From Bratislava to Beijing

"Drive our prototype of the 3rd generation VW Touareg to the auto show in Beijing," was the assignment Volkswagen AG gave record-breaking driver Rainer Zietlow in the spring of 2018, giving him and his team a 16,500 kilometers journey that began at the plant in Bratislava, where the car is produced. 

The journey "to the other end of the world" took them through Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and finally China. In sometimes extreme temperatures, the new premium SUV was able to demonstrate its reliability.

On the road, the vehicle was lightly camouflaged. Nevertheless, it managed to impress not only its crew, but also spectators in various cities and areas along the route. The journey led through wintry Eastern Europe, breathtaking canyons in Kazakhstan, past frozen Lake Baikal and snow-covered areas in Siberia. Not to mention the endless Mongolian steppe or the metropolises of Moscow and Beijing.

After 21 days and the obvious proof of its capabilities, the vehicle with Rainer Zietlow and his team reached the Chinese capital where the Touareg prototype was presented to the visitors of the Beijing Motor Show.