Volkswagen Intros New R-Line Sport Package for Touareg SUV

Volkswagen Touareg shoppers now have one more box to tick on the options list as the German automaker has released the third and final R-Line package for the luxury SUV model, aptly called 'Exterior'. As its name suggests, the new package gives the Touareg a more aggressive appearance on the outside. It includes a bodykit with a front apron, chunky side skirts, a bespoke roof spoiler and a rear apron that incorporates a diffuser in a matte black finish with openings for the chrome tail pipes.

The exterior styling kit can be combined with the two other available packages, and in particular the standard R-Line, which includes 20-inch alloy wheels, a sports suspension, stainless steel door sill plates, a sports steering wheel with decorative inserts in piano black, stainless steel pedals and aluminum trim on the dashboard, and the R-Line Plus that adds sports seats in a two-tone leather finish.

The R-Line Exterior package is available on all models except the Hybrid, and in true VW-fashion, pricing depends on the engine option with the kit costing (in Germany) €1,840 when ordered on the V8 TDI and €2,200 on the V6 petrol model.

Volkswagen Brings Some Bling to Qatar with Touareg Gold Edition and Street-Legal Race Touareg Concepts

The Volkswagen Group's Qatar Motor Show rollout continues in full force today, as the German automaker lifted the veil off two all-new SUV concept cars bearing the Touareg nameplate. The Race Touareg 3 Qatar is a street legal version of the racecar that took part in this year’s Dakar competition, while the Touareg Gold Edition is a one-of-kind special decorated with 24-carat gold parts.

So, different cars for different needs, although we’re pretty sure that there are plenty of thrill seeking sheiks with a gold fetish out there interested in buying both, should the concepts ever make it into series production.

Powered by an unspecified 310HP engine, the Race Touareg 3 is a no compromise beast capable to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than six seconds, built with know-how acquired in one of the toughest rally races in the world.

To make it road legal, Volkswagen slightly modified the 2-meter wide body and replaced the competition model’s 16-inch wheels with more appealing 18-inch BBS alloys painted in gold. The same color is found on the “Race Touareg” inscription on the vehicle’s sides, while VW claims that the “Morning Magic” white paintjob also has a slight gold shimmer to it.

Inside, the only thing left untouched from the racecar is the safety cage. Everything else was completely redesigned, as the Germans were striving to create a so-called “stealth look”. True to its driving machine designation, the Race Touareg 3 comes with Recaro bucket seats, sporty steering wheel, digital instrument panel and a sequential gearbox. Many of these elements are dressed in high quality materials, such as carbon fiber and Nappa leather.

While the Race Touareg is all about performance, the 360HP Golden Edition redefines bling with its gold-plated 22-inch wheels, roof rails, protective guard strips, window frames, mirror caps, boot sill trim and parts of the fascia. The finishing touches are represented by the same “Magic Morning” body color and “Touareg V8” inscription.

The interior is an ode to opulence with most of the dials, switches and other elements receiving the 24-carat gold treatment, complemented by Walnut Burr accents and exquisite leather. The seats are wrapped in cream Nappa leather with ornamental stitching, while the dashboard is trimmed in contrasting, natural brown leather.

VW wants to Expand its SUV Line-up, Plans to Triple U.S. Sales by 2018

Volkswagen hasn’t given up on its plans to become the world’s biggest automaker and for that it needs to sell more cars in the U.S. The Germans want to triple their American sales in the next seven years and one solution is to expand their SUV line-up in order to catch up to GM and Toyota.

“We will be looking to really grow, particularly in the compact SUV segment”, VW's U.S. chief Jonathan Browning told Bloomberg news. “Over time, I think there's also scope for growth in terms of a larger SUV within the portfolio”.

Volkswagen sold 20,946 Tiguans and 4,713 Touaregs in the U.S. last year, which is insignificant compared to the total of 3.3 million SUVs delivered in the country.

“VW is simply not a player in the American SUV segment”, said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany. “Their models aren't being recognized as sufficiently competitive”.

The automaker is exploring other means to increase its sales as well, one of them being the all-new New Mid-Size Sedan (NMS), which is set to debut at this year’s North American International Auto Show.

The yet to be named model will be assembled at the company’s new factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with deliveries programmed to start in the third quarter of 2011.

Source: Bloomberg

Wobbly Roof Spoiler Prompts Recall of 14,000+ VW Touareg SUVs

Volkswagen's U.S. division has issued a recall notice on 14,416 Touareg SUVs from the 2007-2009 model year. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, on these particular models, the fastening struts on the roof spoiler may crack, causing the spoiler to become loose and quite possibly, fall off from the vehicle without any warning at all. The German automaker said that its dealers will install reinforcement wedges to the roof edge spoiler on the affected models free of charge.

VW Releases 'Greener' Touareg BlueMotion with 225HP V6 Diesel

Blue is Volkswagen's way of saying green with the automaker applying its ecological brand to the most efficient and economical models in each range. The latest BlueMotion model is based on the Touareg SUV and is equipped with a more efficient but less powerful version of the standard car's 3.0-litre V6 TDI common rail diesel engine which develops 225HP and 550Nm (405-lbs/ft) of torque, and drives through a six-speed automatic tiptronic gearbox.

Like all BlueMotion models in the Volkswagen range, the Touareg features a number of modifications to improve fuel efficiency including revised aerodynamics, an optimized engine with a more efficient alternator, low rolling resistance tires and a 25mm lower ride height to reduce drag.

Altogether, these revisions help the Touareg BlueMotion boost fuel economy from 30.4mpg UK (23.3mpg US or 9.2lt/100km) to 34.0mpg UK (28.3mpg US or 8.3lt/100km) while cutting down CO2 emissions from 244 g/km to 219 g/km.

improved fuel efficiency and, well below the tax threshold of less than 225 g/km. Prices for the most efficient version of Volkswagen's luxury off-road vehicle start at £34,150 on the road RRP for the entry level model and rise to £37,545 for the SE.

Performance-wise, the Touareg BlueMotion is a tad slower than its standard 3.0 TDI counterpart with a 0 to 62 mph (100km/h) time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 126mph or 203km/h (vs 8.0 sec and 207km/h respectively).

Prices for the BlueMotion version of Volkswagen's luxury off-roader start in the UK at £34,150 for the entry level model and rise to £37,545 for the SE. The first examples are scheduled to arrive in showrooms in September.

Volkswagen Service Personnel make use of Virtual X-Ray Vision Tech

At some point, every child would like to be a superhero with X-ray vision. Adults too, though they would use the ability for very different purposes... Until now, only a select few, like TSA personnel, have had the opportunity to see what’s it like to have superhuman vision.

Volkswagen is changing this by introducing the “Augmented Reality” technology designed to offer its service personnel a virtual X-ray-like view of the car. According to the automaker, employees will make use of this technology to improve their training and knowledge of the cars.

“Augmented Reality” utilizes a video-based positioning software to determine the position of the image projector and viewer in relation to the studied vehicle. That means that computer-generated details can be projected with extreme precision onto the car’s body, thus giving the onlooker the opportunity to study what’s under the sheetmetal without ever opening the bonnet.

“Three-dimensional design data is projected onto the surfaces of a production vehicle, in the correct position and in perspective even from different viewing angles. This creates a kind of 'virtual x-ray vision' for the viewer, which enables them to see otherwise hidden components and structures inside the vehicle” explained Prof. Jürgen Leohold, Head of Volkswagen Group Research.

The system also allows for individual components or component designations to be placed over or, if necessary, to project other prepared animations onto the vehicle.

This technology was first used on the Touareg Hybrid, shown in the gallery below, during training sessions for importer instructors and for service training on the new Sharan as well.

The new tgechnology was developed in-house by Volkswagen Group Research and Volkswagen Service Academy and its use is going to be extended in the near future for international training, vehicle development, production planning and even marketing.

ABT Sportsline Presents Discrete Tuning Package for 2011 Volkswagen Touareg

According to ABT, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg should be tuned without diluting its distinct character. As a result, the Bavarian specialist concentrated on increasing the power of the German SUV, while keeping the exterior changes to a minimum.

“More power wouldn’t hurt with a car as diverse as this, but it was important for us that the tuning suited the characteristics of the Touareg”, the company’s general manager, Christian Abt, explained.

Tipping the scales at 2.5 tons, the Touareg is certainly no featherweight, so adding more power and torque to the mix is probably a good idea. Engineers developed the ABT Power kit for 3.0-liter diesel V6, which increases peak output from 240 hp to 282 hp. The second stage of the engine conversion is called Power S and delivers 310 hp.

Garnished with a similar power upgrade, the 4.2-liter V8 diesel also benefits from extra oomph, churning out 385 hp (+45 ponies) and an even more impressive 870 Nm (642 lb-ft) of mountain-moving torque (+70 Nm or 52 lb-ft).

As mentioned previously, exterior appointments are discrete as they are limited to a new front grille, rear wing and rear apron, alongside a 4-pipe exhaust system. ABT BR or CR wheels, which can be specified in various sizes up to 22 inches complete the finishing touch.

The new ABT Touareg – dates and facts
ABT ENGINE TECHNOLOGY
Engine: 3.0 TDI, 2967 ccm, V6
Performance tuning: ABT POWER
Performance: 282 PS/207 kW (standard: 240 PS/177 kW)
Engine: 3.0 TDI, 2967 ccm, V6
Performance tuning: ABT POWER S
Performance: 310 PS/228 kW (standard: 240 PS/177 kW)
Engine: 4.2 TDI, 4134 ccm, V8
Performance tuning: ABT POWER
Performance: 385 PS/283 kW (standard: 340 PS/250 kW)
ABT AERODYNAMICS
ABT front grille
ABT rear spoiler
ABT rear skirt
ABT EXHAUST SYSTEM
ABT 4-pipe-exhaust-system
ABT SPORTS WHEEL TECHNOLOGY
ABT BR and CR up to 22 inch

VW Touareg Supercharged V6 Hybrid 374HP with 26mpg - Production Starts in 2010

Volkswagen has published the first photos and details of the Touareg Hybrid prototype that previews a production version that will be unveiled in 2010. Unlike the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid that featured a normally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 FSI, the Touareg V6 TSI Hybrid makes use of VW's new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 TSI petrol unit that produces 333HP and is combined with a 38 kW / 52HP electric motor that is installed between the V6 TSI and a newly developed 8-speed automatic transmission.

The electric motor is powered by nickel metal-hydride battery that is charged through regenerative braking and is located under the luggage compartment. The vehicle can operate on the electric motor alone at speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph). In this case the V6 TSI is turned off, and it is disconnected from the transmission by a disengagement clutch allowing the Touareg V6 TSI Hybrid to operate with zero emissions.

When the driver requires maximum torque and power, the V6 TSI engine and the electric motor operate together (by kickdown or gearshift selector in "S" position) for a combined output of 374HP and a maximum torque of 550 Nm. In this case, the Touareg V6 TSI Hybrid prototype accelerates to 100 km/h in just 6.8 seconds. In terms of towing capacity, the hybrid version of the Touareg can haul up to 3.5 metric tons or 7,000 pounds.

Volkswagen states that the hybrid system of the Touareg was not designed to deliver pure sports car performance but to offer low emissions and fuel consumption values. According to the firm's preliminary figures, the Touareg Hybrid achieves an average fuel consumption of less than 9.0 lt / 100 km (+26.1 mpg US) with CO2 emissions less than 210 g/km.

The German carmaker claims that compared to a conventional SUV of the same size, the hybrid concept yields fuel savings of more than 25 percent in city driving and 17 percent in combined city, highway and freeway driving.