2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDI
Touareg’s a bit leaner, whole lot greener
Muskoka, Ont. – with its jagged outcroppings of rock and twisted pines, Ontario’s cottage country was chosen to showcase the 2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel since they share a target demographic—the environmentally conscientious with a love of the outdoors (and deep pockets).
My last encounter with Touareg was the wild and woolly ten-cylinder, twin turbo variant, a $100,000 behemoth blessed with 553 lb.-ft. of torque, air suspension and hill descent, a snorkel for fording streams and sporting gigantic, platter-like brake rotors that would put a Porsche to shame.
This TDI Clean Diesel Touareg is, by comparison, fairly lean, not nearly as mean but a whole lot more green.
Volkswagen is riding a wave of success with the 2009 Jetta TDI winning the Green Car Journal’s Green Car of the Year, Golf the World Car of the Year, and is only 20,000 units behind Toyota for the world’s top automaker spot. And it’s just broken ground for a new Chattanooga manufacturing plant—a confident move in these dire economic times.
One of Volkswagen’s Blue Motion vehicles - the umbrella brand encompassing all the company’s enviro-technology products - the TDI Clean Diesel Touareg is one of the most fuel efficient SUVs in the world - and is the most affordable clean diesel SUV in Canada. It arrives in showrooms in June 2009, starting at $48,975
Touareg received a facelift in 2007, and although fresher and more streamlined, it’s less distinctive and more generic - I preferred the blunt character of the original design. Nonetheless, it’s an attractive vehicle with chrome brightwork and large multi-spoke wheels. It’s available in three trim levels (Satellite radio, permanent all-wheel drive and split folding rear seats are all standard equipment).
“Comfortline” at $48,975 gives you 17-inch alloy wheels, leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel, trip computer, ESP, Auto dual zone climate control, power sunroof, roof cross rails and 10 speaker sound system with CD.
“Highline” at $57,975 adds 18-inch alloys, 12 way power seat with memory, Bi-Xenon Headlights with Adaptive Front Light System, fog lights, heated steering wheel, power liftgate, manual rear sunshade, park distance control, rain sensors and 300 watt, 11-speaker sound system.
Forking out $62,675 for the “Execline” model nets you all of the above and adds heated rear seats, keyless access with start and stop button, Blind Spot Detection System and, de rigueur for the cottage set, a Ski Sack.
Our base Comfortline’s all black leather interior is somewhat on the dour side, although materials are top quality and seating is comfortable—but manually adjusted which we found surprising on a vehicle that’s nearly $50,000.
Our second tester, a Cranberry Highline, sports plump tan saddle leather upholstery with all the electronic fixings.
The multifunction steering wheel controls audio system telephone and cruise control and the trip computer displays fuel economy (it said we averaged 10.4) and fuel range.
As we traversed washboard roads that wound through dense forest and hugged the shorelines of small ice-blue woodland lakes, we remarked on how quiet the big SUV rode. Suspension is well damped, absorbing bumps and potholes. There’s little body roll or lateral toss and there’s a secure poised feeling of grip in tight turns. To me, the steering is a bit on the light side, it’s not twitchy but there’s a disconnect between the driver and the road. I’d like to feel the pavement a little more.
Underhood, there’s a 3.0 litre V6 with 225 hp and 406 lb. of torque and it’s mated to 4Motion permanent all-wheel drive.
Gone are the days of clattering noxious diesel engines - the Touareg’s powerplant is whisper quiet. Despite the vehicle’s considerable heft -it’s easy to find yourself over the speed limit. The drive train is smooth and effortless and the six speed transmission shifts accurately and smoothly with no lag.
But the Touareg Clean Diesel’s claim to fame is its “Selective Catalytic Reduction System (SCR). This system is responsible for the Touareg’s meeting the world’s most stringent emissions standards as an Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle.
Exhaust passes through a larger oxidation catalytic converter, then through a diesel particulate filter. It’s then run by a sensor that measures nitrous oxide and then adds a solution, called AdBlue. This compound, which is 32% urea, is mixed and swirled with the exhaust gases in a “DeNOx catalytic converter”, where it breaks the gases down into ammonia and water.
The AdBlue tank is located under the spare tire and has a range of about 15,000 km. To meet environmental standards - the engine will not run without the AdBlue solution.
A series of warnings alert the driver 2500 km before running out, and each vehicle comes with 2 backup bottles good for 2500 km. each. AdBlue is topped up at regularly scheduled maintenance appointments—but if you have to use a back up bottle, it’s not much more difficult than adding washer fluid.
The Touareg TDI Clean Diesel is roughly $4,000 more than its gasoline counterpart, but I’d like to think that the foraging moose we passed in a remote swamp were grateful for our reduced impact on their environment.
Summary:
Strong Points
Weak Points
- - Fuel range
- - low emissions
- - High entry level sticker price
- - manually adjusted seats in base model
Editors Rating:
Latest News
-
1.
-
2.
-
3.
-
4.
-
5.
-
6.
-
7.
-
8.
-
9.
-
10.