A 3.0-LITRE V6 petrol engine is being added to the Volkswagen Touareg line up expanding the choice of powerplants available in the large SUV to three.

The new engine, which develops 340ps, joins the current 3.0-litre diesels with either 231 or 286ps on tap.

Prices for the new petrol model range from £52,635 to £59,235 and the cars will be on the road in April.

It becomes the fastest Touareg in the range with a 0 to 62 time of 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 155mph while fuel economy is 31.7mpg with emissions of 203g/km.

Towing weights remain unchanged over the diesel models, with a maximum weight of 3,500 kg possible for all three powertrains, while the 340ps Touareg is a full 50 kg lighter than its diesel counterparts, at2,020 kg.

The engine will be available in all three Touareg specifications of SEL, R-Line and R-Line Tech.