While the idea of SUVs may not really interest Jurassic-era petrolheads such as this writer - with their high centre of gravity, cumbersome handling and silly perception of an active lifestyle - the idea of a hotted up SUV with a muscular engine under the bonnet does raise an eyebrow or two.
Volkswagen (and its group of companies) are no strangers to the idea of a beefed-up soccer-mom school buses as evidenced by the first-generation-only Touareg R50 with its massive 5.0-litre V10 TDI engine that produced 258kW and 850Nm. Now, in its third generation and after a hiatus of almost a decade, the R-badged Touareg is set to return.
But if you’re expecting the big SUV to ship with a fire-breathing engine like the good ’ol days, prepare to be disappointed as VW sales and marketing boss Jürgen Stackmann confirmed the Touareg as the “the first R model to go plug-in hybrid”. While unconfirmed, it’s also unlikely that the powerplant will be an oil-burning V8 like the one found in the current 310kW and 900Nm Touareg V8 TDI (and Audi SQ7 TDI) that’s sold in Europe.
A couple of theories that are currently out there is a (further) boosted 2.0-litre four-pot turbo petrol engine paired to a high-output electric motor and battery pack that’s similar to the Touareg PHEV with a combined output of 270kW and 700Nm (designed primarily for the Chinese market) or the more likely PHEV drivetrain found in the Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid with a combined output of 330kW and 700Nm.
Constructed on the same MLB platform as the Porsche Cayenne, it’s within the realm of possibility that the upcoming Touareg R would receive the same 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 and electric running gear as the e-Hybrid. Porsche claims it does the century sprint in 5.0 seconds which isn’t too bad considering the 4.0-litre Touareg V8 TDI does it only a tenth faster. An R-badged PHEV with larger batteries and more powerful electric motors could do a whole lot better.
However, only time will tell what the future holds and it’s believed that the Touareg R would only be revealed sometime next year ahead of a 2021 launch.
For more on those and the Touareg, please visit our Showroom.
