From the refined styling to dramatic weight loss to significantly improved drivetrain, Volkswagen has done a major remake of the Touareg SUV.
The 2011 Touareg offers three powertrain choices, including Volkswagen’s first-ever worldwide use of a hybrid engine. All three engines — the 3.0L V-6 TSI? supercharged hybrid, 3.0L V-6 TDI? clean diesel and 3.6L V6 FSI? gasoline — are mated to Volkswagen’s first eight-speed transmission, along with Volkswagen’s
4MOTION? all-wheel drive system. As Volkswagen’s first production hybrid electric vehicle, the all-new Touareg 3.0-liter supercharged, direct injection V-6 gasoline engine is paired with a special electric motor that significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions compared to the previous V-8 FSI model. The electric motor gets power from a nickel metal-hydride battery pack fitted beneath the luggage compartment. Both systems are capable of running independently or together and when combined, produce a total of 380 horsepower and 428-lb.ft. of torque. This means V-8 power with an estimated highway fuel economy of 25 mpg. 
The vehicle is also available with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 TDI? Clean Diesel engine, which offers class leading fuel economy (19 mpg city/28 mpg hwy EPA estimates), greater power versus a similarly-sized gasoline engine and super-clean 50 state legal emissions.
A 3.6-liter V6 FSI? gasoline engine comes standard with the 2011 model, providing smooth acceleration and all around performance offering 16 mpg city / 23 mpg hwy EPA estimates, which represents a combined 19 percent improvement over the previous model.
All Touareg models now come with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission. 7th and 8th gears are laid out as fuel-efficient overdrive gears. The 8th gear reduces engine speed by 33 percent compared to 6th gear, which reduces fuel consumption and significantly lowers emissions.
All Touareg models, regardless of the powertrain configuration, have a towing capacity of 7,700 lbs. when equipped with the factory-installed tow package.
The Touareg utilizes aluminum in its double wishbone suspension, which helped with reducing the weight of the vehicle. The vehicles 4MOTION? all-wheel drive system is mated to a rear limited-slip Torsen differential. The pairing results in a 40:60 distribution of the propulsive force between the front and rear axles to improve the?vehicles weight and efficiency while improving overall driving dynamics.
The exterior is wider and has a shorter overall height for a stronger presence. A longer wheelbase and greater length provide more room inside the cabin, while the use of new materials and other adjustments have removed approximately 350 pounds from the vehicle.
The Touareg’s interior has also been refined with a focus on comfort and functionality. Cabin noise has been reduced compared to the previous model through optimized insulation and acoustics. Both the front and rear passengers can enjoy greater legroom with the Touareg’s new overall dimensions and fully adjustable seats, while the rear seatback can be folded from a release in the luggage compartment, for more storage and convenience.
Passengers will enjoy the new optional panoramic sunroof, which is a full 350% larger than the sunroof in the previous model. A ventilated, power release wind deflector eliminates turbulence and associated noise to help ensure a quiet drive even when the sunroof is open.
A 7-inch display, located between the main gauges in the instrument cluster, provides the driver with the latest vehicle status information, including turn-by-turn navigation directions, information from the drive system in the hybrid model, and more.
