Upgrade Your Volkswagen Touareg 2019–2023: Styling Parts, Handling & Power Gains

Launched in 2002, the Touareg was VW’s first foray into the large SUV market. The car was the more affordable VAG alternative to the Porsche Cayenne and the basis for the subsequent Q7 and Bentley Bentayga. Early iterations were described as an oversized Golf V, albeit with a locking centre diff, four-by-four drivetrain, and considerably more powerful engines, culminating in the 5-litre V10 diesel with torque that can pull a 747, or the petrol-powered W12 with 450 horsepower. 

Solid sales of first- and second-generation cars (nearing 1 million units globally) spurred a growing aftermarket and more customisation options in the pre-facelifted third-generation CR, with hundreds of aftermarket brands offering OE-quality Volkswagen Touareg 2019 2023 styling parts and performance upgrades. These add more character to somewhat subdued factory styling, and power and handling benefits to rival nimbler and more compact hot hatches for pace and agility, and outright 4x4s for off-roading capability. 

Why Consider Styling Kits for the CR Touareg? 

With a plump kerb weight of over 2 tonnes, the 2019-2023 Touareg cuts 100 kilos off the previous model. This is still serious mass, but balanced with the power output of the big engines. Aside from common power upgrades, such as ECU remaps, bigger turbines, and aftermarket exhausts, styling kits assure drivers that more power gets down to the ground. 

By manipulating the oncoming air hitting the big boxy Touareg profile, body parts, including front splitters, rear roof spoilers, side skirts and rear bumpers make more use of the power from the big powerplants. This translates to numerous real-world benefits: 

• Increased downforce: While praised for its high-speed stability (especially compared to body-on-frame rivals), the Touareg makes the most of increased downforce from splitters, spoilers and aero additions that pull the big SUV towards the ground. This increases traction through the wheels and provides more cornering and braking control. Tailored aftermarket parts work well with factory sway bars and electronics to keep the Touareg planted and composed, yet ready for driver input when changing direction. 
• Reduced drag: Revised lines in the third-generation car ensure a decent drag coefficient of 0.32 – better than the previous versions, but still lagging behind the Golf, Arteon or ID lineup of EVs. This means more air slowing the car down. To counter drag, aftermarket aero kits redirect airflow above and around the car, and minimise turbulence, resulting in smoother and swifter acceleration and slightly lower fuel consumption. 
• Reduced lift: Riding higher than a regular hatch, big SUVs like the Touareg accumulate more air under the body. This can create lift and instability, specifically when cornering. Closing gaps between the wheel arches with custom side skirts prevents air pooling under the car and impeding stability at the front or rear axle. This rules out possible over- and understeer. 

Role of Specific Body Parts 

Front Splitters

Lip splitters are installed just below the front bumpers. Their main role is to split or redirect oncoming air and prevent it from pooling under the car. This does two things: reduce lift that wants to destabilise the front axle (and potentially get the Touareg airborne), and create high pressure, slowing moving air acting on the front bumper to increase downforce. 

Side Skirts and Side Skirt Splitters

Side skirts are thin panels fitted between the front and rear wheel arches. They aim to limit turbulence and lift, and pair well with appointed front splitters to stabilise the Touareg. For improved results and a lower side profile, skirts can be combined with side skirt splitters. 

Rear Spoilers

Subtle rear roof spoilers, or more prominent and taller rear wings ‘spoil’ or redirect remnant air at the rear of the Touareg roofline, creating significant downforce pushing on the rear axle. Proportioned to other body additions, rear spoilers help keep the car stable in high-speed corners and during abrupt braking. 

Diffusers

Often forgotten, rear diffusers fitted under the rear bumper work with side skirts and side skirt splitters in ‘diffusing’ or managing remnant airflow under the car. The parts create a vacuum effect of slow-moving, low-pressure air, drawing the Touareg downward and increasing rear traction and grip. If you’re also modifying the exhaust with larger or more exhaust tips, also consider matching diffusers for a more cohesive fit. 

Beyond Aerodynamics 

Where styling kits shine is their potential to customise vehicles to personal tastes, and bring base trim cars into the limelight with more aggressive and sportier designs. Without spending well into the mid-to high thousands for the factory R-line and R styling and trim packages, a decently kitted aftermarket aero kit with engineered front splitters, side skirts and side skirt splitters, and rear roof spoilers provides the aesthetic benefits of higher trims at a fraction of the cost. 

Parts are optioned in reinforced and industrial-grade plastics for a nice balance of durability and low weight, with gloss black textured finishes complementing the stock bumpers, panels and bodywork for a wider, meaner, sportier stance. 

Ensure to choose Volkswagen Touareg 2019 2023 styling parts from established aftermarket brands that have invested in advanced technologies, such as 3D scanning and CAD software and produce parts that fit seamlessly with the rest of the bodywork. This rules out any unnecessary gaps between adjacent parts, unwanted vibrations, or damage to the factory panels. And to ensure parts stay on, get a professional fit. 

Key Buying Considerations 

Compatibility with the Touareg in terms of dimensions, shape and fitment; material quality and warranties are the main buying considerations for aftermarket body parts. Ensure splitters, spoilers, side skirts and diffusers are crafted to the exact dimensions of your third-generation SUV and supplied with matching mounting hardware for a clean fit. This means they’ll also provide the expected aero, protective and style benefits and won’t require modifications to the existing bodywork, such as drilling, to get right. 

Injection moulded ABS plastics provide flexibility, durability and OE-grade quality in splitters, spoliers and side skirts. Polyurethane and polypropylene parts add temperature and impact resistance in bumpers and matching additions such as grilles. Both options are affordable and available as comprehensive R and R-Line kits, with everything needed for installation. 

Lastly, choose trusted parts builders, those that have invested considerable tech, reasearch and equipment in designing parts that get more out of your Touareg, and provide peace of mind with defined warranties. 

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.