VW Touareg prepares to take off

VOLKSWAGEN GroupAustralia is keen togain supply of a forthcoming‘R’ version ofthe Touareg off-roader.

The problem is VW in Germany hasyet to finally decide ifit will build this car inright-hand drive form.

The heated-up Touaregis scheduled tobe the next model toget the treatment fromVolkswagen Racing,following on from theGolf R32 which hasjust been launched inAustralia in limited edition Gen IV specification.

It should be powered by the 6.0-litre W12which currently resides only in VW Phaeton (andAudi A8) luxury models and produces 309kWand 550Nm. A twin-turbo version also powersthe Bentley Continental GT.

In Touareg ‘R60’ form it would take on thelikes of the BMW X5 4.8iS, the Mercedes-BenzML55 AMG and Porsche Cayenne. In Australiaand New Zealand it would face added competitionfrom the HSV Avalanche.

It would also face the substantial challenge ofcurrent Touareg flagship, the turbo-diesel V10TDI, which pumps out 230kW and a stump-pulling750Nm. That car is the most expensive inthe current VW line-up at $138,900.

The hot Touareg will definitely be followedby an ‘R’ version of the next Golf and Passat.

But not every vehicle in the VW line-up is scheduledfor the R treatment.

GTitops out Polonomenclature,while Golf getsboth GTi and Rversions.

The standardversionof the Gen VGolf goes onsale here in thelast quarter of2004, but thenext R is notdue until late 2 0 0 5 /e a r l y 2006.

The GTiGolf Gen Vwill be heremid-2005 with the 110kW GTi Polo arrivingsometime around that mark as part of a rangefacelift.

The next Passat and the second generationBora will launch here late 2005/early 2006.

Unlike the limited edition R32 Golf, the Rseries will become a full-time member of theVW range over the next few years, both here andinternationally.