Touareg gets a V-10 Diesel

We were more than impressed when we first tested the mid-size luxury SUV Volkswagen Touareg in October 2003. Touareg is easily one of the best luxury SUVs on road and, other than the line-up from Land Rover, it out-performs everything in its class off-road. Not bad for VW's first true off-roader.

While some manufacturers are aggressively moving forward with hybrid vehicles, Volkswagen is leading the resurgence of the diesel, available in no less than five models, each racking up impressive miles per gallon.

Diesels aren't as popular here as they are in Europe and the rest of the world, despite the fact that their performance and economy significantly exceeds that of many of their gasoline counterparts. Gone are the days of slow, noisy, sooty diesels chugging along just ahead of a cloud of black smoke.

The new diesel technology is one of the most exciting and promising fuel solutions available to drivers today and yet goes relatively unnoticed and unappreciated. Somewhere around four percent of passenger vehicles in the U.S. are diesel-powered, compared to more than 40 percent in Europe. Diesel engines are anywhere from 20 to 40 percent more fuel efficient than gasoline engines, yet have an uncertain future because of U.S. emission requirements. Five states have outlawed the sale of diesel engines in passenger vehicles, Arizona excluded from that list.

We recently tested several of the new technology diesels, the Touareg TDI, with its powerful twin turbo-diesel 310-horsepower V-10 engine, being one of them. With 553 pound-feet torque, our tester flat out flies. Mileage is rated at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway, a 25 percent improvement when compared to the gas-powered V-8 Touareg that delivers a dismal 14 mpg city and 17 mpg highway. The diesel seems clearly a better fit for powering the Touareg, versus the gas-powered V-6 or V-8 models.

We drove our diesel-powered Touareg to Flagstaff, and noticed where other vehicles were gasping for air, our Vee-Dub didn't even break a sweat. The V-10 delivers all this effortless power through a six-speed sequential Tiptronic transmission and 4XMOTION four-wheel drive. The six-speed Tiptronic automatic can also be shifted manually, a bonus for off-road enthusiasts.

Touareg's four-wheel drive system works together with hill descent control, hill climb assist and a vehicle stability control program. Hill climb assist works by applying the brakes to all wheels when you take your foot off the accelerator when driving up a hill. Combined, its one of the most capable off-road vehicle on the market today.

Gone too is the clatter and smoke often associated with diesel engines. There is a hint of clatter when first starting the engine but it was the only hint that I was operating a diesel-powered vehicle. The only potential giveaway is the "V-10" chrome badging on the rear liftgate, but nowhere does the word "diesel" appear.

Of course, the Touareg pampers its occupants with a luxurious cabin appointed with ample amounts of highly polished wood, Nappa leather seating and brushed aluminum trim similar to that found in Volkswagen's $100,000 luxury car, the Phaeton.

All this doesn't come cheap. The V-10 model starts at a whopping $58,490, although it is well equipped. A V-6 240-horsepower model is available starting at $37,140 and a V-8 310-horsepower at $44,260.

All Touareg models come standard with permanent all-wheel-drive systems, electronic stability program, adaptive torque distribution, four-wheel anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and emergency brake assist.

Standard safety features include front, side-impact, and curtain airbags for head protection in a side impact or rollover. Touareg earned a four-star rating from the federal government (NHTSA) in its frontal crash test and the highest, five star rating in its side-impact crash tests. Another neat feature, Touareg senses when an accident has occurred and automatically unlocks the doors, disconnects the battery, and turns on the warning flashers.

The V-10 TDI model comes standard with four-wheel air-suspension system, which automatically adjusts the firmness of the ride and height according to driving conditions. This system can also be operated manually.

Our test vehicle had an impressive overall build quality with fit and finish first rate. The vehicle had nearly 12,000 miles when it was delivered, mostly used by journalists, who generally put them to a full test. Yet, it was quiet, rattle free and everything worked perfectly.

Is the V-10 TDI Touareg worth the $65,255 list price of our tester? It is expensive but in the same price range of BMW X5 4.6i, Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG and Porsche Cayenne S, which shares the same platform. It's certainly not a bargain but should have some appeal for those who are shopping these vehicles.

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