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Interior Features
Ignore the rugged, mud-plugging SUV image;
the 2012 Touareg is all about luxury. Witness the optional 'Vienna' leather in
Black Anthracite, Cornsilk Beige, or brand-new Saddle Brown. Or the elegant
Walnut wood accents. And the available 620-watt, 10-speaker sound system from
Danish hi-fi specialists Dynaudio. It has never been so comfortable conquering
the wilderness or maneuvering through busy city streets.
Stretching the
wheelbase has also made it easier to stretch out in the back. There's an extra
2.7 inches of knee room: with a 40/60-split rear seat that can slide forward or
back by 6.3 inches, as well as recline, there's no better vehicle for relaxing
on a road trip.
In addition to being able to carry five in comfort, the
2012 Touareg can also carry all of their luggage. Press a button on the elegant
remote key fob to release the power-lifting tailgate and there is space behind
the seats to swallow more than 32 cubic feet of cargo. Need more space? The
seatback is split 40/20/40 with each section folding to offer an array of
load-carrying possibilities. And with all sections folded, the Touareg can
squeeze-in an impressive 64 cubic feet of luggage.
To let the sun shine
in, the 2012 Touareg offers an available expansive panoramic glass sunroof.
Measuring 57 inches long and 39 inches wide, it's a full 350 percent larger than
the sunroof in the previous model. It is so big that this tilt/slide roof
occupies almost the entire roof area above the occupants, thus conveying a
unique feeling of open space.
To cut all light, the optional panoramic
sunroof is equipped with a power sunshade. The panoramic sunroof is standard in
the Lux and Executive models, as well as the Touareg Hybrid.
For the
driver, the 2012 Touareg offers the finest of workplaces. A new seat design
offers more side and under-thigh support along with up to 12-way power
adjustment. And, for more interior comfort headroom in the front (and rear) has
been improved.
Volkswagen instruments set the standard for simplicity and
clarity, and the Touareg's oversized speedometer and tachometer are no
exception: Crisp, easy-to-read numbers, red needles, no clutter. And mounted
between the dials is a seven-inch color, high-resolution display providing the
driver with the latest vehicle status information, including fuel range,
turn-by-turn navigation directions, information from the drive system in the
Hybrid model, and much more.
Mounted in the center of the fascia is
either Volkswagen's RCD 550 sound system or premium RNS 850 touchscreen
navigation system. It features a crystal-clear eight-inch screen, with a DVD/CD
player that has MP3 playback capabilities and Satellite/FM/AM stereo. A cool
feature of the unit's navigation system is that it can display maps and
directions in a high-definition 3D view. To store music, the system features a
60GB hard drive with 18GB of space available to upload media. Located in the
glovebox is access for an iPod device or auxiliary input, SD cards and a DVD
drive.
For true audiophiles, or those who like to play their music just
plain loud, there's an available 620-watt Dynaudio sound system with 10 premium
speakers (four tweeters, two midrange, four woofers) and DSP (Digital Signal
Processing) technology. It rocks.
And the 2012 Touareg's cabin delivers
interior quality at its finest. From its soft-touch, low-gloss plastics, to its
'Vienna' leather, to its Walnut veneers and brushed metal trim, it delivers a
true premium experience.
Engines and Transmissions
The 2012
Touareg offers a choice of three highly-advanced powertrains that each offer
unique driving characteristics.
The 3.6-liter V6 FSI gasoline engine is
one of the most powerful that Volkswagen builds. With double overhead camshafts,
four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing and direct fuel injection, it
produces 280 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. Exceptionally quiet and
refined, it delivers impressive off-the-line acceleration, strong mid-range
response for fast, safe passing, and relaxed high-speed cruising.
Coupled
with the eight-speed automatic transmission that's standard on all 2012 Touareg
models, the Touareg V6 FSI has seen real gains in fuel economy. The
EPA-estimated 23 mpg highway/16 mpg city represents a combined 19 per cent
improvement over the previous model.
The 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine
powering the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel is acknowledged as one of the world's
great engines. It's the engine that powered the Touareg TDI of Rainer Zietlow
and his team on the recent TDI-Panamericana Challenge, setting a new world
record of 11 days, 17 hours and 22 minutes for the grueling 16,000-mile drive
from Argentina to Alaska.
This six-cylinder turbocharged powerhouse
produces 225 horsepower and a mighty 406 lb-ft of torque from just 1750 rpm. It
also delivers an EPA-estimated 28 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in city driving.
That means up to 728 miles of driving on one tank of ultra-low-sulfur clean
diesel.
To achieve its 50-state-legal emissions qualification, a deNOx
catalytic converter, augmented by a special injection system that sprays AdBlue
into the exhaust, helps reduce NOx emissions by up to 90 per cent. This lets the
engine meet the Tier 2, Bin 5/ULEV II standards imposed across all 50 U.S.
states.
Like the Touareg V6, the TDI Clean Diesel comes standard with an
eight-speed automatic transmission. A first in the SUV market, this new
transmission configures seventh and eighth gears as fuel-efficient overdrives:
top gear reduces engine rpms by 33 percent over sixth gear. (The car's maximum
speed is reached in sixth gear.) In addition to offering significant fuel
economy benefits, it makes for quieter, more relaxed highway cruising.
The transmission also features Tiptronic manual control along with Sport mode,
and a Dynamic Shift Program (DSP) that adapts to the driver's individual style
and adjusts the shift points accordingly.
Suspension
The
design changes for the Touareg included an increased use of aluminum. This
contributed to the impressive 300-pound-plus weight reduction - 366 pounds for
the Touareg 3.6 V6 FSI and 330 pounds with the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel -
compared to the previous versions.
Shaving this amount of weight has had
the benefit of making the new Touareg feel more agile and responsive, delivering
a more precise driving experience.
For this second-generation Touareg,
Volkswagen engineers further developed its all-independent suspension. The basic
layout, however, remains the same, with control arms at the front and rear. To
save weight, the upper links are made from lightweight aluminum with the robust
lower links made from steel. Long-travel steel coil springs are used at each
wheel.
4Motion permanent all-wheel drive is standard on all 2012 Touareg
trim lines. The system features a rear limited-slip Torsen differential that
splits the available torque 40 per cent front and 60 per cent rear for balanced
on- and off-road driving.
Variable-ratio power steering gives a precise,
responsive feel to the Touareg's helm, requiring 2.6 turns to go from lock to
lock.
Wheel choices are dependent on each individual Touareg model. The
Sport comes standard with the 10-spoke 18-inch Tacora wheel fitted with 255/55
R18 all-season tires. The Lux and Hybrid feature 19-inch, five-spoke Everest
rims with 265/50 R19 tires. The Executive model has 20-inch Pikes Peak wheels
with 275/45 R20 tires.
Safety and Security
The 2012 Touareg
offers an impressive number of standard active and passive safety features to
help keep driver and passengers safe.
Passive safety features include six
airbags, including Side Curtain Protection head airbags for the front and rear
outboard occupants, and front and thorax units for the driver and front
passenger.
The line-up of active systems include an advanced Rollover
Sensor System that monitors the vehicle's turning angle and speed, which can
help detect a possible rollover situation. If it determines a rollover hazard is
present, it deploys the side curtain airbags to help reduce the risk of injury.
There's also a next-generation Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Brake
Disc Wiping to help keep the pads dry so as to optimize braking when it's
raining, and Volkswagen's advanced Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.
The Touareg features Volkswagen's Intelligent Crash Response System that
automatically unlocks all the doors, disables the fuel pump, and turns on the
hazard lights in the event of certain types of collision.
Finally there's
the peace of mind of Volkswagen's no-charge Carefree Maintenance Program. All
scheduled maintenance is covered for the length of the New Car Limited Warranty
- three years, or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.
2012 Touareg
Trims: Sport, Sport with Navigation, Lux, and Executive
The 2012
Touareg line-up is kept simple by offering customers a choice of four trim
levels - Sport, Sport with Navigation, Lux, and Executive - with either 3.6 VR6
gasoline or 3.0 TDI Clean Diesel power. The Touareg Hybrid is a stand-alone
model.
Sport
Priced from $42,975 ($46,475 for TDI), the
Sport features 4Motion all-wheel drive; eight-speed automatic transmission;
18-inch Tacora aluminum-alloy wheels; chrome rectangular tail pipes; silver roof
rails; power adjustable exterior side mirrors; Bi-Xenon headlights with LED
daytime running lights; front fog and cornering lamps; Bluetooth; satellite
radio; Climatronic dual-zone air conditioning; touchscreen radio with
eight-speaker sound system, six-disc CD changer, MDI with iPod cable; eight-way
powered and heated front seats with V-Tex leatherette seat covering;
leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel with manually adjustable steering
column; 40/20/40-split rear seat; leather shift knob; four 12-volt power outlets
and one 115-volt outlet; remote opening and closing power tailgate with closing
assist; power locks; cruise control; Homelink; silver metallic interior trim
inlays; black high-gloss center console; tire-pressure monitoring.
Sport with Navigation
Priced from $44,995 ($48,495 for TDI), this
adds a sophisticated RNS 850 navigation system with an eight-inch color
touchscreen, 60GB hard drive and Park Distance Control.
Lux
Priced from $48,855 ($52,355 for the TDI), this adds: 19-inch Everest
aluminum-alloy wheels; panoramic powered sunroof; heated power-adjustable
exterior side mirrors with memory; walnut interior inlays; wood center console;
Vienna leather seating surfaces covering; 12-way power front seats with driver
seat memory and power adjustable lumbar; electric rear seat release switches in
trunk.
Executive
Priced from $54,255 ($57,755 for the TDI),
this adds 20-inch Pikes Peak aluminum-alloy wheels, heated multifunction
steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, keyless entry with push-button
start, Park Distance Control, Dynaudio premium sound system.
Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications