Volkswagen Touareg

The Volkswagen Touareg (German pronunciation: ) is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Volkswagen since 2002. The vehicle is named after the nomadic Tuareg people, inhabitants of the Saharan interior in North Africa.[3] The Touareg was originally developed with the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 and as of October 2020, the Touareg was developed with the Audi Q8, the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus, which shares their MLB Evo platform and chassis.[4] The first generation (2002–2010) offered five, six, eight, ten, and twelve-cylinder engine choices.

Development

The Volkswagen Touareg (internally designated Typ 7L) was developed as a joint venture project by Porsche and the Volkswagen Group, involving the Audi and Volkswagen brands. During the initial development phase and the early years of its production, Porsche operated as an independent entity, not affiliated with the Volkswagen Group. In response to these market conditions, Porsche's CEO at the time, Wendelin Wiedeking, sought to diversify the company's product range. This strategy included the introduction of Porsche's first four-door vehicle. A team located in Weissach, Germany led by Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert, developed the Volkswagen Group PL71 platform. It is shared among the Touareg, the Audi Q7, and the Porsche Cayenne. The Touareg and Cayenne both seat five, while the Q7's stretched wheelbase accommodates a third row for seven passengers.

The Volkswagen Touareg is built at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, alongside the Audi Q7. The Cayenne is assembled by Porsche in Leipzig, Germany, at a facility built for Cayenne production.

First generation (7L; 2002)

The first generation Touareg was introduced in 2002. It comes as standard with a 4XMotion four-wheel drive system. It has an automatic progressively locking center differential (with manual override) and a "low range" setting that can be activated with in-cabin controls. The Touareg featured an optional 4-wheel active air suspension, which can raise the ride height on command, and an optional locking rear differential to increase off-road capability.[5] An uncommon option was a front-locking differential. Its load level ground clearance is at 6.3 in, Off-Road Level is at 9.6 in, and extra clearance of 11.8 in.[6] It won multiple awards such as the Best Luxury SUV, Best Sport/Utility, Best 4x4, and, Least Green Car of 2004 in America.[7]

Second generation (7P; 2010)

The second generation (Typ 7P) Touareg was revealed on 10 February 2010, in Munich[30] and later at the 2010 Beijing International Auto Show.[31]

The new Touareg features a world-first automotive headlight technology: the "Dynamic Light Assist" glare-free high beam.[30] Unlike an adaptive high-beam system, the Dynamic Light Assist system continually and gradually adjusts not only the high-beam range but also its pattern.[32] The beam pattern changes its direction continually so that vehicles in front are not being illuminated, while the area surrounding them is being constantly illuminated at high beam intensity.[33]

Third generation (CR; 2018)

The third generation Touareg was revealed on 23 March 2018 at the Poznań Motor Show. It emphasises fuel efficiency. VW discontinued the Touareg for sale in North America from the 2017 model year onward based on sales and the availability of the larger and less expensive Atlas (sold as the Teramont outside of the United States, Canada, and Chile) which was specifically designed for the United States.[57] The vehicle is larger and uses the Volkswagen Group MLB platform shared with the corporate siblings Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7.

Motorsport

A modified Touareg dubbed Stanley won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge.

Awards

The Touareg was Car and Driver magazine's Best Luxury SUV for 2003, Motor Trend magazine's Sport/Utility of the Year for 2004, Four Wheeler magazine's Four Wheeler of the Year for 2005,[73] and Overlander's 2003 4WDOTY.

Sales