Volkswagen Touareg

The Volkswagen Touareg is a luxury 4x4 (US: SUV) automobile manufactured by Volkswagen. It is the first of this class ever produced by this manufacturer.

The Touareg was co-developed with Porsche, who was also looking to add an SUV to their lineup, as a cost-sharing initiative. Porsche shares this chassis to underpin their Cayenne SUV, although there are numerous styling, equipment and technical differences between the two vehicles. Also, the Touareg replaced the Volkswagen Eurovan for North America as the company's truck.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Volkswagen Touareg Review.

Recent Changes

 * The 2010 Geneva Motor Show played host to the world debut of the Second-generation Touareg. The 200kg (440 lb) lighter body also previews the next generation Porsche Cayenne. Aesthetically, the new mid-size SUV borrows heavily from the Scirocco/Golf school of design but, at the same time, eschews the slab-sided-ness of the outgoing model in favor of a curvier and more sculpted, yet familiar, body. Inside, the new Touareg sports a cleaner, simpler and better integrated cabin while still retaining its signature wood trim surrounded by aluminium borders. The longer body also accomodates, what VW claims, is the largest panoramic sunroof in any SUV. Under the hood, VW offers three new engine choices in the forms of a 3.0 litre TDI V6 which develops 240 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque while sipping only 31.8mpg US (38.1mpg UK or 7.4lt/100km) and producing 195g/km of CO2, a 4.2 litre TDI V8 churning out 335 hp and a massive 590 lb-ft of torque while returning 25.8 mpg US (31mpg UK or 9.1 lt/100km) and 239g/km of CO2 and, the biggest news, a 3.3-liter supercharged V6 TSI mated to a 46 hp electric motor (see Hybrid Models section). All powertrains are mated to a standard 8-speed automatic transmission channeling power to all four wheels. Speaking of the AWD system, the base 4MOTION versions get a Torsen limited-slip differential (climbing ability: 31 degrees) and an "Off-road driving programme", which - at the press of a button - tunes the ABS, EDS and ASR for off-road duty, activates Hill Descent Assist and adjusts the automatic gearshift points. Optionally, instead of a Torsen differential, the V6 TDI can be ordered with an "Terrain Tech Packet" that is said to have an even more rugged transfer case designed for off-road duty. It includes reduction gearing and centre and rear differentials, each with up to 100 percent locking (climbing ability: 45 degrees). Like the first-gen model, this version also gets a rotary switch that allows the driver to adapt the car to specific duty conditions over five levels: 1. "On-Road"; 2. "Off-Road" (like "Off-road driving programme" plus automatic control of the mechanical locks); 3. Low (like "Off-road" plus activation of reduced gearing, higher shift points, no automatic upshift in manual mode); 4. Addition of centre differential lock; 5. Addition of rear differential lock.

Styles and Major Options
The following engines are available:
 * 174 PS (128 kW, 172 hp) 2.5 L diesel I5
 * 225 PS (165 kW, 225 hp) 3.0 L diesel V6, 500 N·m (369 ft·lbf)
 * 240 PS (177 kW, 236 hp) 3.2 L gasoline V6
 * 310 PS (228 kW, 305 hp) 4.2 L gasoline V8
 * 313 PS (230 kW, 308 hp) 5.0 L diesel V10, 750 N·m (550 ft·lbf)
 * 450 hp (331 kW) 6.0 L gasoline W12, 599 N·m (442 ft·lbf) (somewhat limited-edition. Not available in the US)

The twin-turbocharged diesel V10 engine pushes the Touareg from 0–62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.9 seconds, and on to 130 mph (209 km/h) maximum. The Diesel V10 was offered in the United States for a limited time in 2004 and 2005, but — emissions regulations forced it off the market for a temporary period. Volkswagen is working on fixing these issues, and will return the V10 to the US lineup in 2006.

The W12 version should reach 100 km/h (60 mph) in 5.9 seconds. Production of the W12 Touareg is limited to 500 units. Of these, 330 are slated for Saudi Arabia, with none going to the United States.

Pricing
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Gas Mileage
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As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Engine and Transmission
Specifications, details, graphs, pictures and other information regarding the powertrain is placed in this section.

Performance
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If using information gathered from Road Test articles from a reputable automotive source, then please make sure to cite the quote.

Reliability

 * RECALL ALERT: On February 18, 2008, Volkswagen announced a small recall involving 96 MY 2008 Touaregs. The problem stems from a fuel supply line that was changed during production which could lead to insufficient sealing of the fuel supply line connector. This condition could lead to a fuel leak which in turn could result into a fire in the presence of an ignition source. Volkswagen dealers will inspect and replace the fuel supply line, if necessary.


 * RECALL ALERT: VW recalling Touareg over spoilers that might take flight

NHTSA
The 2007 Touareg received very high ratings in safety tests carried out by the NHTSA. In front- and side-impact crash tests, the Touareg received 5-Star ratings across the board, and in tests for rollover, it received a 4-Star rating.

Some of the safety features found standard on all trims include:
 * Four wheel ABS and driveline traction control
 * Front and rear anti-roll bars
 * Driver/passenger front impact airbags
 * Seat mounted driver/passenger side impact airbags
 * Overhead side curtain airbags
 * Occupancy sensors
 * Side impact bars
 * Front and rear seatbelt pretensioners

Colors
Colors will vary by trim, and a complete list is viewable at CarsDirect.com.

Main Competitors

 * Acura MDX
 * Lexus RX 330
 * Jeep Grand Cherokee
 * BMW X5
 * Mercedes-Benz ML-Class
 * Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Hybrid Models
The second-generation features a Hybrid option right off the bat. The powertrain is a 3.3-liter supercharged V6 TSI producing 330hp and 265 lb-ft of torque with a 46hp electric motor for a combined output of 376hp and 428 lb-ft. The Touareg Hybrid, that can be driven up to 50 km/h or 30 mph in purely electric mode, sprints from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 6.5 seconds and returns a combined 8.2lt/100km which is equal to 34.4mpg UK and 28.7mpg US.

Unique Attributes
Volkswagen employees had set out an experiment to see if the Touareg V10 can tow a 155 ton Boeing 747. Set in an airfield outside London, the necessary modification to the car is an extra 4300 kgs added to ensure the power from the engine to be translated into propelling force. The Touareg managed to tow the Boeing 150 metres without any stress to all of the car's components.

Interior
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Resale Values
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Criticisms

 * "The brakes feel strong and responsive overall, but they have a tendency to be grabby, especially when trying to come to a stop smoothly." - Car and Driver
 * "If you're a regular Volkswagen buyer, the window sticker may shock you, and the Touareg does not offer a third-row seat." - Kelley Blue Book

First Generation/Origins: (2004-2010)
Despite the misconception that the Touareg and Cayenne are "soft-roaders" with little or no off-road ability, Porsche/Volkswagen jointly did extensive off-road testing with test mules and both vehicles are in actuality extremely capable off-road, all that is really necessary are more aggressive tires. Volkswagen, for instance, entered a modified Touareg in the Paris Dakar.

Stanley the modified Touareg also won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge.

Both Touareg and Cayenne come standard with four wheel drive, a manually lockable center differential and a "low range" setting that can be activated with in-cabin controls. Options to make the vehicles more capable off-road include an available air suspension system which can raise the car's ride height on command and an interior switch allowing the rear differential to be manually locked along with the center unit. At maximum ride height, the air suspension system gives 10.7 in of ground clearance.

The Touareg name is derived from the French moniker for the nomadic Tuareg tribe. The name of the vehicle is frequently mispronounced; the proper pronunciation is TWAH-reg. Ironically it is a word that Germans find difficult to pronounce, finding it eas ier to say "Tour-egg".

Worldwide
The Touareg has become controversial in Australia. Former Australian Rugby Union captain, Phil Kearns was provided with a V8-powered Touareg as an ambassador for the vehicle. On October 22, 2005 an incident occurred in the driveway of the Kearns' family home whereby the 19-month old daughter of Kearns was struck by the vehicle in forward motion not reverse, leaving her with very serious injuries. Road safety advocates in Australia have pointed to the poor visibility from the drivers' seat of the Touareg, and of SUVs generally, as the cause of the accident. An Australian National Roads and Motorists Association (NRMA) study has revealed that a child needs to be 7.8 metres from the rear bumper of the vehicle in order to be observed by the driver. This fact has led to calls for reversing cameras to be made compulsory on all SUVs sold in Australia.

Environmental and health concerns
The V10 diesel version of the Touareg was named "meanest" or least-energy-efficient 2004 car by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for its fuel economy of 17 miles per US gallon city (7.3 km/L) and 23 mpg highway (9.8 km/L). This, along with the Touareg's emissions and their estimated impact on global warming and health, earned it the low "Green Score" of 9, as compared to the Honda Civic GX, which was the "greenest", at a score of 57. Within the context of the US SUV's that are significantly less efficient (e.g. Hummer) this accolade is not so damning.

Interestingly enough, diesel is the ecological option used around the world. In Europe, where ecology has a strong effect on politics, over 50% of the cars are diesel. The coalition government of the German Green Party and the SPD Social Democratic Party of Germany introduced highly restrictive environmental policies, that increased the use of diesel and biodiesel vehicles. Diesel engines are, on average, 40% more efficient than gasoline engines (spark-ignition engines). The increased fuel economy of the diesel over the petrol engine means that the diesel produces less carbon dioxide (CO2) per unit distance. Recently, advances in production and changes in the political climate have increased the availability and awareness of biodiesel, an alternative to petroleum-derived diesel fuel with a much lower net-sum emission of CO2, due to the absorption of CO2 by plants used to produce the fuel.

Awards
The Touareg was Car and Driver magazine's Best Luxury SUV for 2003, Motor Trend magazine's Sport/Utility of the Year for 2004, "Four Wheeler" magazine's Four Wheeler of the Year for 2005 & Overlander's 2003 4WDOTY.

The Touareg's V10 engine won 2003's International Engine of the Year.

Development, Success and Distribution
The Touareg was a joint project developed by Porsche and Volkswagen, initially called E1. The goal was to create an off-road vehicle that could handle as a sports car. The team, with over 300 people, was lead by Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert and was based in Weissach im Tal, Germany. The Volkswagen Touareg is built in Bratislava, Slovakia. The manufacturing plant shares production with Touareg-cousins Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. Due to the demand, and the exchange rates of Euro vs. Dollar, as well as different pricing and environmental policies in the USA, only V6 and V8 are available for the North American market. A very limited number of the 2004 V10 diesel engine units were sent and are currently highly priced, even on the used market.