(continued from above)
To truly show the road ahead, the 2012 Touareg model range features the
world's first supercharged gasoline hybrid, packing the punch of a V8 with the
fuel efficiency of a V6 - and, at speeds up to 30 mph, the zero emissions of an
electric car.
And while other automakers decide whether to offer diesel
powertrains for their SUVs, the 2012 Touareg TDI Clean Diesel is already on the
highway, averaging 28 mpg on the highway and covering over 700 miles on each
tank of ultra-low-sulfur diesel.
New for 2012
As the
Touareg was re-designed and re-engineered for the 2011 model year, changes for
2012 are limited to new equipment packages and additional features.
The
VR6 and TDI Clean Diesel lines are now available with a new Touareg Sport with
Navigation model that adds a sophisticated RNS 850 navigation system with an
eight-inch color touchscreen, 60GB hard drive and Park Distance Control.
For 2012, the VR6 and TDI Clean Diesel Sport gain a touchscreen radio with
in-dash six-CD changer.
Exterior Design
The Touareg has
always had an imposing curbside presence thanks to its sleek profile and wide,
dynamic stance. This appearance has been reinforced by the second-generation
model, which is even lower and wider. It's longer too, adding an extra 1.6
inches, and features an extended wheelbase - by 1.5 inches - to provide more
rear-seat legroom.
In reshaping the Touareg, Volkswagen's design team set
out to give the new SUV a crisper, sleeker, more aerodynamic look based on the
new Volkswagen Design DNA. This includes the horizontal front-end theme you see
in the latest Golf and Jetta, and that ended up in the Eos and all-new Passat,
as well the Touareg's smaller sibling, the 2012 Tiguan.
Key design
elements, which have also inspired the look of the Tiguan, include a narrower
grille, featuring twin chrome-faced strips that connect seamlessly to new
trapezoidal headlight housings. These feature a dramatic U-shaped ring of
bright-white LED daytime running lights along with Bi-Xenon high intensity
gas-discharged headlamps.
The horizontal theme continues in the sleeker,
body-colored front bumper with its large, U-shaped, chrome-ringed air intake and
large side intakes.
The new hood features a bold raised section that runs
from the grille back to the windscreen A-pillars, adding to the strong,
muscular, front-end face.
At the back, the new Touareg is defined with
pronounced curves around the hatch area, new 'L-Design' taillights, and a
blacked-out lower rear spoiler with a set of stunning, triangular-shaped chrome
exhaust tips.
Thanks to the Touareg's lowered body height, short
overhangs, and clean, simple surfaces, the car doesn't appear excessively large.
Contributing to the seemingly smaller size are features like a broad,
full-length chrome side-strip at the base of the doors, black-painted side
window frames, and large wheels.
Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI: Review (2/2)
