Volkswagen's SUV remains unchanged for 2006. Touareg (TOUR-regg) is a 4-dr wagon with rear liftgate and seating for five. It offers three engines: a 240-hp V6, a 310-hp V8, and a 310-hp turbodiesel V10. The sole transmission is a 6-speed automatic with manual shift gate. All Touaregs have an all-wheel-drive system designed for severe off-road conditions.
Armed with extensive safety features to equip you for the unexpected, and designed to offer the highest levels of comfort and driving pleasure, the Touareg delivers new standards of excellence in a 4WD.
It includes low-range gearing and a locking center differential; a locking rear differential is optional. ABS and an antiskid system are standard. A height-adjustable air suspension and xenon headlamps are standard on the V10 and available for other models. All Touaregs include front side airbags and curtain side airbags for both seating rows. A sunroof is also standard. Leather upholstery is optional for the V6, standard otherwise. Other options include navigation system, rear obstacle detection, and heated steering wheel and rear seats. Touareg was developed with Porsche, which offers its own version as the Cayenne.History
It's pronounced "Tour-regg" -- emphasis goes on the first syllable. The word translates literally to "free folk," and refers to a nomadic tribe whose travels regularly take them across the Sahara Desert. Such harsh terrain demands a strong physical and emotional constitution, and knowing that, it shouldn't surprise you that an automotive manufacturer has adopted the name of this people for a sport-utility vehicle. While obviously unable to replicate the sentient human qualities of the real Touareg, the Volkswagen SUV does indeed possess a strong physiology. Not strong in the old-fashioned, live-axles-at-either-end, give-me-your-worst sense, but strong as in carefully engineered using today's technology to take on such conditions as rush-hour traffic in the city, steep off-road trails in the mountains and everything in between in an unflappable manner. VW chose to straddle the divide between crossover SUVs and traditional SUVs.
Constructed of galvanized steel, the unibody structure makes the Touareg more carlike in appearance than many SUVs. The hood wraps down to a horizontal-bar grille that's similar to the one on Volkswagen's luxury Phaeton sedan. Rounded body shoulders and sculpted wheel arches complement short overhangs.
During the 2006 model year, the Touareg's 240-hp, 3.2-liter V-6 will be replaced with a 3.6-liter V-6 that develops 280 hp and 265 pounds-feet of torque. A 310-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 is available, and the turbo-diesel 5.0-liter V-10, which generates 310 hp and 553 pounds-feet of torque, is again offered. All engines team with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. Touaregs can tow up to 7,716 pounds when properly equipped.