With its subtle badging out of sight, and from a distance greater than 30 feet, Volkswagen's flagship Touareg Hybrid can hardly be differentiated from its entry-level Touareg V6 sibling. But pop the hood or take it for a quick spin, and the gasoline-electric utility quickly reveals itself as one of the most complex vehicles ever to grace the German automaker's showroom. Predictably, there is always downside to such technical wizardry. Comprehensive development and revolutionary components, including a large nickel metal-hydride battery pack, don't come cheap. As a result, the Touareg Hybrid is the most expensive vehicle in today's Volkswagen lineup, with a base price eclipsing the standard Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and even the Porsche Cayenne. 60,000 to put this particular Volkswagen in his or her driveway? To answer that question and to learn more about the automaker's flagship softroader, we spent a full week with it. Volkswagen's Touareg Hybrid is one very complicated machine. To best understand it, one needs to back up a few years and take into account Volkswagen's ongoing relationship with Porsche.
Before both became siblings under the umbrella of the VW Group, the two were working together to develop a hybrid on their shared first-generation SUV/crossover platform (sold as the VW Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7). Early gasoline-electric prototypes emerged in early 2009, and we were fortunate enough to get seat time in Porsche's Cayenne Hybrid prototype in March of that same year. Consumers, however, weren't allowed behind the wheel of a production Touareg Hybrid until the 2011 model year when the SUV rolled into showrooms on a shared second-generation platform (Porsche rolled out its mechanically identical Cayenne Hybrid around the same time). Volkswagen has positioned its new Hybrid at the top of its food chain. The sticker is a bit easier to swallow when consumers realize that the Hybrid arrives loaded with just about everything as standard equipment. The upgrades over lesser Touaregs include Vienna leather upholstery, walnut trim, 12-way power seats, an eight-inch touchscreen navigation system, Bluetooth audio and smartphone connectivity, panoramic moonroof, keyless access and start, 19-inch alloy wheels and much more.
This loaded Touareg Hybrid is effectively a halo model for the Volkswagen nameplate, and its low volume (less than five percent of sales) ensures its exclusivity. For lack of a better comparison, consider it today's version of the discontinued (yet memorably awesome) Touareg V10 TDI. Volkswagen touts its Touareg Hybrid as the world's first gasoline-electric hybrid with a forced induction engine. As such, combustion power comes in the form of a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 generating 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque (it's the same basic engine found under the hood of the Audi S4 and several other models). Volkswagen touts its Touareg Hybrid as the world's first gasoline-electric hybrid with a forced induction engine. The Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid's curb weight is a hefty 5,135 pounds, but the combined power rating of the system provides an impressive 380 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque. The powertrain does its best to negate the mass.
Pedal to the carpet, the five-passenger utility will hit 60 miles per hour in just over six seconds flat with very little drama, making it VW's quickest Touareg, quicker even than the aforementioned V10 TDI model. But the Touareg Hybrid isn't just a new powertrain shoehorned into an internal combustion chassis. Volkswagen has enhanced the brakes to accommodate this model's additional weight and power. The stoppers are upgraded with six-piston monobloc calipers in the front (14.2-inch rotors), and the rear wears four-piston monobloc calipers (13.0-inch rotors). The suspension, with fixed damping and a single ride height, features upper and lower control arms with coil springs up front and a multilink design with coil springs in the rear. Nineteen-inch alloy wheels wear 265/50R19 all-season tires at all four corners. We found its hybrid mannerisms predictable, its talent and poise commendable, but its fuel economy less than impressive. Based on the week we spent with Volkswagen's largest hybrid, we found its hybrid mannerisms predictable, its talent and poise commendable, but its fuel economy less than impressive.
The Hybrid boots up almost silently after a press of the start/stop button (one may also insert the key into a redundant slot in the traditional fob slot). As the electric motor and combustion engine are able to run both independently or together this Touareg will choose pure electric mode (EV) if hard acceleration is not called for and the battery pack is sufficiently charged. Volkswagen says the Touareg Hybrid is capable of cruising at up to 30 mph in EV mode, though we had trouble keeping the gasoline-fed V6 from firing up with even light pressure on the accelerator. Like its standard non-hybrid siblings, the Touareg's mid-size five-passenger cabin is very comfortable. The all-black upholstery and black dash in our tester was a bit dour and ominous looking, but the lighter wood and splashes of bright aluminum offered a welcome contrast. Adults found the second row comfortable with air vents in the center console, and the cargo area is cavernous and easy to load (kudos to VW for putting a metal scuff plate at the top of the bumper).
No comments:
Post a Comment