Volkswagen has previewed its upcoming 2024 Touareg R with a mid-cycle update ahead of its official debut in May. The refreshed SUV boasts a new light bar, revised bumpers, fresh wheel designs, updated suspension, and a host of new tech features, including a roof-mounted sensor for automatic weight adjustment.

The latest Touareg R boasts a light bar at the front to match the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs, along with new matrix headlights featuring 38,400 micro LEDs. The top-of-the-range R model is fitted with new wheel designs up to 21 inches in size and comes with blue brake calipers bearing the "R" logo.

As the first model from Volkswagen, the new Touareg has an illuminated logo on the rear end. Since January 2023, the Volkswagen badge lit up in red has also been permitted in Europe. Previously the shining brand logo was allowed only in markets such as China or the US.

One of the new features on the Touareg is a roof-mounted sensor that can measure added weight, automatically adjusting the electronic stability control system. The car's suspension has been updated, with rear-wheel steering only available on the non-R models. The Touareg R comes with both standard steel and optional air suspensions, an active anti-roll system, and powertrains delivering a "new synthesis of comfort and performance."

The 2024 Touareg R will continue to be offered with all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, along with the popular 3.0-liter V6 TDI engine producing 231 hp and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm), or a more powerful configuration with 286 hp and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm). The 3.0-liter V6 gasoline engine will deliver 340 hp and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm).

On the electrified side, the Touareg eHybrid will offer a combined 381 hp and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm), while the Touareg R eHybrid produces 456 hp and 516 lb-ft (702 Nm). Both plug-in hybrid models come with a 14.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that provides an electric range of just under 30 miles (nearly 50 kilometers), similar to the pre-facelift models.

The 2024 Volkswagen Touareg R will continue to be produced in Bratislava, Slovakia, alongside other large SUVs built on the MLB platform, including the Audi Q7 and Q8, Porsche Cayenne and Cayenne Coupe, and the Bentley Bentayga. The Lamborghini Urus' body is also made in the same factory.

Source: Volkswagen