Due to its size, it’s obviously not meant to provide much in terms of sportiness. That doesn’t mean it is totally boring. A blown V-6 and torquey electric motor make the Touareg Hybrid shockingly quick for a large SUV, especially off the line. Still, the drivetrain doesn’t offer much sonically, particularly in low-rev cruising. This might be a valuable trait for its potential customers, but it doesn’t help the involvement score at all.
Readers of Editorial Director Tom Martin’s monthly column should be familiar with the concept of greenformance. The idea is that a vehicle can be ecologically friendly, while still being an involving, driver-oriented experience. Generally speaking, 5100-pound SUVs don’t really fit that description. Volkswagen’s latest Touareg could be set to challenge that a bit, but does the oil-burning TDI version offer a better alternative for a greenformance SUV?
While on the hunt for secret sheet metal in the European Alps, our spy photographer happened upon this Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 taking a break from some tests.
Volkswagen debuted the all new 2011 Touareg, which will be 20 percent more fuel-efficient than its predecessor. The leaps in fuel economy come from both a diesel technology, and a gasoline-electric hybrid drive.
Our spy shooter delivered these photos of the Volkswagen Touareg testing in below-zero temperatures. It looks like its ready for its debut at the North American International Auto Show, no matter how cold it gets in Detroit.