2011 Volkswagen Touareg - Review

By Tim Healey

Tim Healey

Contributing Writer BIO

Tim Healey was formerly an associate editor at Consumer Guide Automotive in Chicago. Before that he worked in the automotive industry as a service... More

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2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

Saddled with perhaps the oddest name in all of the automotive kingdom, the Volkswagen Touareg nevertheless gets a refresh for 2011, adding Volkswagen's first-ever hybrid powertrain to the mix.

Volkswagen's previous approach to alternative fuels has been focused on diesel. And that hasn't changed: A TDI clean-diesel model of the Touareg is still available.

That TDI is one of three engines. There is a conventional gasoline V-6 (3.6-liter, 280-horsepower) unit, the clean-diesel 3.0-liter V-6 TDI that makes 225 horsepower, and then the new Hybrid, which combines a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with an electric traction motor for total power of 380 horsepower.

All three Touareg models use a new eight-speed automatic transmission. In the hybrid model, the electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and the transmission, with clutches on either end so that the electric motor can power the vehicle by itself under light load, at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.

I had the chance for a brief drive in both the Hybrid and the V-6 last fall (no TDIs were on hand).

All-wheel-drive is standard (although low-range gearing is now gone, sadly), and the Touareg, like most aging folks, has gained some size for 2011. Length is extended by 1.6 inches overall (1.5 of that in the wheelbase) and it is now a half-inch taller.

My first reaction to the 2011 VW Touareg was to note how nice the interior is. Upscale pricing ($44,450 for the V-6, $47,950 for the TDI, and $60,565 for the Hybrid) demand an upscale cabin, and the Touareg has that, with nicely finished materials that are pleasing to the eye and feel like they're worth the dough.

There's plenty of legroom for taller drivers, and overall, the cockpit is a comfortable place to do business.

The Touareg Hybrid ain't light, and it feels every bit of its weight on the road. It's deliberate in its motions, but thanks to the 380 horses and 428 lb-ft of torque, it scoots out from a stop nicely.