Volkswagen India has launched the New Touareg at  Rs 58.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). 

While the new Touareg has a low profile like its predecessor, it is 40mm longer and about 200kg lighter than the model it replaces.

Power comes from a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine that churns out 236bhp and 56.08kgm of torque, and is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The Touareg comes equipped with a Bluetooth audio system, fully-powered seats with memory, a touch-screen audio system that doubles up as a screen for the reverse camera, and a dual-zone climate control system. It also comes with keyless entry and go, a panoramic sunroof, switches in the boot to both lower the rear suspension for easy loading, and drop the rear seats for more boot space. Surprisingly, it does not come with paddle-shifters for its eight-speed gearbox, and the steering reach/rake adjust is manual. Automatic Bi-Xenon headlamps with cornering lights are standard on the new Touareg.

Safety features include driver and passenger airbags and Electronic Stability Control. The new Touareg also features VW’s all-wheel-drive system. The new Touareg has seating for five unlike the BMW X5 which is a seven seater. 

We drove the new Touareg earlier this year and the performance belied its 2135kg kerb weight. The ride and handling also left us suitably impressed, with the stiffness of the chassis shining through. 

The Touraeg competes with the likes of the recently-launched Mercedes ML-Class and BMW X5.