Autoblog

REPORT: Volkswagen Touareg successor headed for Detroit

Michael Harley — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:32:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Hybrid, SUV, Volkswagen

2011 Volkswagen Touareg - Click above for high-res image gallery

January's North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show) is expected to host the debut of Volkswagen's all-new third-generation Touareg SUV (the facelifted "second-gen" arrived in the States as a 2008 model). While details are few, rumor has it that VW will introduce its new Touareg with a variety of powerplant choices during its first model year, including a hybrid variant.

As previously reported, the hybrid is expected to combine the supercharged 3.0-liter TSI V6 from the Audi S4 mated to a 38 kW electric motor. An all-new eight-speed automatic transmission wraps up the package. Total combined power is 374 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. With an all-wheel drive powertrain, the Touareg Hybrid should sprint to 60 mph in less than seven seconds and return a combined EPA fuel economy figure of about 26 mpg. While it debuts in just two months, the new Volkswagen Touareg isn't expected in showrooms until the second half of 2010.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg

[Source: Autocar]

REPORT: Volkswagen Touareg successor headed for Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

(Over) Active Aero: VW recalling Touareg over spoilers that might take flight

Chris Paukert — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Volkswagen

With products like its now-defunct Corrado sports coupe, Volkswagen has proven that they understand the benefits of active aerodynamics - but a new recall in conjunction with the National HIghway Traffic Safety Administration centers on the potential for some completely unintentional and undesired active aero with the company's products.

According to NHTSA, VW will recall 14,416 2007-2009 Touareg SUVs because the vehicle's roof spoiler can jettison itself from the vehicle, potentially striking pedestrians or other vehicles. Apparently, the problem stems from the fastening struts on the spoiler which can crack, leading to the loosening or outright detachment of the aerodynamic element.

Owners of Touaregs covered under the recall can bring their vehicles to their local dealer, which will install reinforcement wedges to the assembly for free. Official recall information posted after the jump. Top tip, Jeff!

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading (Over) Active Aero: VW recalling Touareg over spoilers that might take flight

(Over) Active Aero: VW recalling Touareg over spoilers that might take flight originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spy Shots: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg spotted

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, SUV, Volkswagen

Volkswagen is preparing its 2011 Touareg, and the company's most expensive expensive Stateside offering is slated to lose weight. Although the German automaker is reportedly aiming for a 600 pound drop, shedding 300 pounds is said to be more realistic, and the going speculation is that the mass will be taken out of the SUV's exceptional four-wheel-drive capability.

In terms of its sheetmetal, the Touareg is being designed by Walter de'Silva, the pen behind the Audi Q7, TT, and A5 among other VW Group products.

Part of the diet challenge is that the SUV is also widely expected to gain a third row, going from a five-seater to a seven-seater, in part to distance itself from its newer, less-expensive Tiguan brethren.

If Car and Driver's sources are on their game, word is that the U.S. engine lineup won't change, but the European V10 diesel will be swapped out for the Audi V8 TDI (already employed in the Q7), and the W12 will go on hiatus, possibly to return in sunnier economic times. There will also be a hybrid in the offing, with the same supercharged 3.0-liter V6 setup seen in Porsche's Cayenne Hybrid.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Spy Shots: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 May 2009 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

First Drive: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Volkswagen, First Drive

Volkswagen Touareg TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

The way Volkswagen talks up the $42,800 Touareg V6 TDI, you'd almost think it was the ninja of SUVs: a single package with so many highly developed capabilities that its gas-engined foes are annihilated and left on the side of the road with ninja shuriken lodged in their tailgates before they even realize they've been outdone. The engine alone promises reduced fuel consumption, fewer emissions, more power, more torque, better responsiveness and quiet progress. The only questions then are: Does it deliver and will anyone buy it? We took it for a spin to find out. Follow the jump for the story.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI

Continue reading First Drive: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI

First Drive: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Detroit 2009: Volkswagen Touareg Lux Limited sports J. Crew colors

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, SUV, Volkswagen, Specialty

Click above for a high-res gallery of the VW Touareg Lux Limited Edition

The VW Touareg Lux Limited Edition is a 'ute that's been on a shopping spree to J. Crew and High Street, or at least a mainstream, aftermarket shop. Available on either the gasoline- or diesel-engined SUVs - and only in America - the Lux Limited gets side skirts and slightly tweaked front and rear aprons to differentiate it from the run-o-the-mill Touareg. The wheel selection is called Ayer's Rock (not "Uluru"?) and only available in the 20-inch variety.

VW took the color wheel out one night and got it drunk. Exterior hues for the Lux Limited are Biscay Blue, Campanella White, Galapagos Gray, and Black Magic Pearl Effect. The interior cricket leather is done up in one of two duo-tone color choices with complementary accents - like Latte Macchiato and St. Tropez white with poplar grain decor. And if anyone can tell us what "Engine Spin dark" decor looks like, we are all... eyes. So put on the Hootie, order some chablis and brie, have a look at the press release after the jump, and check out the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Volkswagen Touareg Lux Limited

Continue reading Detroit 2009: Volkswagen Touareg Lux Limited sports J. Crew colors

Detroit 2009: Volkswagen Touareg Lux Limited sports J. Crew colors originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

VW Touareg TDI trophy truck finishes 13th in Baja 1000 debut

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Volkswagen

The VW Tourareg TDI Trophy truck that was unveiled at the LA Auto Show last week made its competition debut on Saturday in the Baja 1000. The 550-hp diesel-powered off-road racer finished the 1,000 km race in 13th place in its class after a seal failed in the gearbox. The Arciero-Miller team had to swap out the whole box mid-race, dropping the truck well down in the standings. The Touareg is powered by a modified version of the same 5.5-liter V12 diesel used so successfully in the Audi R10 TDI for the last three years. It's the first clean diesel ever to run in the Baja 1000.

Continue reading VW Touareg TDI trophy truck finishes 13th in Baja 1000 debut

VW Touareg TDI trophy truck finishes 13th in Baja 1000 debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

LA Preview: VW to unveil diesel-powered Touareg TDI Trophy Truck

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:52:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Volkswagen

Click above for high-res images and renderings of VW's Touareg TDI Trophy Truck

If Formula 1 is the pinnacle of on-road motorsports, competitive off-roading hits its apogee with the Baja Trophy Truck series. With vehicles sporting over 20 inches of suspension travel both front and rear, along with massive power provided by V8 engines, these trucks travel over the worst terrain imaginable at ludicrous speeds. Sounds like fun, right? Volkswagen thinks so, and while it's older Beetle-based buggies often make it through the race unscathed, albeit much slower than their big brothers, the automaker has decided to enter the top rung of the SCORE series and will debut its latest Touareg TDI to tackle the course at the upcoming LA Auto Show.

Boasting a turbocharged diesel 5.5L V12 engine that puts out 550 horsepower and a stump-pulling 625 lb-ft of torque, the 5,650-pound race-prepped Touareg should have the guts to keep up with the rest of the field. This will be the first turbo-diesel ever to compete at the Baja 1000 in the Trophy Truck class. Custom double A-arms up front and a four-link rear suspension provide 25 and 30 inches of wheel travel, respectively, and 37-inch BFG's will do their best to provide traction. VeeDub is set to officially unveil the truck on November 19th, just ahead of the 41st running of the big race.

Gallery: VW Touareg TDI Trophy Truck

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading LA Preview: VW to unveil diesel-powered Touareg TDI Trophy Truck

LA Preview: VW to unveil diesel-powered Touareg TDI Trophy Truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Review: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUV, Volkswagen

VW Touareg V10 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the Volkswagen Touareg first arrived around five years ago, the SUV became the first production home to Volkswagen's then-new V10 TDI engine. However, as the old saw goes, "Time waits for no man"... or machine apparently. After a relatively short run, Volkswagen's 5.0L V10 turbodiesel is soon being consigned to the scrap heap of history. Increasingly stringent emissions requirements have meant that the V10 could only be sold in 45 states for the last two years with sales in the large market of California being verboten.

The Touareg will, of course, live on, and the TDI version will be transformed early next year into a new 50-state legal version using the same 3.0L diesel V6 that propels the Q7 we drove during the recent Audi Mileage Marathon. The Touareg itself was not only the first application for the diesel V10, it was also Volkswagen's first SUV. The architecture of the Touareg was developed in cooperation with long-time "friend" Porsche who happen to use the same platform for its Cayenne. Later, Audi popped out its own longer wheelbase variant as the Q7. Find out what it's like to live with this lame duck diesel beast after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI

Continue reading Review: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI

Review: 2008 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

eBay Find of the Day: Volkswagen Touareg Harley-Davidson edition

Noah Joseph — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Auctions, Volkswagen, Motorcycle, Specialty

Click to view the Harley edition Touareg in our gallery

Volkswagen and Harley-Davidson are two motor companies with highly recognized images, but those images don't much overlap. That is, until now: someone has cooked up his own Harley edition Touareg. But while the special badging might look at home on a Ford F-150, it doesn't quite fit on a VW.

Aside from the emblems affixed to the wheels, grille, tailgate, sill plates and steering wheel, there's really nothing that makes this any different from any other 2004 model Touareg. It's got 42k miles on the odometer and a rich brown saddle leather interior, and with four days remaining 'till the digital hammer drops, bidding is up to $13,600. An actual Harley, and any measure of good taste, are not included.

Gallery: Volkswagen Touareg Harley-Davidson edition

[Source: eBay Motors via Motive]

eBay Find of the Day: Volkswagen Touareg Harley-Davidson edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 May 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Roundup: Abt Sportsline at the Essen Motor Show

Alex Nunez — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:51:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, SUV, Europe, Supercars, Audi, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for a gallery of Abt's Essen roster

German tuning house Abt Sportsline brought everything and the kitchen sink to the Essen Motor Show, and rather than present it piecemeal, we figured we'd put the whole megillah out for you in one shot. From A4 to Touareg, the latest hardware from VW and Audi has been worked over with appearance and suspension mods. Most boast notable power upgrades as well. Yes, we'll even revisit the (unfortunately) red-and-green-trimmed Abt R8, which we first talked about last week. If you're looking for a Christmas-themed supercar, or if you're a really nostalgic New Jersey Devils fan, it might just fit the bill.

Follow the jump for the rundown on all things Abt at Essen.

[Source: Abt Sportsline]

Gallery: Abt Sportsline: Essen 2007 Lineup

Continue reading Roundup: Abt Sportsline at the Essen Motor Show

Roundup: Abt Sportsline at the Essen Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Bourne Ultimatum: Product placement done right

John Neff — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Volkswagen

We were well aware of Volkswagen's placement in The Bourne Ultimatum thanks to press releases out of Wolfsburg that prepared us for an epic car chase involving a Touareg 2. When an automaker brags about its product placement, we usually start worrying that the movie will be overrun with subliminal adverts. For instance, before Michael Bay went shopping for actors at General Motors, there was the all-GM highway scene in Matrix Reloaded. The heavy-handedness of such product placement that GM seems to favor can instantly take a moviegoer out of the moment, so we were justifiably nervous to see the VW Touareg 2 make its big screen debut.

I've just returned from seeing The Bourne Ultimatum and can report that Volkswagen's product placement was very understated and tastefully done. The climactic car chase involving the Touareg 2 was incredible to watch (and sounded even better), but the fact you're watching a VW is hardly noticed since a fender bender early on completely rips off the Touareg's grille, taking the VW emblem with it. Likewise, Jason Bourne's world isn't populated entirely by late model VW, Audi and Lamborgini vehicles. A last-gen Lincoln Navigator figures prominently, as does a Chevy Impala cop car and many older Chrysler 300Ms.

There were two other vehicles in the movie that VW no doubt paid to have placed. One is a European spec Golf GT Sport briefly driven by Julia Stiles' character, and the other a previous-gen Audi A6. Both are onscreen for a short time only, and the fact the A6 is not the current generation model makes its placement even less noticeable.

While most marketers can't argue with the effectiveness of GM's overwhelming product placement in Transformers, regardless of how it negatively affected the viewing experience, we felt VW deserved an extra mention for its welcomed restraint in The Bourne Ultimatum.

The Bourne Ultimatum: Product placement done right originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE: In the Autoblog Garage Day 5

Chris Paukert — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUV

Land Rover's Range Rover Sport borrows liberally from the Green Oval's internecine parts bin, and as such, it's got some work to do to justify its premium pricepoint. As laid out in 'Day 1-2' and 'Day 3-4', we've established that the newest Landie cribs the lion's share of its mechanicals from the significantly less-expensive LR3, while trading on the big daddy Range Rover's aesthetics and badge. But beyond the obvious styling ace it possesses, Rover pledges a more visceral steer and a bit more on-road competence. Indeed, the Supercharged iteration appears to make good on the promised bravado-- it's the fastest production vehicle the company has ever built... capable of a fairly remarkable 140 mph, and possessing trick bits like actively-manipulated front and rear sway bars to enable flatter cornering. But the Roots [blower] rockin' iteration whacks wallets to the tune of $70,000, and that's only about $5,000 shy of the Big Kahuna. And besides, we've got the HSE.

(Lots more photographs and the Sports' final judgement after the jump!)

Continue reading 2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE: In the Autoblog Garage Day 5

2006 Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE: In the Autoblog Garage Day 5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments