Volkswagen TOUAREG TDI RANGE
Volkswagens Touareg Diesel Range Offers You A Mouthwatering Choice Between Adequate Power And Ridiculous Power. Andy Enright Prepares To Be Corrupted
Torque is a concept many motoring enthusiasts discuss but few understand. Ask the next bar room expert to define the difference between torque and power and youll usually be greeted by a stumbling mix of hearsay and GCSE physics. If you need to understand what torque is all about, forget the formulae and get behind the wheel of a
Volkswagen Touareg TDI.
Three versions of Touareg diesel exist. The first, the 2.5 TDI, uses a five-cylinder 174bhp 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine and costs from £30,330.
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The second, the V6 TDI, uses a 3.2-litre turbo diesel powerplant developing some 241PS and costs from £34,835. The third bolts two 2.5 TDI engines together to form a V10 cylinder 5.
0-litre powerplant of quite stupendous pulling power. Mind you, youll be expected to pay almost twice the price for the privilege. The 313PS V10 TDI costs £53,640 although a determined bit of haggling may see some movement on the latter figure. All the TDI powerplants comply with Euro3 emissions regulations and feature Volkswagens Pump-Duse unit injector system.
Given that the 2.5-litre engine is effectively half the 5.0-litre unit, most of the basic technology is the same. Neither engine offers the common-rail architecture many manufacturers crow about, but given the results
Volkswagen have achieved, you wont feel hard done by.
Sales figures show the 2.5-litre TDI to be the most popular model in the entire Touareg line up and it returns some excellent figures. Although its not quite got the mumbo of a 3.0-litre
BMW X5 diesel, its a good deal cheaper and feels a more modern package.
It will accelerate to 60mph in 12.2 seconds and run on to a top speed of 114mph on the standard steel spring suspension. Plump for the optional air suspension and top speed falls to 111mph. A combined fuel economy figure of 28.
8mpg is fair return for such a huge vehicle. Both standard and Sport versions of this model can be ordered with an SE pack which gives you leather upholstery and satellite navigation for only £1,000 more. The 241PS V6 TDI has more than enough engine for the task of dealing with Mercedes,
Land Rover and BMW rivals. Suddenly the asking price of around £35,000 doesnt seem quite such an obstacle.
The Sport variant is pitched at £35,910. Its also an agreeably muscular engine, generating some 369lb/ft of torque. Its broadly similar to the unit found beneath the bonnet of the Phaeton V6 TDI limousine, except for the fact that the Touaregs installation has been tuned to offer more in the way of low down grunt. This means that the Volkswagen is adept at towing or hauling up steep inclines.
"The Touareg V10 TDI is a true leviathan amongst cars"
The overall fuel consumption figure of 25.9mpg is a reasonable showing given the Touaregs enormous all-up weight, and the acceleration to 60mph of 9.7 seconds is also firmly on the right side of acceptable. Top speed is quoted as 125mph, so motorway cruising shouldnt see the engine being flogged too hard.
The emissions of 294g/km are hardly stellar but if youre buying this sort of vehicle, thats hardly likely to be a prime criterion. The engine is a good deal more advanced than either of its other diesel siblings, using an advanced piezo electric injector capable of making up to four fuel injections per cycle. As for the V10 TDI, well perhaps this diesel should be called The Diesel Engine. Its a monster.
This 313PS 5.0-litre V10 TDI turbodiesel generates 542lb/ft of torque. What does that mean in the real world? A turbodiesel Range
Rover develops 288lb/ft, whilst a diesel BMW X5 manages 302. Pitiful!
Lamborghini Murcielago a limp wristed 480lb/ft.
A
Ferrari Enzo hawks up 484lb/ft. The Touareg V10 TDI is a true leviathan amongst cars. So whats the car like in the metal? In a word, big. At 170cm high its not lacking in road presence.
The range-topping V10 TDI sits a couple of centimetres higher still on its air suspension, the other models relying on more conventional steel springs. Unless, that is, you want to hit the options list. The interior styling is pleasantly restrained, the materials quality is class leading and the look and feel is much like the opulent Phaeton. Standard equipment includes electronic climate control, a multifunction computer, ten-speaker CD system, walnut trim, heated and folding door mirrors and a huge airbag count.
The 2.5 TDI model wears a slightly overwhelmed set of 17-inch alloy wheels. The V10 TDI is where things again go off the chart. This adds Continuous Damping Control Air Suspension, bi-Xenon lights, remote engine start, memory for your
seat belt height, steering column, mirrors and seats and a stereo system with no fewer than eleven speakers.
It can be recognised from the outside by its 18-inch wheels, a chrome air intake, front fog lights and the badge on the back. On the road, the Touareg cant quite back up Pischetsrieders claim as better than an X5. It comes close and is a little tauter than a Range Rover and a whole lot keener than a Mercedes M-class. The Volkswagen has slightly more lateral roll in corners and theres that bit more side to side wobbly head syndrome that BMW has worked so hard to exorcise.
The V10 TDI is monstrously muscular, despatching the sprint to 60mph in 7.6 seconds yet will return an average of 23mpg a decent return for a car that tips the scales at around 2,500kg. Its off road that the Touareg plays its trump card, especially when equipped with air suspension. Permanent four wheel drive and a low ratio gearbox are taken for granted, but factor in selectable front and rear differential locks, hill start and descent assist and very short front and rear overhangs and the Touareg becomes an awesomely capable tool.
With low range engaged, the Touareg can drag itself up a 45-degree slope with 35 degrees of sideways lean. The V10s torque is always a bonus, but the light weight of the five-cylinder TDI engine makes it particular nimble on downhill stretches. Touareg diesels represent respectively the most popular and most powerful models in the line up and given the choice available it seems an act of reckless folly to plump for a petrol model over this brace of oil burners. Oh, and in case you were wondering, torque is defined as a measure of how much a force acting on an object causes that object to rotate (or Force x Moment Arm).
One suspects youll find the concept of a Touareg TDI a good deal easier to understand.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Touareg TDI range
PRICES: £30,330-£53,640 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 15-19
CO2 EMISSIONS: 265-329g/km
PERFORMANCE: [V10 TDI] 0-60mph 7.6s / Max Speed 140mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.5 TDI] (combined) 28.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front/side/curtain airbags / ABS / ESP / Brake Assist/ hill descent assist / hill start assist
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm [air suspension], 4754/1928/1726
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