW model for the time being. It is, however, offered on the Touareg's stablemates from Audi (Q8) and Porsche (Cayenne), all of which are built on the same platform. 

Other refinements in the Touareg’s home market include 19-inch alloy wheels “Vienna” leather seating and interior trim with the option of the usual R-Line sport pack.

The Touareg V8 TDI is offered from €89,825 in its home country of Germany (about AU$145,700), so expect it to cost more if it arrives down-under, considering import duties and luxury car tax.

Would a thumping V8 get you considering a Touareg? Tell us what you think in the comments below.