2011 Volkswagen Touareg debuts: Weighs less, thriftier on fuel

2011 Volkswagen Touareg (Courtesy: Volkswagen)

The new Volkswagen Touareg is still very off-road capable but takes less of a "go anywhere" approach on the base model in trade for lighter weight and better fuel efficiency.
You can view more images of the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg in this linked slideshow.

The base model has been to Jenny Craig and has lost an amazing 460 pounds in the process.  There will be gasoline-hybrid, diesel and traditional gasoline powered models available.  All engine options will be yoked to an eight speed automatic transmission.  Overall the new 2011 Touareg is said to be 20 percent more efficient.

As mentioned above, Volkswagen did remove some extreme off-roading capability that most buyers never used from the base model, but you can get a "Terrain Tech Packet" (they'll probably change that name for US models) that features a more rugged transfer case designed for off-road duty, reduction gearing and center and rear differentials, each with up to 100 percent locking.

The interior of the first Touareg was always a highlight and the next generation looks to keep that streak going.  What remains to be seen is what Volkswagen has done about the quality of the Touareg.  The first generation model was dinged by many for faults continuously appearing.  At one point Volkswagen even handed out airline vouchers to disgruntled owners.

Provided that Volkswagen can get its quality house in order, the new Touareg looks be an attractive, efficient sequel to what was a very handsome original.

Full press release is quoted below:

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Peace man! Van stolen 35 years ago to help homeless women and children impacted by domestic violence

1965 VW van stays true to its roots, helps people

Insurance company Allstate auctioned off the stolen VW van that was recovered 35 year later in a bid to help homeless women and their children.

Allstate has a long and proud history of supporting domestic violence survivors," said Michelle Lee, field vice president of Allstate's northwest region. "It's our hope that the tremendous public interest in this unique vehicle and its unique history will translate into a significant contribution to Lydia Place.

Lydia Place, founded in 1989, is a nonprofit organization in Washington state serving homeless women and children.

There are several unique things about this story. Firstly, the long gap between the theft and recovery of the vehicle.  Secondly, the fact that the van had recently had a complete restoration and was on its way to Germany, so it was actually in better shape than when it was stolen.

You can view the amazing restoration job performed on the van in this linked slideshow.
Sadly, the German buyer of the van is reportedly out more than $20,000 but the fact that the van will make the lives of those who have suffered greatly a little better must provide some solace.


The van ended up selling for $29,573.50.

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Volkswagen July sales: The guess what? Americans do buy diesels edition

2009 Jetta TDI (source: VW)

To Volkswagen’s credit, it and Mercedes have rarely waivered from offering at least a few diesel vehicles here in the States. Because of that heritage, customers who are diesel minded tend to immediately associate diesel technology with these brands. However, that isn’t the whole story. Volkswagen simply offers a large selection of diesel vehicles at attractive prices.

Below is a slideshow of Volkswagen's TDI lineup with a little view towards the future.

Let’s consider BMW is an example of diesel done slightly wrong. Firstly, BMW offers the 3 Series 335d. The 335d is a great car: Enough torque (425 lb ft) to pull the dying elm tree out of your front yard and still deliver a fabulous 36 mpg on the highway. However, you can’t get the 335d as a wagon or with a manual transmission. That is a mistake in my opinion. While not offering a manual might be seen as a cost saving approach by BMW (one less configuration to certify with the Feds) there is very little excuse for the non-wagon stance. Clean diesel TDIs represented 81 percent of Jetta SportWagen sales in July. That is a landslide my friends! Also, BMW might have been better suited with a less powerful, less costly, more fuel efficient diesel motor. The 335d starts at $43,900 MSRP, but what if BMW had offered a smaller diesel with a sticker slightly under $40K? As Honda learned with the failed Accord hybrid sedan, green buyers don’t necessarily want high performance.

Enough picking on BMW already, let’s take a closer look at Volkswagen’s July numbers.

Volkswagen's Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, and Touareg TDI, posted their best sales month since their re-launch with 6,320 units -- accounting for more than 30 percent of total sales. The Jetta SportWagen for the third consecutive month posted its best sales month ever with sales of 2,415 units; clean diesel TDIs represented 81 percent of SportWagen sales, and 40 percent of Jetta sedan sales.

"Volkswagen of America is extremely pleased by how well our clean diesel TDIs continued to sell throughout July, and by our highly successful first month of the government sponsored 'Cash-for-Clunkers' Program," said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. "It was not by accident that Volkswagen was able to perform so well in the government 'Cash-for-Clunkers' Program. Our dealers were well informed and fully trained on the rules of the program, our marketing was in place, and our product line of fuel efficient vehicles all contributed to a successful first month. I'm thrilled that our dealers were able to respond so well to the 'Cash-for-Clunkers' Program," added Barnes.

Below is some running footage of the Jetta TDI sedan: No audio, just video.

For more info: Visit VW's website.

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Volkswagen April 2009 Sales

Not sure where my monthly sales e-mail from VW went, but here are the results. A shocking number of Routans sold in April. Also interesting, more New Beetles sold than all Golf variants combined. Pretty impressive for such an old, essentially unchanged model. Of course, the Jetta continues to rack up the best sales numbers. I have always had a healthy respect for the sedan. Hopefully VW won't get carried away and rename the Jetta the Bora, which is the international name for the sedan, when the next generation bows. All in all VW is hanging in there and in these times, that's all that one can really ask.

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VW Introduces Das Diesel Blog

Volkswagen of America has launched its first unedited consumer blog forum called TDI Truth & Dare (http://www.tditruthanddare.com/). The blog forum will differentiate “diesel” from “clean diesel” and encourage active participation through two simple challenges. First, visitors will learn the truth about clean diesel technology by understanding the facts. Second, the forum will dare visitors to get involved in the alternative fuel discussion by participating in online events like the “Tank Wars” fuel efficient driving challenge and using applications like “Diesel Finder” and “Savings Calculator.” Additionally, the blog will post relevant facts and discussions from Volkswagen as well as third party sources and consumers to keep visitors up to date on the latest diesel conversation. The blog forum will run year round and serve as a platform for product and clean diesel messaging in a voice that is unique to Volkswagen.

“Volkswagen believes that clean diesel offers drivers a high-mileage, fuel efficient vehicle without compromising on great performance,” said Tim Ellis, Vice President of Marketing, Volkswagen of America. “TDI Truth & Dare will engage consumers in conversation while it educates them about the clean diesel facts and how well our TDI family compares against competitive alternative fuel offerings.”

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Routan BabyMaker3000: Launched At Worst Possible Moment

VW USA CEO Stefan Jacoby says that in hindsight VW launched its Chrysler-based minivan, the Routan, at the worst possible moment just as auto sales were tanking. However, I have to ask, "Was there ever a right time to offer a rebadged Chrysler as a VW?" I'm not trying to be flip, but the Routan is no Microbus reinvented (see below).

When you add a rather lame advertising campaign featuring Brooke Shields, well then I think you have pretty much sealed the vehicles fate. VW temporarily halted production of the Routan in December and who knows when it will restart. Out of the 22,037 Routans built, only 5,582 have sold.

As for future Routans, I'd say its pretty laughable that there will be a second generation. Chrysler will either be partnered with Fiat or dead and VW will be focusing on its new Chattanooga built sedan and possible Up! variants (which may include a small van).

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Volkswagen March 2009 Sales:

“Volkswagen is encouraged by how well our new products sold in March” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Our stylish CC posted its best sales month ever for the third month in a row, and our seven passenger minivan, Routan, doubled its sales over last month. Our 50-state compliant clean diesel Jetta and Jetta SportWagen continue to sell well. Next month our clean diesel luxury SUV, Touareg TDI, will be available in dealer showrooms across the U.S. We’re also eagerly awaiting the arrival of our all-new Golf later this year, which will also be available with our innovative clean diesel engine,” added Barnes.

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VW Golf Backup Camera...Yeah, It Deserves Its Own Post

I suppose I could focus on the day's events: My friends at GM and Chrysler got a big smack down, Rick Wagoner walked the plank and the FDA took away my pistachios. However, I just can't bring myself to deal with all of that today. Nope, instead I'm going to talk about the 2010 Golf's wicked cool backup camera: it hides behind the VW badge. Pretty cool, huh?

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U.S. To Get Two Versions of Polo

Automotive News is reporting the the United States will get two versions of the new Polo: a sedan and hatchback. Here's the rub, both models will be designed especially for our market. The Polo sedan will be smaller that the Jetta and the Polo hatch will be similar in size to the Honda Fit.

Hopefully the American Polo won't be too "dumbed down." Pictured above is the Euro Polo.

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Volkswagen Barbie New Beetle

Volkswagen of America, Inc. helped Mattel celebrate Barbie® doll’s 50th Birthday by transforming a New Beetle convertible into the ultimate Barbie® dream car. The life-size pink Malibu Barbie™ New Beetle convertible made its debut at Barbie® doll’s Malibu Dream House® exclusive birthday celebration. Customization artists ABD Racing Werks, Katzkin Leather and Interiors and FoamMolders fully transformed the iconic New Beetle convertible into the perfect Barbie® ride.

“We are extremely proud to partner with Mattel and create a customized New Beetle convertible to celebrate Barbie’s landmark birthday,” said Laura Soave, General Manager of Marketing, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Like the New Beetle, Barbie has made a remarkable impact on pop culture history, and still remains a cultural icon today.”

From top to bottom and interior to exterior, Barbie® doll’s New Beetle convertible has left no detail unfinished. From the white custom leather interior and convertible top to the hand stitched floor mats and pink quilted leather lined door pockets and arm rests, even the dipstick is painted to resemble her favorite lipstick. The New Beetle convertible is equipped with a motorized vanity in the trunk and plenty of rhinestone accents and vanity mirrors. Over five shades of paint were mixed together to create the perfect pink color for Barbie® doll’s car.

The customized pink New Beetle convertible was prominently on display as the pink carpet was rolled out for the Barbie® celebration at her real-life Malibu Dream House®. Barbie® doll’s house is a 3,500-square-foot home in Malibu, CA, decorated by famed “Happy Chic” interior designer Jonathan Adler. The Barbie® birthday festivities were complete with 1,800 pairs of Barbie® sunglasses, 3,500 pairs of tiny shoes, 3,500 mini handbags and numerous Hollywood celebrity guests.

Last year, Volkswagen celebrated the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the New Beetle convertible. With its distinct shape, the iconic New Beetle convertible is one of the most recognized models in the world.

source: vw

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Marco...

Polo

Just a few snaps of the next generation Polo. Will this entry model make it here to the States? What is German for "It's a lock." A nice revision of an always appealing model.

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VW January 2009 Sales

VW is always the first to get its sales data into my mailbox. As such, I use it as a bellwether for the industry (which is of course, horribly unscientific). To be honest, I was expecting worse than a 11.6% decrease, especially given that December saw a 14.4% drop for the company.

There is a slight chance that the January numbers won't look like a complete bloodbath?

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Marco...Polo: VW Will Bring Small Car Stateside

Long speculated, now confirmed by Automotive News Europe: VW will bring the Polo to the States. Many automakers are looking for hedges against fuel price spikes and the best way to do this is to leverage their European portfolios. Ford, GM and now VW are all planning on bringing small cars from Europe to that U.S. in the hopes that should prices rise, they'll have a response already on the showroom floor. The nice thing about all of these cars is that they aren't strippers. Ford's Fiesta is going to have some upscale features and a nice list of options, Chevrolet insiders promise that folks will be delighted when they see the Spark's interior and it goes without saying that VW will have a very credible entry with the Polo. I fully expect Mercedes to bring its next B-Class vehicles stateside. Will Audi bring a sub-A3 entry to America? That remains to be seen. VW gave reporters no timeline for bringing the Polo to the States, but the next generation will debut at the Geneva in March.

source: autoweek

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VW BlueSport Roadster Concept

I had limited access to the BlueSport concept and my photography has suffered. However, you can get a sense of what this car is about. The concept is diesel powered and Im not sure what the market is for mid-mounted, diesel two-seaters, but if they look like this I'm all for it! Realistically, if VW pops a gasoline unit in here, and it has some nice ones, and then proceeds to price it within reason, this would be a nice addition to the lineup.

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Volkswagen December 2008 Sales

From a percentage point of view, VW's December sales were not as awful as November, with "only" a 14.4% decline. The official month of Thanksgiving brought a 19.2% plunge when comparing them against November 2007. VW's October 2008 sales were down 7.9 percent.

Now of course, we should keep in mind that this year's numbers include models such as the CC, Routan, Tiguan and Jetta SportWagen which were not on last year's chart.

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VW November 2008 Sales: It Isn't Pretty

VW has been posting better than industry average sales numbers as of late, but if VW's November results are anything to go by, it's going to be a bloodbath. November 2008 sales are down 19.2% when comparing them against last November. To give you a little perspective, VW's October 2008 sales were down 7.9 percent.

“This is the toughest economic environment we’ve seen in a long time and it presents a significant challenge” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “Nevertheless, our clean diesel TDI’s continued to sell very well even in this tough economy and represented 17 percent of our monthly sales. This is very promising for the Volkswagen Brand as we strive to continue to be the market leader in affordable clean diesel technology. We’re also pleased that our all-new seven passenger minivan, Routan, has posted its best month ever with sales of 1,324 units.” added Barnes.

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Volkswagen Jetta TDI

I took these shots because I really like the black wheels on this Jetta TDI. I'm not quite sold on the silver edging, but it's close. Give the brake calipers a quick shot of red paint and we've got a real winning look!

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A Brief Stint in a Touareg TDI

Every now and then a car just comes out of the blue and knocks your socks off. Such is the case of the Volkswagen Touareg TDI. The Green Car Journal offered a ride & drive event at the LA show to give journalists the opportunity to get behind the wheel of some "green cars." I didn't get to the event until about an hour before closing and things were in a bit of disarray. I had opted to drive the ML320 Bluetec and Volvo C30. The Mercedes folks were available, but the Volvo rep wasn't to be found anywhere. The keys were in the car, but technically the rules are that a rep has to go with you. I went back upstairs and after the Green Car people said a few choice words about factory reps, they told me to just wander around the garage and find any available cars. Since I had chatted with the VW rep already, I went back to him first and he offered a ride in the Touareg (the Jetta was booked solid).

Now I had just driven the Benz diesel and I've had some time behind the wheel of other diesel cars, but let me tell you, that Touareg was a complete hoot to drive! As the saying goes, Americans buy horsepower numbers but actually drive torque. Stomping the Touareg's throttle really pushes you back into your seat, that's what 406 lb-ft of torque will do for you. Of course, the instant mileage readout drops significantly when you do that, but you'll be having so much fun that I doubt you'll remember to look at the gauge. The TDI Touareg also sported VW's new hard drive based navigation system, a welcomed improvement over their past efforts.

While on the ride, I had a chance to ask the rep about some other Volkswagen issues. Firstly, are the rumors true about a limited edition Scirocco for the USA? Well, I can't confirm anything, but the feeling inside VW USA are that the chances are better now than they have been. The Euro/Dollar exchange rate isn't quite so out of whack and there has been tremendous push from the enthusiast community. Keep those letters coming! What about the reduction in the bumper to bumper warranty? Not so popular with VW insiders. Apparently it was a marketing decision that VW wasn't getting its money's worth out the extra year of coverage and that some money could be saved and marketing points won by dropping the coverage down to 3/36 and adding free maintenance. There has been some push back from folks about the shortened terms, but don't look for anything to change. How about the Polo as an entry level model here in the USA? It's high no the begging list for VW USA insiders, but again no real news to break here. Comfort in the knowledge that people are fighting on your behalf, but if you would like to own a Polo then you'd better drop a note to VW yourself.

Back to the Touareg: this little buggy really is a treat. You'd be doing yourself a favor to check out VW's diesel lineup. However, you might have some problem locating TDIs at your local dealer. VW USA officials complain that the good folks back in Germany don't have a handle on how great the demand here in the USA is for these models and they are having to beg for higher allocations. This will keep supplies short and prices high for the foreseeable future.

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Another LA Debut Bites the Dust

GM has pulled several debuts from the LA Auto Show and now comes word that VW has moved back the premiere of its mid-engine roadster concept from LA to Detroit. The roadster is based off an advanced version of the Audi R8 platform and reportedly foreshadows a 2011 production model. Why the change? VW believes that the car will get more attention in Detroit.

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VW October Sales

The results are starting to trickle in for October. It's not going to be pretty. The Tiguan notched up 1,856 sales. I have yet to see a Tiguan actually driving around anywhere. Who's buying them and where do they live?

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