Volkswagen Toureg
First introduced to the U.S. for the 2004 model year, theTouareg looks soft and carlike, but it has more trucklike ability than most modern utility vehicles, with ruggedness for off-roading and impressive trailer-towing ability. Early models were powered by either a 220-horsepower, 3.2-liter V-6 (actually VW’s narrow-angle VR6 engine) or a 310-hp, 4.2-liter V-8. Later that year—and also for the 2006 model year, but not for 2005—VW made what is still regarded by some to be the king of the Touareg models: a Touareg TDI model, powered by a turbocharged, direct-injection diesel V-10, making 310 hp and 553 pound-feet of torque, giving theTouareg the ability to tow heavy trailer loads without breaking a sweat.
Overall, first-gen Touareg models have impressive interior appointments, room for five adults, and one of the quietest, more refined rides of any utility vehicle. There’s also not much cargo space if the back seats are up. Sturdy off-road hardware, with help from modern electronics, is part of the package; theTouareg can handle modest rock-scrambling, along with slick, muddy slopes or loose sand. For 2008,Volkswagen renamed the Touareg the Touareg 2, signifying a mild refresh and a revised list of features, including an improved off-road anti-lock braking mode plus new options such as adaptive cruise control and a blind-spot warning system. Truthfully, the Touareg hadn’t changed much. The V-8 model was dropped for 2010.
A completely redesigned Touareg, along with a new Touareg Hybrid model, will bow for 2011. As you brake to stop for a light, the engine shuts down and you roll to a stop on electric power. All systems are maintained, so power steering, brake boosting and the like remain on call. Provided VW can right the Touareg’s troubled reliability legacy with this new model, we expect more Yankees will show up for this party and wouldn’t even be surprised if enough showed up to request an American-sized slice of the sales pie.
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