More Details on the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg
On the eve of the New York International Auto Show, Volkswagen held a media event showcasing the redesigned 2011 Touareg. We’ve heard plenty about the European version so far, but we learned considerably more about what stateside VW shoppers will get.
This is the second-generation Touareg; the short-lived Touareg 2 was little more than a confusingly named face-lift on the first generation. It goes on sale internationally in April, but we won’t see it here until midfall, product specialist Ed Stammel said at the event.
Although it’s about 5 inches longer than before — most of the room benefits the backseat — the Touareg weighs about 500 pounds less than its predecessor, mostly because of lighter materials. Although it still has considerable off-road abilities, it also gives up hard-core equipment such as a low-speed transfer case. The previous generation’s self-leveling air suspension won’t be offered, either. The result is less complexity and weight, better gas mileage and, hopefully, improved reliability, Stammel said. (The current Touareg, per Consumer Reports and J.D. Power surveys, is about as reliable as a Brett Favre retirement pledge.)
Engines include a 225-horsepower diesel V-6, a 280-hp gasoline V-6 and a new V-6 hybrid drivetrain with a combined 374 hp. All three use an eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive is standard. The hybrid drivetrain is Volkswagen’s first, and it matches a gasoline V-6 to a separate electric motor. It can putter along at up to 31 mph on electric power with a “boost” mode that calls up all the troops for duty. With a combined 425 pounds-feet of torque between the engine and electric motor, we imagine it makes for a fair amount of grunt.
Although official EPA ratings are pending, combined city/highway mileage for the diesel should end up “in the mid-20s,” Stammel said. That puts the Touareg Hybrid between the Mercedes ML450 Hybrid (about 22 mpg) and the Lexus RX 450h (30 mpg) in combined ratings, but we suspect anyone shopping $50,000 luxury SUVs, even hybrids, isn’t fretting pump figures at the gas station.
Volkswagen hasn’t announced pricing yet, but Stammel said he doesn’t expect prices to stray a great deal from the current Touareg’s $40,850 starting figure. We assume the hybrid will top off the range – both the ML450 and RX 450h hybrids slot above their V-6 counterparts – but you’ll likely be able to knock some of that off via a federal tax credit.
