The Volkswagen Touareg is a mid-size SUV luxury crossover produced by German automaker Volkswagen since 2002 at the Volkswagen plant in Bratislava. The vehicle carries the name of the Tuareg people, a group of Berber spoken in North Africa.

Volkswagen Touareg Development

The Volkswagen Touareg was a joint project developed by the Volkswagen Group, Audi and Porsche. The aim was to create an off-road vehicle that could handle like a sports car. The team with more than 300 people, was led by Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert, and headquartered in Weissach Porsche main base, Germany. The result of the joint project is the VW Group PL71 platform shared by the Volkswagen Touareg, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7, although there is a style, equipment, and technical differences between these vehicles. The Volkswagen Touareg and Cayenne both seat five while the wheelbase stretched the Q7 can accommodate a third row for seven. The Volkswagen Touareg is built at the Volkswagen plant in Bratislava in Bratislava, Slovakia, along with the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne.

Due to demand, and exchange rates of the euro against the US dollar, as well as different pricing and environmental policies in the US, variants of V6 and V8 engines are the most of the US offer Volkswagen Touareg. Compared with other vehicles of the Volkswagen brand sold in the US, which is aimed at the mass market, Volkswagen Touareg came in better quality trims and placed in competition with other luxury crossover SUV BMW and Mercedes Benz. However, a limited number of diesel V10 TDI Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) engines were available in the 2004 model year (before being pulled for environmental reasons). They were transferred to the United States for 2006 as a “concept of emissions I (43 State issues)”.

Volkswagen Touareg First Generation

The Volkswagen Touareg comes standard with a system of driving all four wheels. An automatic locking differential progressively center, and a setting of “low end” that can be activated with the controls in the cockpit. Options to make the vehicles more capable off-road include a provision in the 4 wheels adaptive air suspension that can raise the height of the vehicle in order, and an interior switch allowing the rear differential that will block manually. Its ground clearance load level is 6.3 in (160 mm), Off Road level is 9.6 in (244 mm), and Xtra clearance 11.8 in (300 mm).

W12 (2005-2010): the 6.0-liter dual overhead cam (DOHC) engine version with 48 valves W12 was initially thought to be a limited edition model with only 500 units are expected to produce around 330 were designated for sale in Saudi Arabia, and the rest is sold in Europe. Sales were not made in the United States. Finally, the model W12 became unrestricted normal production model. Is estimated to reach 100 kilometers per hour (62.1 mph) in 5.9 seconds.

V10 TDI (2002-2010): The V10 TDI is offered in the US for a limited time in 2004, but emissions regulations forced off the market for a temporary period.

The V10 TDI returned to the US market as vehicle model 2006 year in five states. Later US models went on sale in 2006, which was consistent with the issuance of the 50 states with ultra low sulfur diesel particulate filter. Stricter emissions California Air Resources Board (CARB) standards led to the V10 TDI is canceled again in the United States. The V10 engine has been replaced by a V6 TDI engine that meets the minimum emission CARB requirements for the 2009 model year.

Volkswagen Touareg Second Generation

The Volkswagen Touareg second generation (Typ 7P5) was revealed on February 10, 2010 in Munich, and later in 2010 Beijing International Auto Show. The Volkswagen Touareg features a world first technology of the headlights of the car: the “beam glare”. (“Dynamic Light Assist” in Volkswagen). Unlike an adaptive light system road, newest system continuously and gradually not only the range of the beam, but also the pattern set. The beam pattern changes its direction continuously to the vehicles in front are not being illuminated, while the area around them is constantly illuminated at high intensity beam.

The Volkswagen Touareg was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2010, and later in the 2010 New York International Auto Show 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show. Chinese model went on sale in early 2011. 2011 Qatar Motor Show concepts (2011): Race Touareg 3 Qatar is a concept car based on the Race Touareg 3 for street use. Included gold BBS wheels 18 inches, Serpentino Gray Metallic safety cage, bucket seats Recaro racing, Matt Carbon interior trim, “Black” and “Pure Grey” from nubuck leather upholstery on seat side supports and panels doors, Titan Black Nappa leather seats -upholstered center panels, two-tone seams and silver piping on the seat covers and related items painted in red Tornado safety.

Volkswagen Touareg Gold Edition is based on Touareg V8 4.2 FSI. It included 22-inch wheels, roof rails, protective guard strips and window frames, mirror caps and frame parts air intake designed to measure, “Magic Morning” body color, accents and switches 24K gold, “Luna” color interior trim, moon roof interior Alcantara and Nappa leather seats, dashboard natural brown leather with stitching Magnolia, floor mats in natural brown with leather inserts in “Luna”. The car was unveiled at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show.

Volkswagen Touareg X (2013): This is a (1,000 units) limited version 2014 Touareg TDI Clean Diesel Lux (240PS) with 4MOTION all-wheel drive system for the US market, commemorating 10th anniversary of Volkswagen Touareg. Only included 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels “Moab” Moonlight Blue Pearl body color, LED taillights, specific badging X Touareg, Vienna leather seats Anthracite Black, black poster head supplementing a roof panoramic Solar powered, keyless entry with push start button, bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime headlights, cornering lights front and misting, RNS 850 navigation system with eight-inch touchscreen color, 60 GB hard drive and rearview camera, Bluetooth, Climatronic dual-zone air conditioning, power front seats 12 and is heated with memory driver seat and adjustable power lumbar, leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel.

Volkswagen Touareg Marketing

In Canada and the US, ads are the Volkswagen Touareg is capable of feats that other cars of Volkswagen could not meet, like go right through a snowbank, while a New Beetle got stuck. A Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI pulled a Boeing 747 as part of an advertising campaign, which holds the world record for the heaviest load towed by a passenger car. In 2007, the Day of the Innocents, Spain Volkswagen site showed a fake Touareg Cabrio convertible. The site was registered to VW’s Spanish division.

As part of the Volkswagen Touareg 2 launch campaign coinciding with the premiere of the film The Bourne Ultimatum, Volkswagen launched an interactive simulator trick that allows fans to play their own stunts online. Users can handle any of six different VW models through different explosions, while altering vehicle speed, accessories, sound effects and camera angles to make that perfect scene.

As part of the Volkswagen Touareg product launch in China, a 3 part 15 total minutes film called A Journey Beyond occurred. The film was produced by DDB Guoan, and directed by Lu Chuan. The film itself was nominated as a finalist in China Longxi Awards under the film – Craft: for best editing. As part of the National Museum of China sponsorship Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid vehicles are offered as free shuttle service – called “Museum Hopping” – between the National Museum, the Palace Museum and the National Museum of Art.

Volkswagen Touareg Motorsports

The modified Volkswagen Touareg named Stanley won the DARPA Grand Challenge 2005. Pikes Peak: VW Touareg TDI entered the race 85 of the Pikes Peak International Hill, with V10 TDI Touareg V6 TDI Touareg and driven by Ryan Arciero, Mike Miller and Chris Blais. Arciero won the race with a time of 13: 17: 703 and set a new record for the fastest split a diesel engine vehicle time. Miller finished second with a time of 13: 25: 247. Chris Blais finished third with a time of 15: 48: 312.

Baja 500: The Volkswagen Touareg 2.5L TDI R5 won a 2007 Baja 500 class with drivers Mark Miller / Ralph Pitchford (USA Africa / South).

Baja 1000: Volkswagen Touareg engine was included clean diesel 5.5 L V12 with twin Garrett turbochargers TR30R rated 550 hp (405 kW, 542 hp) and 850 Nm (627 lbf · ft), six urinated Xtrac sequential transmission, 9-inch rear axle, custom forged wheels with BFGoodrich Baja KRT beadlock tires 37×13.5×17 Fox Racing Shocks, KMC 17 “Lowrance GPS 9200, Sparco Racing seats carbon fiber are used. motor, rear-drive layout. the chassis and bodywork was designed by Arciero Miller Racing and Volkswagen Design Center California, respectively. the vehicle was unveiled at the 2008 LA Auto Show.

The Race Touareg TDI Trophy Truck ended 41st Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 race in 13th position in the Trophy Truck class. The vehicle was driven by Mark Miller.

Dakar Rally: In the 2006 Dakar Rally, VW driver Giniel de Villiers and co-driver Tina Thorner claimed second highest for a diesel model in the new Race Touareg 2. It has a shorter distance between axes as the Race Touareg original, and greater visibility. For the 2007 Dakar Rally, VW driver Mark Miller and Ralph Pitchford led the Race Touareg 2 to 4 in the overall standings. In the Central Europe Rally 2008 Carlos Sainz drove his Race Touareg 2 to victory. Finally, in the 2009 Dakar Rally, Volkswagen achieved a double. Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz copilot won the race ahead of Mark Miller and Ralph Pitchford. With only two days to go, Carlos Sainz crashed after dominating the rally for several days, preventing Volkswagen of what a result in one-two-three. Carlos Sainz won in 2010 with a 1-2-3 finish, and Nasser Al-Attiyah won by VW in 2011.

Volkswagen Touareg Awards

The Volkswagen Touareg was best luxury SUV Car and Driver magazine in 2003 Sport / Utility of the Year Motor Trend magazine 2004 “wheel” magazine Four Wheeler of the Year 2005 and 2003 Overlander 4WDOTY.

Volkswagen Touareg 2016