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VW Touareg V8 TDI contorts crust in Geneva with 664 pound-feet of torque

It's no V12 TDI of yore, but it's still righteous in its own way.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
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Don't worry -- you only have to wait 25 years until they're eligible for import to the US. 

Volkswagen

Volkswagen , for reasons that some might consider obvious and sensible, will probably never sell another new diesel vehicle in the US again. But they're still hot in Europe, and so VW keeps crankin' 'em out, and the latest one really shoots for the stars.

Volkswagen will bring its new V8 TDI to the 2019 Geneva Motor Show next week. The latest variant of the new Touareg that debuted last March, this SUV packs one hell of a surprise under its hood -- a 4.0-liter turbodiesel V8 that puts out 416 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. That's enough twist to send this hefty boy to 62 miles per hour in just 4.9 seconds -- the same as VW's also-new (and much, much smaller) T-Roc R.

The Touareg V8 TDI doesn't look all that different on the outside compared to other new Touaregs, save for a V8 badge on the grille and likely another out back (VW only supplied front-end shots ahead of its show debut). On the inside, though, two different appearance packages are available -- Elegance focuses on metals and cool colors, while Atmosphere relies on wood and warmer colors.

This Touareg also gets additional standard equipment, including air suspension, an electric tailgate, automatic headlights and dimmable mirrors. Its Innovision Cockpit combines a 12-inch gauge display with a monstrous 15-inch infotainment screen. There's also a wide variety of driver-assist systems available, like a night-vision camera, four-wheel steering and forward-facing cross-traffic assist.

Sadly, the Touareg may never return to the US. The three-row will be the biggest passenger vehicle the automaker sells in the US. The Touareg was never really a big seller in the US, thanks to a high price tag and only two rows of seats. Sales have dropped steadily since achieving annual sales of 11,276 units in 2012, and eventually the automaker axed its US presence altogether. It still lives on in China, Europe and our hearts, though.

2019 VW Touareg goes all in on cabin tech

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