| Bodystyles: | 2-Dr Hatchback; 4-Dr Hatchback; | |
| Engines: | 2.5L Inline 5; | |
| Transmissions: | 6 Speed Automatic; 5 Speed Manual; | |
| Drivetrains: | Front Wheel Drive; | |
| Bodystyles: | 4-Dr Sport Utility; 4-Dr Sedan; | |
| Engines: | 4.2L V 8; 3.6L V 6; 5.0L V 10; | |
| Transmissions: | 6 Speed Semi-Automatic; | |
| Drivetrains: | All Wheel Drive; | |
For 2008, the Touareg gets new front and rear lamps and appendages, and while the wrapper looks familiar, there are a couple of thousand new parts within. This represents a major upgrade for 2008, and it's officially dubbed the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2.
Like the Infiniti FX and Mercedes-Benz ML, Touareg eschews a third row of seats for generous five-passenger space in compact packaging. Touareg 2 offers a choice of V6 or V8 gas engines and a diesel, as with the Mercedes ML and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Volkswagen's diesel is the the fastest, the most fuel efficient, and the most expensive. All Touareg models use a six-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive.
Protected by a rigid structure and full suite of airbags and electronic safety systems, the Touareg cabin is at once inviting, involving, and efficient. There are more thoughtful touches than you'll notice at first glance, yet the learning curve is quick, the controls not daunting, and comfort remains high even after hours on the road, or off it.
Touareg 2 is a genuinely capable four-wheel-drive, and it takes to trails like Letterman to a politco's faux pas. Its combination of clearance angles, gearing, fording depth and suspension travel compares to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover LR3, Hummer H2, and Lexus GX470, and none of those offer the massive thrust of Touareg's diesel and the Jeep and Hummer don't have its adjustable air suspension.
Back on the highway the Touareg has a Teutonic feel, with smoothness imparted by precision and not softness. It cruises effortlessly regardless of road condition, and belies its heft on winding roads. A sports car it isn't, but you could make a dynamic argument for an inclement weather Grand Touring vehicle.
If you like the Volkswagen Touareg 2 but need a third row of seats at the expanse of some off-road capability, check out the Audi Q7; it uses a stretched version of the same structure.
The 3.6 VR6 comes with a full slate of features, including dual-zone climate control, power moonroof, power windows and locks, heated front seats, power driver's seat, leather shifter and steering wheel with redundant controls, alarm/immobilizer, cruise control, split-folding rear seat, alloy wheels, fog lamps, trip computer, outside and oil temperature displays, aluminum accents, heated power mirrors with synchronized adjustment and right-side reverse tilt, front and rear park assist, rain-sensing wipers and heated washer nozzles, 10-speaker audio system with Sirius Satellite Radio (three-month service included), power liftgate, and six power points, including one 115-volt outlet.
The 4.2 FSI adds a 350-hp V8 engine, leather upholstery and walnut woodwork, bi-xenon curve-following headlights, more chrome trim, 19-inch wheels and more sporting suspension calibration, power passenger seat, driver memory system, power folding auto-dimming outside mirrors, rear seat side sunshades, and sliding center dual-bin armrest.
The V10 TDI comes with the twin-turbo diesel engine, power tilt-and-telescoping heated steering wheel, larger brakes and adjustable air suspension with continuous damping control.
Options include a tow hitch ($500), a rear differential lock ($700), 19-inch wheels and tires ($1200) for the VR6, and the air suspension package ($2750). Option packages start with the Lux ($2900), which brings many of the V8 upgrades (leather, wood trim, power passenger seat, AFS2 bi-xenon headlamps) to the VR6. Lux Plus ($3400) adds four-zone climate control, heated rear seats, Dynaudio sound, and keyless operation. The Technologie package ($3350) adds DVD-based navigation, upgraded 11-speaker sound system with CD changer, rear view camera, expanded instrument panel multifunction display, and auxiliary input.
Safety equipment includes rollover-sensing ESP-plus stability control, ABSPlus brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, tire-pressure monitors, Hill Descent Assist, and adjustable seatbelt anchors front and rear. Also standard are front airbags, side-impact airbags, and curtain airbags.
The 112-inch wheelbase permits good occupant space and an overall length of less than 16 feet keeps the wheels near the corners. This creates both a muscular stance, with the glass areas rising out of strong shoulders, and maintains the approach and departure angles and clearance necessary for real 4WD use. Unlike virtually every other 4WD SUV and pickup, the Touareg's approach and departure angles are identical, meaning that regardless of which direction you encounter an obstacle, if the leading edge clears it so will the following edge. Large wheelwells do not have fender flares, instead using gracefully curved sheetmetal to house the large wheels and tires.
Touareg is essentially void of superfluous trim. The strip along the lower doors minimizes paint damage, a chrome strip protects the top of the rear bumper, and the signal mirrors transmit intentions to vehicles alongside. Finally, taillights are easy to see and cleanly integrated to avoid being subject to damage on tight trails or crowded market lots.
The entire structure is quite stiff. With a Touareg balanced on just two opposite corner wheels, the hood, hatch, and doors can all be opened and closed with no more than normal effort, an unusual feat. Even the glass section of the hatch, which opens separately and self-latches into the main hatch when it is lifted, is accessible.
While the Touareg 2, Porsche Cayenne, and Audi Q7 share some development background, differences are so significant they can hardly be labeled competitors. Indeed, the Q7, which uses the same gasoline engines and transmission as an FSI Touareg, shares less than 15 percent of its parts with Touareg.
Materials appear first-rate as does assembly; even after days of trail twisting and pavement pounding we heard no squeaks, rattles or wind whistles. The VR6's V-tex upholstery makes a fair rendition of synthetic leather. Genuine leather comes standard on the V8 and V10 and is available on the VR6; it's called Cricket though it chirps and squeaks only if you're wearing leather as well. Even the lower door panels are done in soft-touch material. Dull hard plastic is very hard to find in this car. Leather wrappers for steering wheel and shifter are standard. With leather upholstery also comes leather door pulls and very comfortable armrests. Silver-tinted trim is standard on VR6 but all the aluminum accents pieces are real aluminum, and again, the VR6 may be fitted with the polished walnut that comes in other models.
For 2008, the seats have been recontoured for better side bolstering although comfort was already very good in the previous version. With a wide range of power adjustment, seat heaters and a big padded headrest, it's easy to sit for hours yet not restrained, so you can put your head out the wheel to see exactly where the near-side rocks and obstacles are or where your toll coin landed.
Rear seats are fixed at a good backrest angle balancing comfort and vision, and outboard riders enjoy big, cushy headrests and adjustable height shoulder belts just as front riders do; pop for the Lux Plus package with left/right climate control and seat heaters for the back, and no one should complain.
Storage units are average in number and include a few useful touches. The bins at dash top center are deeper than average, and will not eject contents at quick starts or on steep climbs. On all but the basic VR6, the center armrest slides fore-and-aft, has two stowage compartments, and the lid is articulated so it doesn't flip back and pinch a center rear rider's knees.
Apart from always-on headlights/daytime running lamps that will bring bugs with you to camp, the Touareg gives the driver full control options. Air suspension, where fitted, and the four-wheel-drive system are switched by rotary dials behind the shifter, with Park Assist defeat, ESP, and seat heaters ahead of it. Climate control can be full automatic, or to any combination of outlet vents you choose. The transmission has two automatic shift modes, plus manual mode if you prefer to time your own. Column stalk controls are typical in layout, including the rear wiper, and fuel door and hatch releases are lift-up buttons near the door map pocket that are impossible to trigger accidentally.
The dominant tachometer and speedometer, and smaller numbered ancillary gauges that include both coolant and oil temperature (a better indicator of how hard the engine is working) all have flat faces with anti-reflective coating. Digital displays show miles/trip to right and time/date to left, with a redundant clock over the mirror where everyone can see it. The navigation screen is surrounded by buttons that correspond to adjacent screen icons to keep keystrokes to a minimum, and clearly more intuitive than another German brand's rotate-clockwise-to-decrease logic. Test drives done at night reveal excellent illumination of all instruments and switchgear.
Big outside mirrors provide generous views both near and far, yet are low enough relative to the seating position the driver can look over them rather than having to peer around them. Wiper and washer coverage is excellent at each end, there's plenty of glass area to avoid claustrophobia or blind spots, xenon headlamps follow the road supplanted by cornering lights and fog lamps for wide-angle lower speeds.
Accessed by full hatch or just the glass upper section, the cargo space features flat sides and floor for easy loading and a chrome skid-guard at the aft edge for sliding heavy or rough items in and out. Volume amounts to 31 cubic feet, not best-in-class but better than many and it's well-configured space: The split rear seat folds, the cushion tilts forward, the backrest down, for 71 cubic feet. But you have to remove the outboard headrests first. Four tie-down points secure the cargo. A partition for larger objects or pets is available. The cover is nice and high with 21 inches of space below it, there are two 12-volt and one 115-volt power points up high, lights are both sides of the opening, and you do not have to lie in the mud or snow to secure a flat tire underneath.
Although the TDI weighs 500 pounds more than the V8, it is the quickest of all Touaregs because of its stout engine; the 4.9-liter V10 diesel with two turbochargers dishes up 310 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque at just 2000 rpm. This is essentially the same output as recent heavy-duty pickup 6.0-6.5 liter diesels so the light-in-comparison Touareg has considerable grunt.
The pickup reference provides clues that torque is where it's at in trucks, as it gets you in motion and keeps the load moving; up to 45-50 mph, horsepower is almost irrelevant. After a fraction of a second to wind up the turbos at a dead stop, the TDI Touareg gathers momentum with alacrity and keeps pulling hard, laughing off high-altitude thin air in the process. With more cylinders, lower revs, updated fuel injection and twin turbos to mask some noise, most occupants would never know it's a diesel and it was the first of its kind in the U.S. to employ a particulate filter for emissions reduction.
Diesels are also known for economy, and despite being the quickest and heaviest Touareg, the TDI is also the most fuel efficient, earning 2008 EPA ratings of 15/20 mpg. A pair of Touareg diesels participated in the Baja 500 in 2007 and were the only vehicles to complete the race without a fuel stop.?VolkswagenTouareg� Engines_options??? ??? ????????? ??? ?? ??? ????????? ??? ?? ??? ????????? ?? ???????????????????????????????� ????????????????A44.2-liter dohc 32-valve V8?VolkswagenTouareg�Interior???????? ? ??????? ???? ????? ? ???? ????? ??????????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ?? ????????????????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?????????? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?? ???????????? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ??????? ?? ? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ????? ???????? ????? ???????? ??? ? ????????????? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????? ?? ???? ????????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ???????? ???????? ?? ????? ?? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ????????? ??? ????????? ????? ?????????? ????? ? ???? ????????? ?? ????????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????????? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ?? ?????????? ??????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ?????????? ????????? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ????????? ???? ??????? ?????????? ???? ????? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??????????? ????????? ????????????? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ????? ????????????? ? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??????????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???????? ???????? ???? ? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??????????? ???? ??????? ??? ? ??? ?????? ????????? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??????????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ????? ??? ????????? ????? ??? ????????? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?????????????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ? ???? ???????? ????? ????????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ???????? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ????????? ??? ?????????? ?????? ????????????? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ?????????? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ??????????????????? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ? ??? ?????? ???????? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????????????? ??? ??? ??????? ????????????? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??????????? ?? ?? ??????????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ? ?????? ???? ??????????? ?????????????? ???? ????????? ?????????????????? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ??????????? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ???????????????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ?? ???? ?????????? ?? ?? ??? ??????????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ???????????? ??? ??? ????????? ????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ???????? ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ????????? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???????? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ?????????? ?? ??????? ??????????????????? ???????? ?????????? ??? ???????????? ??? ??????? ????????n Turbo nears twice the price of the entry-level model (and is not offered in all states). It comes standard with air suspension, the 19-inch wheels, and larger brakes which may limit the option of buying a set of smaller winter wheels for tire chains.
Although the TDI weighs 500 pounds more than the V8, it is the quickest of all Touaregs because of its stout engine; the 4.9-liter V10 diesel with two turbochargers dishes up 310 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque at just 2000 rpm. This is essentially the same output as recent heavy-duty pickup 6.0-6.5 liter diesels so the light-in-comparison Touareg has considerable grunt.
The pickup reference provides clues that torque is where it's at in trucks, as it gets you in motion and keeps the load moving; up to 45-50 mph, horsepower is almost irrelevant. After a fraction of a second to wind up the turbos at a dead stop, the TDI Touareg gathers momentum with alacrity and keeps pulling hard, laughing off high-altitude thin air in the process. With more cylinders, lower revs, updated fuel injection and twin turbos to mask some noise, most occupants would never know it's a diesel and it was the first of its kind in the U.S. to employ a particulate filter for emissions reduction.
Diesels are also known for economy, and despite being the quickest and heaviest Touareg, the TDI is also the most fuel efficient, earning 2008 EPA ratings of 15/20 mpg. A pair of Touareg diesels participated in the Baja 500 in 2007 and were the only vehicles to complete the race without a fuel stop.
NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent G.R. Whale test drove Touareg models in Germany, Los Angeles, and Moab, Utah.
2008 Volkswagen Touareg Exterior Photos
 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Performance & Efficiency Standard Features | |
 | |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Handling, Ride & Braking Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Exterior & Aerodynamics Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Interior Standard Features | |
|
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Performance & Efficiency Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Handling, Ride & Braking Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Exterior & Aerodynamics Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Interior Standard Features | |
|
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Performance & Efficiency Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Handling, Ride & Braking Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Exterior & Aerodynamics Standard Features | |
| |
| |
| 2008 Volkswagen Touareg Interior Standard Features | |
|
| Trim | MSRP | Invoice | Destination | Internet Price |
| 2008 V10 TDI AWD 4-Dr Sedan V10 | $68,320 | Get Price | $680 | Get My Price! |
| 2008 V8 FSI AWD 4-Dr Sport Utility V8 | $48,320 | Get Price | $680 | Get My Price! |
| 2008 VR6 FSI AWD 4-Dr Sport Utility V6 | $39,320 | Get Price | $680 | Get My Price! |
Packages MSRP Invoice Internet Price| P68 | Lux Plus Package | $3,400 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| W63 | Technologie Package | $3,350 | Get Price | Get My Price! |
Options | 1D6 | Trailer Hitch | $500 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| 1Y1 | Rear Differential Lock | $700 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| J004 | Standard Paint Type | $0 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| J005 | Standard Paint Type | $0 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| PAD | Adaptive Cruise Control | $2,100 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TCD | Touareg Trunk Mounted CD Changer (PIO) | $499 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TCM | Touareg Cargo Mat Kit (PIO) | $249 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TMM | Touareg Rubber Mat Kit (PIO) | $115 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TSS | Side Steps (PIO) | $899 | Get Price | Get My Price! |
Packages MSRP Invoice Internet Price| P68 | Lux Plus Package | $3,400 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| PXA | 4-Corner Air Suspension w/Bi-Xenon Lights, AFS & Color Display | $2,750 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| W63 | Technologie Package | $3,350 | Get Price | Get My Price! |
Options | 1D6 | Trailer Hitch | $500 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| 1Y1 | Rear Differential Lock | $700 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| J004 | Standard Paint Type | $0 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| J005 | Standard Paint Type | $0 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| PAD | Adaptive Cruise Control | $2,100 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TCD | Touareg Trunk Mounted CD Changer (PIO) | $499 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TCM | Touareg Cargo Mat Kit (PIO) | $249 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TMM | Touareg Rubber Mat Kit (PIO) | $115 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TSS | Side Steps (PIO) | $899 | Get Price | Get My Price! |
Packages MSRP Invoice Internet Price| P68 | Lux Plus Package | $6,300 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| PRA | 19" 'Terra' Alloy Wheels with All Season Tires | $1,200 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| PXA | 4-Corner Air Suspension w/Bi-Xenon Lights, AFS & Color Display | $2,750 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| W61 | Lux Package | $2,900 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| W63 | Technologie Package | $3,350 | Get Price | Get My Price! |
Options | 1D6 | Trailer Hitch | $500 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| 1Y1 | Rear Differential Lock | $700 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| J004 | Standard Paint Type | $0 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| J005 | Standard Paint Type | $0 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| PAD | Adaptive Cruise Control | $2,100 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TCD | Touareg Trunk Mounted CD Changer (PIO) | $499 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TCM | Touareg Cargo Mat Kit (PIO) | $249 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TMM | Touareg Rubber Mat Kit (PIO) | $115 | Get Price | Get My Price! | |
| TSS | Side Steps (PIO) | $899 | Get Price | Get My Price! |
