Future options will include a direct injection, twin-turbo 5.0-L V10 diesel engine producing 313 horsepower and over 550 lb-ft of torque, while delivering a thrifty 12.2-liter per 100 kilometers. Maximum torque will arrive at only 2,000 rpm. The addition of a high-powered diesel will definitely catch the attention of many people seeking ultra reliability, torque and driving range.
 |
| A twin-turbo 5.0-L V10 diesel engine producing 313 horsepower and over 550 lb-ft of torque will be a future optional power plant for the Touareg. (Photo: Volkswagen AG) |
I, for one, feel that midsize, car-like SUVs are the way to go. They can offer all the comfort and driving pleasure of a sport sedan, plus limitless versatility and all-weather safety. Although Volkswagen's shining example of doing-it-right may be priced out of many-a-purchasers' ballpark, the spin-off technology will eventually benefit us all as the ripple effect takes hold. The only fly in the Touareg ointment, so to speak, is mediocre fuel efficiency, likely a direct consequence of the model's substantial curb weight, reaching a hefty 2,404 kg (5,300 lb) in the heavily optioned V8 version.
 |
| The sharply styled luxuriously appointed Touareg proves just how far Volkswagen has come since the Microbus. (Photo: Volkswagen AG) |
The early reviews, confirming what specifications and print materials have already told us, state that the Touareg is just about everything to everyone. It is a sharply styled luxo-cruiser for the Wall Street crowd and a highly competent extremely well performing off-road vehicle for the outdoor adventurer. I doubt though, that we'll see this VW coveted by the tree-hugger society the way the microbus once was. But by well-heeled families, it just might be the ultimate folks wagon.