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NCTD.com Preview of Touareg
2004 Volkswagen Touareg
By J.P. Vettraino
On Sale: Summer 2003
Expected Pricing: $34,900-$50,000
Look no further than the Touareg for proof that Volkswagen is no longer reserved for small, value-laden, relatively inexpensive automobiles. Touareg (pronounced "Tour-regg") will be the largest, most expensive vehicle Volkswagen has ever sold in the United States.
The six-cylinder Touareg 3.2 starts at $34,900, while the V8-powered Touareg 4.2 lists at $40,700. Add all the preferred options and you'll likely crack the $50,000 barrier. Touareg is priced like a luxury-brand vehicle, so the question is whether VW can compete with luxury brands.
It appears the answer may be yes, judging by what we saw at the L.A. Auto Show and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The 2004 Volkswagen Touareg is crisply sculpted, with gem-like build quality and a richly finished interior.
When it goes on sale this summer, Touareg will be offered with two potent engines and a long list of luxury features. It has a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system with a locking center differential, and it shares engineering heritage with nothing less than the upcoming Porsche Cayenne.
Volkswagen executives like to call Touareg the SU-VW, insisting its "Drivers Wanted" advertising campaign fits perfectly. They aren't apologetic about Touareg's lofty price. VW's press literature describes the Touareg this way:
"In both optical and technical terms, Touareg redefines the top end of the SUV segment, combining the characteristics of a high-class off-road vehicle with the comfort features of a saloon (sedan) and the dynamic attributes of a sports car in a new vehicle philosophy."
Let's decipher. With car-like unitbody construction and smooth, all-season tires, Touareg is by no means a pure off-roader or work truck in the classic building-contractor sense. On the other hand, it appears to have more than enough "utility" and all-terrain traction to easily handle unpaved trails through the woods, haul furniture or appliances, and tow a good-sized boat (maximum towing capacity is 7700 pounds). The emphasis here is moving five occupants in style and comfort, with outstanding performance on pavement, where the vast majority of SUV owners spend all their time.
"Redefines" is an overstatement as Touareg is cast in the mold of several existing SUVs, such as the BMW X5, or perhaps more appropriately, Porsche's Cayenne. Indeed, Touareg and Cayenne were developed jointly by their respective manufacturers, primarily with Porsche's engineering staff and VW's money. The two worked together creating the basic platform and suspension. Styling, interiors, engines and final tuning were the domain of the individual companies.
How big is Touareg? With a 112.4-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 187.1 inches, it's about four inches longer than BMW's X5 and eight inches shorter than the ultra-expensive Range Rover. At a curb weight of 4903 pounds, Touareg tips the scale roughly halfway between the two. For comparison, Touareg weighs nearly twice as much as a VW Golf hatchback, and that's after applying aluminum or plastic in a number of places where steel is traditionally used.
Touareg is good looking inside and out. There's a familial resemblance with Volkswagen cars, and from a distance the Touareg's shape belies its heft. The interior in particular has luxury-car finish and texture. It's warm in appearance, with real wood accents, and effectively laid out. There's comfortable space for five adults, and therein lies a potential problem on the showroom floor. Touareg does not offer a third-row seat, a feature that's increasingly common in Japanese- and U.S.-brand SUVS.
VW engineers contend that a vehicle with the heft to accommodate a third seat would detract from the superior driving dynamics they sought, and we presume that there are more than enough "drivers" who agree.
Touareg comes standard with double-wishbone independent suspension at all four corners, controlled by conventional coil springs. That's a sports sedan-like suspension that's a rarity among SUVs. An optional Continuous Damping Control air suspension allows more maximum ground clearance (11.8 inches vs. 9.3). The air suspension allows the driver to manually select ride height for off-road use; in automatic mode, CDC automatically lowers the Touareg as speed increases for improved handling on the road.
Touareg's 3.2-liter V6 makes 220 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, while the 4.2-liter V8 delivers 310 horses and 302 lb.-ft. In both cases, the output figures are near the top of the class. Power is delivered through a six-speed automatic transmission (an SUV first) and an electronically managed all-wheel drive system called 4XMotion. The center differential delivers power to the front or rear axles according to the level of traction available under each, with a range up to 100 percent power front or rear. It can be locked at the default torque split of 50/50 front and rear for particularly slimy conditions.
Volkswagen says the V8 Touareg can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in fewer than 8 seconds, with a top speed limited at 140 mph. That's more than fast enough to keep the most demanding drivers happy.
Luxury features include true four-zone climate control that allows "significant" temperature variance among the four outboard seating positions, an integrated navigation/telephone/entertainment package with a seven-inch in-dash monitor and keyless entry and starting.
Every static evaluation suggests Touareg is an impressive vehicle, with serious appeal in a fat part of the market. Those who have driven pre-production test models say it's outstanding, and some wonder how Porsche expects to sell Cayennes for considerably more money. Porsche Cayenne Turbo is expected to retail for $88,900, more than twice the price of the least-expensive Touareg.
On the other hand, the world expects Porsches to be expensive. Americans, and particularly Baby Boomers, who still associate Volkswagen with the original Beetle or Rabbit, might balk at the idea of a $50,000 VW. And if you think $50,000 is expensive for the company that brought us the Bug, wait until later in 2003. That's when Volkswagen will introduce its new Phaeton, a large luxury sedan created to go head to head with the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7-Series, priced into the $70,000 range.
Volkswagen doesn't seem to be worried. It's making the transition from what we once called economy cars to a full range of vehicles, from reasonably priced, well-equipped Golf subcompacts to the innovative Passat W8 sedan to the luxurious Phaeton. All indicators suggest Touareg is premium SUV. We see no reason buyers won't bite.
1-800-DRIVE-VW
www.vw.com
