2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport is a lot of car for a lot of coin

2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Front-wheel drive is a funny thing. When originally introduced during the Thirties in the Cord 810 (then later in the awesome supercharged 812) and the Citroën Traction Avant, FWD was hailed as a major breakthrough, a wondrous technological innovation that allowed for lower ride height and greatly increased passenger space. Postwar consumers got a taste of the wonders of FWD with the iconic Citroën DS. At the top of its game in the Sixties, General Motors reintroduced FWD to American consumers with two remarkable luxury coupes: the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado. Come the Seventies, Citroën produced what is arguably the greatest GT coupe of that decade, the impeccable (and FWD) SM.



Roll the clock forward to the Eighties and suddenly everything was being tugged around by its front wheels. Honda, Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all jumped head first onto the FWD bandwagon and, for the most part, they haven't looked back. Granted, Cadillac has rethought which wheels get driven, but with the exception of a dinosaur livery-mobile, there isn't a single rear-wheel-drive Lincoln to be found. Even Volkswagen got in on the transversely-mounted engine madness. This left only the Germans – namely Mercedes-Benz and BMW – to seriously carry the rear-wheel drive passenger car torch for nearly a decade. Sure, Lexus and Infiniti brought out some heavy hitting RWD sedans along with a raft of FWD offerings (M30 I30, G20 anyone?), but Acura never bothered.

The average gearhead hates FWD for all the right reasons (weight distribution, steering feel, the front tires being asked to both propel and turn, etc.), and during a recent discussion we had with a half-in-the-bag PR guy, [NAME REDACTED] exclaimed, "Front-wheel drive sucks!" So, how can a technology go from the penthouse to the doghouse like that? One answer (of many) comes from the Minnesotan economist/social philosopher Thorstein Veblen and his book The Theory of the Leisure Class. Here's a quick, ten-cent Cliff Note version: When electric lighting first appeared, only the rich could afford electric lights. As such, electrically lit dinners were considered romantic and desirable. However, once electrification trickled down to the unwashed masses, only the rich could afford both bulbs and candles. Hence, candlelit dinners became en vogue. Which – believe it or not – leads us very nicely to the 2010 Nissan Maxima SV Sport and its $38,384 asking price.
Granted, you can get a new Maxima for less scratch. The base car starts at "just" $30,460. But the car Nissan provided us has a price tag of nearly $40,000. You do get a lot car for that money, but at the end of the day, $38,384 is a big chunk o' change. So big, in fact, that you might be tempted to choose an Infiniti G37 sedan (beginning at just over $33,000), or even a Cadillac CTS (starts at $37,000). Two similarly-sized cars that are, as it happens, rear-wheel drive.

The Maxima's shape is one thing it has going for it. When the third-gen Altima was introduced in 2002, suddenly the once lofty Maxima looked an awful lot like its lower-priced platform mate. Then the Altima was redesigned and placed on Nissan's new D platform in 2007 and it still resembled the more pricey (and very long-in-the-tooth) Maxima. Finally, last year, Nissan brought us an all-new Maxima that didn't resemble anything.



A quick poll of the Autoblog staff reveals that almost all of us like the shape. From the blunted front end to the deeply sculpted sides to the fat, sexy haunches, there is little question that design-wise Nissan's biggest sedan has got the look. Though admittedly strange at first, the harpoon/fish hook head and tail lamps look sharp (no pun, no pun), especially when set off against a dark color. And these are some of the finest looking wheels we've seen on any car, let alone a big FWD sedan.

The interior's nearly as good as the exterior. First and foremost is that thick (we're talking BMW-thick) leather-wrapped steering wheel that is mercifully (nearly) free of button clutter. While all Maximas now ship with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), the large, almost oversized aluminum flappy paddles behind the wheel feel great. The seats are also thick, many-way adjustable and comfy. Though we'd like some more leg and hip bolstering – the seat bottom is a little flat – rear seat customers will enjoy their spacious perch. The instrument binnacle is intelligently designed and filled with big, legible gauges, exactly what one would need if you were to take Nissan up on its renewed 4DSC (Four-Door Sports Car) boast.



Many of us are also fans of the very Infiniti-like nav-cluster. Overall, the quality of the materials is on par with other entry-level luxury offerings with one big exception: The area surrounding the gear selector is not only dull, but almost undesigned. And if the car's got a CVT (i.e. no set speeds), why not follow BMW's lead and move the gear lever to the column so as to free up some space? A minor quibble, maybe, but that area was beneath (again with the no pun) the rest of the rather pleasingly pleasant interior.


One justification for the Maxima's pricey sticker is that lump of VQ goodness found under the hood. Heaping praise upon Nissan's wonderful V6 is like calling firefighters heroes – you just do it, and only the crazy will argue. Still displacing 3.5-liters – unlike the Z, G, M and FX, which have jumped up to 3.7-liters – the VQ35DE produces a whopping 290 horsepower and a stout 261 pound-feet of torque, more than enough to scoot the fairly big boy (190 inches, 3,565 pounds) to 60 mph in less than six seconds. In terms of potency, those 290 horsies are more than you get from 3.5-liter V6s found in the Accord (271 hp), Avalon (268 hp), Taurus (263 hp) or Mercedes-Benz E350 (268 hp). And way more than you get in a 211 hp turbocharged Audi A4. But none offer a CVT... (Note: FWD Audi A4s have a CVT)

Allow us to state up front that when CVTs first arrived on the scene they were nasty, despicable things that were constantly whirring, wheezing and searching for who knows what every time you buried your right foot. Much like automatic transmissions – only worse. That rant out of the way, the second generation of CVTs are actually... okay.



The first good one we experienced was in the cyber barge Lexus LS600hL, though we chalked up that transmission's okay-ness to the fact that Lexus had buried the shiftus interruptus beneath the brand's requisite nine tons of sound deadening. Besides, in a $120,000 automobile, the CVT had better be good. Then we got our paws on some down market CVTs – principally in Nissans like the Rogue, Versa and Cube. And you know what? Most of us like 'em just fine. They weren't Lexus wonderful, but they were a fifth the price.

In the Maxima, the CVT experience is better than in its smaller siblings, and about on par with the big, electric Lexus. In fact, for the first 20 minutes we were behind the wheel, we were unaware (fine – we forgot) that the car didn't have a regular old slush box. As our normal testing procedure begins with jamming up the curvaceous 110 freeway to Pasadena to fetch Drew Phillips and his photographic chops, we threw the tranny into manual mode and used the paddle shifters. That's right, the Maxima (like the LS600hL) has six faker-gear ratios (though the Lexus has eight) that allow it to behave just like an automated manual. It was only on suburban streets back in regular mode that we noticed the tach needle slowly rising and falling, as opposed to a regular automatic where the needle falls precipitously with each gear change.



So, how's the Maxima drive? Well, it's very quick. Stomp the gas and this sucker just goes for it. However, due to so much power spinning the front wheels, you are very aware that you are being pulled to extra-legal speeds, instead of pushed. To be fair, this has been a Maxima trait since they first started dropping VQs into the sedan. But in the 2010 Maxima, you really do notice all 290 ponies. The sensation is like holding onto a horse's reins. And torque-steer – the engine's tendency to try and rip the wheel from your hands when you throttle out of a corner – is an all day event.

While there's nothing inherently rotten about FWD, there is something unsettling about big horsepowered FWD cars – unless they've got a fancy way of fighting back against all that power, like in the power-chopping Mazdaspeed3 (fuel gets cut early in low gears at high RPM) or the unequal-tracked Citroen DS/SM (where the front wheels extend out further than the rear ones). With the Maxima, you're just left to arm wrestle the mighty motor. We hope you've been eating your Wheaties.



When you're not shredding apexes, the Maxima is a fairly cool customer. The ride is plush and plenty comfy, while the cabin is quiet and nicely shielded from wind and motor noise. Those big, beautiful wheels do make some racket, though. Nothing fatal, but you hear 'em. Should you choose to saunter through corners (instead of play Lewis Hamilton), the well-engineered chassis can carry plenty of speed around the bends. Just watch your right foot.

Far from a four-door sports car (sorry, Nissan), the Maxima SV Sport is a roomy, nearly-luxurious, semi-athletic steed. If we woke up tomorrow and (somehow) discovered we owned a copy, we'd be happy. But would we pay $38,000 for one? Short answer: No. There's nothing really wrong with the car, save for its sticker. Who then would consider a Maxima spec'd out like our test vehicle? Best we can figure, an Accord owner who is quite happy with his/her car but just wants something a little nicer, a little quicker and a whole lot more good looking. Then again, they might not. For our money, we'd take an Infiniti G37 sedan with the six-speed manual and pocket the extra $2,000. It's not that RWD is always better than FWD. But in this case, it is.
source by autoblog.com

Автор: Van на 9:58

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Cars Shows 2010 AC Schnitzer 5 Series GT BMW F07

AC Schnitzer has introduced the AC Schnitzer 5 Series GT, a customization completed for the BMW F07. Having individualized the car with the Gran Turismo/Grand Tour concept, the tuner guaranteed to have given the BMW F07 driving comfort and performance at the highest level.

The AC Schnitzer customization features for the BMW F07 include among others the twin sports rear silencer with “Sports Trim“ tailpipe trims and the chromed “Racing“ tailpipe trim, the AC Schnitzer suspension spring set, the AC Schnitzer front and rear spoilers, Bonnet Vents with chromed centre web, the AC Schnitzer side skirts, and the AC Schnitzer rear skirt which enhances the flowing dynamics of the coupé-like roof line.

For the interior, AC Schnitzer completed the BMW F07 with a cover for the i-Drive System Controller, foot rest and pedal set in aluminum, as well as velour foot mats and boot mat behind the frameless doors.

To support the Grand Tour concept, AC Schnitzer offered the silver wheels Type IV in 19? or the BiColor Version in 19? and 20?, the AC Schnitzer wheels Type VII in silver and BiColor in 22? and the alloy forged wheels in Type V in 20? and 22?, and the brand-new Type VIII rims in 19? or the racing forged alloys Type VIII in 22?. All wheels are available with suitable tyres.

Finally, to provide more pulling power and racing flair, engine upgrading has also been offered by AC Schnitzer. As a result, the AC Schnitzer 5 Series GT BMW F07 has gained an improved performance from 245 to 286 HP for the six-cylinder 530d. It is subsequently demonstrated externally by the AC Schnitzer engine styling with capacity logo.

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Rendered Speculation: Scion tC convertible cometh?

to go topless. The site names a handful of unnamed sources that say Toyota's youth-bent brand is looking for an easy way to inject some life into its lineup – something that could be easily accomplished by cutting the roof off of the newly unveiled tC coupe. The car just received its first significant redesign in six years, and as such, IL seems to think the time is ripe to add a convertible model to the mix.



The site makes a compelling case for the move, including the fact that there are very few affordable drop heads on the market right now. Throw in the fact that Toyota just sent its one and only convertible, the Solara, packing for good, and it seems to make sense.

We have to wonder exactly how many freshly-minted college grads would snap up a convertible tC, though. After all, Scion is easily as popular with the AARP crowd as it is with the younger set, thanks largely to the brand's vehicles that are bigger on function than they are on style. We're looking at you, xB. Would a convertible help to drop the brand's demographic by a few generations? Maybe so, but considering we haven't heard word one from Toyota on this front, we'll have to leave this one in the rumormill pile a little longer.
source by autoblog

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Saab announces plan to head back into Canada with 2011 models

2011 Saab 9-5 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Saab is continuing to claw its way back from the automotive grave. The company just announced that it will once again return to the land of maple syrup and Mounties in 2011. The svelte Swedish machines will be distributed by International Fleet Sales, and both Saab North America and IFS say that so far, around 20 dealers have raised their hands to sell the cars.



Our neighbors to the north will be able to sink their teeth into a total of five models once the new dealerships get off the ground, including all of the multiple flavors of the 9-3. If all goes well, the 9-3X crossover will also touch down on Canadian soil, along with the all-new 2011 9-5.

Saab expects to be doing business in Canada by fall of this year, so if you're north of the border and hankering for a slice of Saab-Spyker goodness, you don't have long to wait. Hit the jump for the press release.
source by autoblog.com saab

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2010 Nissan Sentra SE-R is a tall order

2010 Nissan Sentra SE-R – Click above for high-res image galleries

The Nissan Sentra has long been the bridesmaid of America's C-segment. Few consider it to be best-in-class, yet it would be a stretch to call Nissan's second-smallest sedan the category's cellar dweller. In the past, the Sentra hasn't been the fastest, it hasn't been the prettiest and it certainly hasn't offered the best interior, but the affordable sedan has quietly continued to sell well enough to keep Nissan in the picture.

Unlike some of its more popular competitors, the Sentra is offered exclusively as a sedan, while other automakers offer coupes or hatchbacks. Nissan makes up for this deficiency in part by offering six different variants of the Sentra, ranging from a base 2.0 model to the 200-horsepower SE-R Spec V. We had the chance to spend a week in the mildly refreshed 2010 SE-R model that slots in just below the Spec V, and with 177 horsepower on tap and quite a few high-end options, we wanted to find out if this upper-middle child could hold its own in what has fast become one of the most interesting and competitive segments in the market.


All Sentra models receive updates for 2010, with tweaks to their headlights and taillights, a new front fascia and grille and a lower MSRP. More specifically, all SE-R models also received attractive 17-inch wheels, a standard 4.3-inch color display with USB connectivity and updated instrument panel accents. The biggest news is two-fold: The SE-R's price tag drops by $1,080 versus the 2009 model and Nissan has introduced a new low cost navigation system on the 2010 model.
One glance at the 2010 Nissan Sentra SE-R, and we were immediately taken aback by its surprising size – particularly its height and length. This "compact" sedan is actually one of the largest entries in its class. It's the widest vehicle at 70.5 inches, besting competitors like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, and it's within a half inch of the Mazda3 in length. The Sentra is so broad-of-beam that it's within two-tenths of an inch of Nissan's own midsize Altima, and the "smaller" sedan is more than a full inch taller. Our SE-R tester is also the second heaviest vehicle among its competitors, tipping the scales at a rotund 3,115 pounds. That's even heavier than the all-wheel drive Subaru Impreza and second in tonnage only to the portly Volkswagen Jetta. Even the Altima comes in only 65 pounds heavier.


We were surprised at how close the Sentra was to the Altima in many dimensions, and shopping for a sedan in a Nissan showroom gets even more complicated when considering the Sentra's downmarket sibling, the Versa. The so-called B-segment Versa is a big boy in-and-of-itself, just three inches shorter and slightly narrower than the Sentra, while coming in (amazingly) one inch taller. Naturally, this causes us to wonder how many Sentra sales are lost to the Versa. Sure the Versa has 55 fewer ponies in 1.8 SL trim, but it's also over 500 pounds lighter, available in both sedan and hatch configurations, and starts at $4,000 fewer bucks to boot.
The Sentra's overly generous height and long wheelbase conspire to create some odd proportions, and to our eyes, the resulting design looks awkward and narrow – there's just no getting around the very tall, incredibly bulbous greenhouse. On the bright side, our SE-R tester did have some nice-looking features that differentiate it from its less sporty siblings. For starters, the SE-R's new 17-inch wheels help give the Sentra's profile some added visual pop. Also added are bodyside moldings and a restrained rear wing that lends the slightest amount of sporting pretense.



Nissan has added more SE-R cues inside the cabin, where a pair of leather buckets await front seat occupants. The thrones are incredibly comfortable and well-bolstered, giving the Sentra a more upscale feel. Unfortunately, that initial impression of quality quickly departed upon closer inspection of the rather bland dashboard laden with low quality, hard-to-the-touch plastics. If the SE-R didn't come with twin pod meters displaying oil pressure and lateral acceleration(!), along with Nissan's new low-cost navigation system, the interior would have looked like a barren landscape of automotive-grade Tupperware.

But while the Sentra's interior is nothing to look at (or touch, for that matter), the layout and functionality of buttons and knobs are well executed. There's something to be said for a vehicle that's incredibly easy to operate from Day One, and the Sentra's large knobs and steering wheel controls are as intuitive as they come. While it's true that the Sentra's overstuffed dimensions make for a pretty bland-looking sedan, once you get behind the wheel, those extra inches work to your advantage.



Nissan's new $400 system was designed for lower cost, high volume vehicles like the Sentra, and while it's not as sophisticated as other systems we've sampled, it's also about a quarter of the price. Despite the discount, it still comes complete with a 4.3-inch, touch-sensitive LCD screen and the ability to interface with iPods and MP3 players while also working with Bluetooth-equipped phones to deliver hands-free calling.

Like the rest of the Sentra interior, we found the system to be intuitive and easy-to-use, offering all of the gas station and restaurant-finding capabilities we've come to expect. Unfortunately, our pre-production tester apparently had a glitch that inhibited its route guidance abilities, but Nissan assures us that the system will work as-advertised once it reaches mass-production. We'll reserve judgment until we can test another example.

As much as we'd like the Sentra's interior quality to improve, all would be forgiven if the SE-R lived up to its sporting ancestry. After all, we adored the original B13 SE-R of the early Nineties, and the $4,000 premium over the base Sentra means that this model ought to live up to once-formidable badge. Dolling out 177 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque from its 2.5-liter four-cylinder, the SE-R had enough power to push 3,115 pounds of sedan, but it never managed to set our blood to boil – or really get it much above room temperature. Redline comes at a pedestrian 6,000 RPM, with maximum torque available at 2,800 RPM. The 2.5-liter mill delivers smooth acceleration (we'd estimate 0-60 at between 7.5 and 8 seconds) that's a bit better than what you'd expect in a C-Segment sedan, but it doesn't sound or feel race-inspired and the SE-R's XTronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) dashes any hopes of enthusiastic driving.


The CVT – essentially a gearless transmission – keeps the engine in the optimal RPM range at all times in order to improve performance and efficiency. But unlike other CVT-equipped vehicles, we found ourselves using the paddle shifters to provide six forward shifting points and avoid the feeling of the shiftless transmission for performance purposes. It worked, but just barely. To compound matters, the CVT didn't appear to do much to improve fuel economy either – we only managed a marginal 23 miles-per-gallon during moderate to heavy driving with a 60/40 highway/city mix.
But the story got a bit better when it came to ride and handling. The sport-tuned suspension offered a bit of an edge, without punishing the SE-R's occupants on imperfect roads. And while the speed variable electronic steering has a nice heft to it, the tiller lacks some feedback for our tastes. When tackling turns at higher velocities, we noticed more than a little body roll – not surprising given the Sentra's high ride height – but for a vehicle billed as a sporting runabout, there was more lean than we expected. Coupled with the aforementioned vague steering, the SE-R doesn't exactly offer a recipe for confident backroad carving. Beyond sport-tuned spring rates, the only other major hardware update for the SE-R is up-sized 17-inch wheels mated to P225/45VR17 Continental ContiProContact tires that aid in keeping this up-level Sentra connected with the road.



We did experience a few bouts of torque steer when accelerating hard from a stop, and in each instance the SE-R pulled to the right on dry pavement – again, not confidence-inspiring. Braking was solid thanks to standard four-wheel disc brakes (11.7 inches up front and 11.5 inches in the rear), but you may want to step up to the Spec V model with its larger 12.6-inch front rotors to keep braking distances and rotor temps in check if you're into canyon runs or track days.
After a few days behind the wheel of the Nissan Sentra SE-R, we found ourselves somewhere between uninterested and nearly satisfied. Not the sort of emotions that attract us to a new car. The Sentra scored points for comfort, ease-of-use and general spaciousness, and we commend Nissan for offering an inexpensive in-dash navigation option. But does a cheap navi and WYSIWYG functionality enough to justify a $22,000 price tag for this Sentra SE-R? Not really. The Sentra's interior materials are just too cheap and the SE-R's performance too pedestrian to justify its higher price tag (let alone its once-storied SE-R badge). From where we sit, Nissan either needs to get serious about the Sentra or its compact sedan will never end up at that altar; unless it's in charge of fluffing the bride's dress.

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First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg lightens up while getting serious

2011 Volkswagen Touareg – Click above for high-res image gallery

The outgoing Volkswagen Touareg range has always lived on the wrong side of the tracks in America. It was a big, expensive Volkswagen. Notice that we can't just say it was a big, expensive vehicle, because those adjectives are almost as much the norm as anything else – we must qualify those descriptors with the word "Volkswagen." And we can't help but think that's part of the reason this go-almost-anywhere SUV never really made a splash anywhere in the U.S. except in puddles.



The new 2011 Touareg is roomier, more powerful, more efficient and lighter. Much lighter. That's how we like our VWs. And now it comes in hybrid form. We spent a few hours in one to see what a Touareg reset looks like. Our first impressions: So good, this is what the first Touareg should have been like. Follow the jump for the story.
Car buying is a little different in Europe than it is in America. Consumers take home an order sheet and lovingly choose each option, then submit it to a dealer and wait for weeks for their car to be built. In America, we show up at a dealer lot and expect to get the ride we want right now.

This is one of the reasons that the current Touareg endured a stiff sales climate. With something like 170 build combinations, potential buyers had lottery-like chances of finding the one they wanted on any given day. Play around with the configurator on the VW site and you'll see that even wheel choices will change your interior option selections.

Of course, there has also been the matter of price. Touaregs aren't cheap – again, "for Volkswagens." A 2010 Touareg V6 FSI starts at $40,850, the V6 TDI diesel at $44,350. Add the technology package to the cheaper model to get DVD navigation and you are at $46,850. From there, $50,000 is just a whisper away. VW said buyers were cross shopping the GMC Acadia, and it maxes out at about $47,000 if you throw everything possible at the top-of-the-line SLT2, a vehicle that may be less capable off-road, but it's also significantly larger than the Touareg and seats eight. The Acura MDX is priced similarly to the VW, is a seven-seater and gets about the same miles per gallon... but it has a bit more aspirational clout.



And, of course, there was also the size and the avoirdupois. It isn't small, especially for a dedicated five-seater, and while the Touareg's 4XMOTION air suspension setup could get you just about anywhere – as an eye-opening trip to Moab showed us a couple of years ago – you paid for it in heft and a heavy tiller. As you might have reasonably surmised, folks also shopping Acadias and MDXs aren't usually trying to conquer Hell's Revenge – they wanted to get to the cabin or the after-school sports practice or grandma's house in one piece and a little bit of style. And they don't want to scratch their Galapagos paint while doing it.

When it comes to the raw truths presented by numbers, while 500,000 Touareg and Touareg2 models were sold worldwide, Americans didn't make a good showing as part of that total.

In true Men in Black style, though, you can wipe those memories clean. The old Touareg is gone, and the new one is nothing like it. No, really, nothing. When we asked what was new, we were told "Everything." When we asked for clarification, just to make sure we understood, David Sweet, the general manager for marketing in the U.S., said "It's an entirely new vehicle." Silently, we were sure he added, "What part of the word 'everything' didn't you understand?"

Along with that, the new Touareg's attitude changes more than the vehicle, at least as far as the U.S. is concerned. We don't get most of the high-tech features in this new SUV. A sample of blacked out menu options includes:

• Dynamic Light Assist: camera-based continuous main beam headlight "sees" oncoming traffic and selectively dims and adjusts the direction of each main beam headlight to prevent other drivers, oncoming and in the same direction, from suffering glare. U.S. regulations don't allow the technology.
• Side Assist: a blind-spot warning system that also detects the closing speed of cars approaching you. Not coming because it's expensive and was developed for higher, Autobahn-like closing speeds, not American highways.
• Lane Assist: takes note of the lane you're in, and if you begin to stray sends a mild vibration through the steering wheel. Deemed not cost-effective for American buyers.
• Start/stop on the non-hybrid Touaregs: the tech doesn't count toward the EPA cycle, so VW didn't think it fair to charge for something that has no benefit they could point to on paper.
• Cross Traffic view camera: lets the driver see 90 degrees to the left and right at points located at the very front and rear of the Touareg – i.e. "around the corner." Felt to be more suited to pulling out into narrow European lanes than American driving situations.
• 334-horsepower, 599 pound-feet V8 TDI that replaces the V10 TDI. We get the V6 FSI, V6 TDI and Hybrid.
• 4XMotion: the full-fat four-wheel-drive system with air suspension has been replaced by VW's Torsen limited-slip differential called 4Motion which is lighter and less expensive. It also can't take you as many places as the 4XMotion, but VW realized no one in the U.S. was using their Touaregs as Unimogs.
• Automatic Cruise Control: the same kind of system filtering its way through all kinds of luxury cars, this version works even in stop-and-go traffic. Again, cost is the problem.

So what's left? A lighter, nicer, curvier and comparatively less expensive SUV that, frankly, is what the Touareg should have been the first time around.

We know we've discussed the size thing, so we'll admit right now that the new Touareg is larger. It gets about an inch-and-a-half longer and a half-inch wider, with the front track increased just a hair and the rear track growing by about half an inch as well. It sits a half-inch lower, the lowest SUV in the class other than its sister, the new Porsche Cayenne.



The additional size outside and the 1.5-inch longer wheelbase translates into more roominess inside, with anywhere from 1.75 inches to 2.7 inches more elbow, shoulder and knee room. There is more room for cargo as well, something the previous Touareg didn't exactly lack.

Volkswagen has pulled off this enlargement the right way, though. The new Touareg is about 400 pounds lighter than the last, due to the use of aluminum and high-strength steel, tailored blanks and lighter sound insulation. And yes, that includes the Hybrid. Serious weight loss came from the 4Motion Torsion limited-slip diff setup replacing the 4XMotion air suspension and center and rear differentials. In a case of VW designing a vehicle to be used the way people actually drive it, the hardcore 4XMotion can be ordered as part of a Terrain Tech package, but the 4Motion system alone is left to handle the speed bumps and gravel access roads the average Touareg will find its greatest challenge.

Making sure you'll never be left out in the cold, though, the 4MOTION system has electronic differential locks at all four wheels, 31 degrees of climbing angle and an off-road driving program that tunes the ABS, EDS and ASR for off-road duty, activates Hill Descent Assist and adjusts the automatic gearshift points.



Should you need more – and should you not live in American, as VW has clarified that we won't get it – the Terrain Tech package uses a familiar rotary switch to set the system to one of five levels: on-road; off-road, which adds automatic control of the mechanical locks; low, which adds reduced gearing, higher shift points and no automatic upshift in manual mode; a fourth mode that locks the center diff; and a fifth mode that locks the rear diff.

The curb weight of the European Touareg V6 FSI is 4,477 pounds, quite a drop from the portly 5,086 pounds of the outgoing U.S. model. Ours has a bit more standard equipment and so has a higher base curb weight, but the loss is clearly there and dramatic. The Euro V6 TDI is 4,618 pounds, and the Hybrid is 4,928 pounds.

In the looks department, we feel that this new Touareg is also hugely superior to the outgoing model. We enjoyed the previous Touareg even as we had no problem admitting it appeared to have been squeezed out of a tube. This Touareg has replaced mere brawn with curves and shoulders and scallops, so even though it's bigger, it looks smaller, sleeker and vastly more sporty. The body-colored panels and shaped, integrated exhaust tips only add to the complete picture.

We do think the facial treatment could have been given a special detail or two – something more prominent than the headlights and U-shaped line of LEDs, that is – instead of having an enlarged version of the New Corporate VW front. But that's just us. Ultimately, no matter how you take it in, the new Touareg looks like one would expect a VW SUV to look.



Perhaps the designers saved those curves no longer needed up front for the interior. It is convex and concave all over and truly nicer, with cross-stitching accenting the new hills and valleys. The redesigned front seats are comfy going the distance, the transmission tunnel has been reshaped to provide more legroom and the center console moved forward to provide more support. Ensconced on the new back bench with the front seats placed where we had plenty of room, there remained more than two inches between our legs and the front seats. The back bench also slides six inches fore-and-aft and reclines a few degrees.

The 6.5-inch touchscreen DVD system, which will be standard in the U.S., is easy to navigate and has a 3-D view with major landmarks built in. A 60-GB hard drive has 18 GB set aside for you to download your media. It works in conjunction with the seven-inch, 15:9 aspect ratio multifunction display in the dash, between the gauges. Color and brightness for both screens was excellent in every light condition we encountered.



In fact, the new Touareg is replete with premium touches like an electronic parking brake, an electronic engine oil level display that replaces the dipstick, a start-stop button on the keyless entry model and a key that can be turned right or left to start the car on all models, an electronic tailgate that can be programmed to open to a preset height (to avoid scraping in low-hanging garages), ambiance lighting in the footwells and doors, four Area View cameras that provide a 360-degree view around the car, a panorama sunroof, park distance control (PDC), and the aforementioned bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights.

Yet the full story isn't all "more" with this car, "less" and "fewer" play parts as well and not just concerning weight. There will be fewer option choices. On the V6 FSI and TDI there are three build choices. Base includes bi-xenon and LED driving lights, 18-inch wheels, DVD navigation and rearview camera, and 12-way power driver and passenger seats. The next level adds Vienna Leather, memory seats, the panoramic sunroof, wood trim and 19-inch wheels. The top of the peak model throws in the 12-speaker, 620-watt Dynaudio system; PDC; Smart Key; heated rear seats and steering wheel and 20-inch wheels. The Hybrid will be available only in that top trim level, albeit riding on 19-inch wheels wearing all-season low-resistance tires. Throw in the Terrain and Tow packages, and Volkswagen has reduced build options from more than 170 to about 20.

The first of those options, and the one that will surely be the least expensive when VW announces pricing, is the V6 FSI. More efficient than the current Touareg2 V6 FSI, the direct-injection lump will have 275 horsepower and 265 pound-feet. The one above that will be the BlueMotion V6 TDI, a common-rail turbodiesel with 236 hp and 405 pound-feet that comes on from 2,000 rpm. They both do the 0-to-62-mph run in 7.8 seconds.



In Europe, those engines will get Stop-Start, but we won't. We will, however, get the eight-speed automatic transmission that is now standard throughout the range. The gearbox, which shifts faster than the current six-speeder and has a 20-percent larger spread, uses the top two gears as long-distance fuel-consumption-reducing ratios. At 80 mph the tach rests at just 2,200 rpm. Volkswagen hasn't released EPA cycle numbers yet, but you can expect something better than the 14 city/20 highway miles per gallon of the VR6 FSI and 18/25 of the current V6 TDI models.

It is the Hybrid that gets the marquee space, though. It mates a supercharged, direct-injection V6 TSI with 333 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque to a Hybrid Module powered by a nickel metal-hydride battery pack in what would be the spare wheel recess under the cargo area. The 288-volt battery pack with 240 individual cells has a peak output of 38 kW. It can propel the Touareg on electric power alone for about a 1.5 miles at speeds up to 32 mph. Stomp on the gas from a standstill and you get to 62 in 6.5 seconds because the combined power numbers jump to 375 hp and 428 lb.-ft.

The heart of the parallel hybrid system is the 121-pound, 15-inch wide circular Hybrid Module, which has a 47-hp electric motor and a disengagement clutch. Essentially what it does is act to engage or disengage the ICE and electric motor from each other or the drivetrain. As in every other hybrid, you can have just the V6 in use or just electricity or both, but by being able to disengage the electric motor completely, VW has kept the Touareg's off-road and towing performance. The 7,500-pound towing capacity – more than a GMC Sierra Hybrid and the same for all versions of the Touareg – wouldn't be possible if you couldn't set the electric motor entirely aside.



Speaking of which, that is what also enables the Touareg to "sail." When the engine isn't needed to help move the vehicle, it is disengaged from the transmission. When you are coasting down a hill, for instance, the disengagement clutch in the Hybrid Module unhooks the V6, the engine is shut off and the tachometer falls to zero. You notice you coast a lot further as well because there's no engine torque to drag on the driveline. This "sailing" can be done up to 100 mph.

How do they go? Don't let the 7.8-second time and the gap between the traditional and Hybrid version throw you off – none of them are slow and even the base engine, the V6 FSI, delivers fine motoring pleasure. Sure, it doesn't bolt from the line like the Hybrid, but on the move, its pickup, aided by the quick-shifting and additional cogs of the eight-speed automatic, never let a driver down. The diesel is a bit more peppy, but it is the Hybrid that gets moving most quickly when you sound the klaxon.

With the loss of the air suspension – which is tied to the 4XMotion and so won't be on any Touareg without the Terrain Tech package – road feel returns to the level of a middle-premium SUV. Cornering isn't table flat, potholes knock a bit louder, and bad roads make a bit more fuss, but it is all still premium. The engineers have done a good job letting you feel the loss of that 500 pounds, though – the cargo-ship stolidity of the current model is gone, replaced by a more capable, more nimble vehicle that offers more of everything all around. The new Touareg will show itself well when cross-shopped with VW's target competition.



The Hybrid's features like stop-start and coasting were superb. As you brake to stop for a light, the engine shuts down and you roll to a stop on electric power. All systems are maintained, so power steering, brake boosting and the like remain on call. When you take your foot off the brake to pull away, you can roll away on electric power alone if you don't ask for a lot of gumption. If you need to get going right now, peak electric power comes in to move the car the first meter while the ICE comes on, silently, and spools up to take over on-the-go. It exhibits all the refinement you could eve want in such a system, on top of which you can do the off-road thing and pull an enormous trailer.

If Volkswagen prices the Touareg right when it hits the market later this year – and the officials in attendance gave every indication that pricing is a tied-for-first priority – then they won't need to worry about selling just 500,000 of these new Touaregs over its product life cycle. Provided VW can right the Touareg's troubled reliability legacy with this new model, we expect more Yankees will show up for this party and wouldn't even be surprised if enough showed up to request an American-sized slice of the sales pie.
source by autoblog

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