The 2012 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI is a five-passenger midsize SUV with a rich relative-the Porsche Cayenne. The 2012 Volkswagen Touareg is available in four models: Sport, Lux, Executive, and Hybrid. Sport and Lux models offer a choice between a 280-horsepower, 3.6-liter V6 engine or a 225-horsepower, 3.0-liter TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection) V6, Executive models are powered by the 3.6-liter V6, and Hybrid models feature a supercharged, 3.0-liter V6 paired with a 47-hp electric motor for a combined power output of 380 horsepower. All Volkswagen Touareg powertrains are matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission that powers Volkswagen's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system.
The 2012 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI range includes four engines, but at 60k apiece, the thirsty 3.0 V6 hybrid and 4.2 TDI V8, are of minor interest. For most UK buyers, it's a choice between two 3.0-litre diesels. The basic motor produces 201bhp and does 62mph in 9sec but we splashed out 1615 on the 242bhp version that lops 1.2sec from that standing start time for a meagre 1mpg penalty. And speaking of mpg, its claimed 39mpg combined fuel figure is nearly 10mpg better than my old Range Rover Sport diesel's, thanks to a kerbweight some 400kg lower.
Common sense suggests we should have gone for the basic SE spec: heated leather trim, navigation, Bluetooth and an eight-speed 'box are all standard for 40,155. There's an off-road-themed Escape version too, but to sample the version most UK buyers will choose, we stumped up another 2525 for the sporty Altitude. The colour palette is about as varied as food choices in a 1970s Warsaw supermarket, but the metal-look dash trim does differentiate it from the warmer wood decoration of the SE.
More Pictures of 2012 Volkswagen Touareg
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