VWs Touareg To Get Well-Deserved 280-HP VR6
Touareg Photos
The Porsche-Audi-Volkswagen SUV Trinity To Be Updated
For those not in the know, or others who may have outright forgotten, the most basic Volkswagen Touareg is powered by a 3.2-liter 15-degree (narrow-angle) V6, known to most as the VR6. It produces 240-horsepower, and has been used to power many other Volkswagens including the R32, Audi TT and A3 3.2 (250-hp), the European-market Passat not to mention the very rare New Beetle RSi.
The VR6 has a rich history, which spanned the better part of the 90s, powering most everything from the Golf to the sporty but long-dead Corrado. With the exception of the base model Phaeton, unavailable in North America, and the 2000 through 2003 Eurovan, a trend has emerged: the VR6 is Volkswagens choice engine for providing considerable amounts of power to relatively lightweight automobiles.
Without any particular stretch of the imagination, the 3.2-liter unit found under the Touaregs hood is a bit overtaxed, considering the curb weight of this big, two and a half ton, leather-lined Safari cruiser. The spec sheet confirms; even with a six-speed automatic, the burden on the motor is great, taking 9.2 seconds to reach 60 mph.
So, Volkswagen has done what the masses have begged for from the start - added a more powerful base engine. Starting soon, Volkswagen will replace the old VR6 with an all-new, slightly larger displacement 3.6-liter VR6, which made its debut in the top of the line Passat. Not only does the replacement engine have a 0.4-liter advantage over the old engine, but it also features FSI direct injection, as well as variable valve timing and a variable intake manifold. This makes for a significant improvement in power, up by 40-horsepower and 37 lb-ft of torque. With the new, larger engine, fuel economy is nearly as good as that in the smaller engine, delivering 17 mpg on a mix between city and highway driving.
The Touareg is also expected to receive a facelift within a years time. The new, 2007 model has been spied, undisguised, in cold-weather testing wearing new teardrop-style headlamps, new tail lamps that mimic the luxurious Phaeton, as well as new lower fascias all around. Inside, Volkswagen has planned minor revisions which include a reworked center console, as well as new instruments. These changes mirror similar ones expected to show up on its Porsche Cayenne sister-ship. Expect the new engine to debut with the facelifted car later this year; possibly in New York, or even as a last-minute offering at Geneva.
In other related news, the Audi Q7, which is loosely based off the Touareg/Cayenne architecture, but with seven seats and without the added weight of the off-road specified undercarriage, may also feature the new engine. At its North American debut in Detroit, Audi announced that base-model Q7s would use the 3.2-liter FSI V6 engine in the A4 and A6. At 255-horsepower, it seemed plenty, that is, until the announcement of the more powerful Touareg VR6. In order not to be out-classed by its lower brand, it would make logical sense for Audi to adapt the more powerful FSI VR6 engine to the new Q7.
Aside from the standard V6 and V8 offerings that most premium luxury SUVs now offer, Audi intends to buck the trend by offering not one but two alternative fuel options for the Q7 in order to increase brand awareness and improve the SUVs appeal. Audi has shown its intentions to produce a gasoline-electric hybrid version in a special prototype-concept form, which is said to be on its way. The big surprise, however, is that Audi will also ship over a turbodiesel variant, most likely the 3.0-liter TDI V6 engine from its European lineup. While the diesel is important for Audi, it wont be as much of a statement as Volkswagens 5.0-liter V10 turbodiesel Touareg. Both the hybrid and the diesel are expected to arrive in 2008.
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