VW Touareg V-10 313 HP TDI to be avail in US summer 2004!

Kid you not! I dont know about everyone else, but this is the mega TDI I have been waiting for! 313 HP and 500 + ft lbs torque at 2000 RPM!!!

Excerpts from article as it appeard in January 2003 Automotive news:

VW plans diesel Touareg for U.S.

Ralph Kisiel DETROIT --
328 words
27 January 2003
Automotive News
42
Vol: 77 Num: 6022
English
Copyright (C) 2003 Crain Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Volkswagen of America Inc. expects to add a third engine - a muscular 5.0-liter V-10 diesel - to its Touareg sport-utility lineup in summer 2004.

The 2003 Touareg, VW's first sport-utility, goes on sale in the United States in May. It will be introduced with V-6 and V-8 engines.

The automaker expects to sell 30,000 Touaregs in the United States during the first full year of sales. It said about 6,000 units per year could be sold here with the 313-hp V-10 TDI engine.

TDI is short for turbocharged direct injection.

VW said the V-10 diesel would meet U.S. emissions standards that go into effect in 2004. But it is too early to determine whether it would meet even more stringent standards in 2007.

VW and its dealers consider the Touareg a major addition to the U.S. lineup.

It is the first all-new model since the New Beetle, which was an immediate hit when it was introduced in 1998.

VW's U.S. sales shrank almost 5 percent during 2002. But 2003 is expected to be a growth year as dealers begin selling the new sport-utility.

"We will go up just because the Touareg alone will give us a huge shot in the arm," said Al Gossett, chairman of the Volkswagen National Dealer Council.

"Touareg will be extremely hot. We're going to sell all of those."

The entry-level Touareg is equipped with a 3.2-liter, 220-hp V-6 gas engine.

The V-6 model has a sticker price of $35,475, which includes freight.

The Touareg, which will be built in Bratislava, Slovakia, also will be sold with a 4.2-liter, 310-hp V-8 gas engine.

The V-8 has a sticker price of $41,275, including destination.

The V-10 model has not been priced.

[ February 20, 2003, 20:28: Message edited by: Jerr ]

You say you can't wait?? What are you using now to tow with now?And what are you towing that needs that much torq?Must be a big travel trailer or a boat!!

I could use one to haul my tools from GTG to GTG.

Supposedly the US Touareg TDI will start production same week as the US Passat TDI. Week 45/03. [QUOTEHere's an update on the '04 TDI's.

We will be offering the following engines for '04, 1.9 Liter PD, 100 HP (New Beetle, Golf and Jetta), 2.0 Liter twin-cam, 134 HP (New Passat, with an SOP of 45/03), 5.0 Liter V10, 310 HP (New Touareg SUV, SOP week 45/03).

All of these engines will be "45 State" legal and can't be sold in CA, MA, NY, VT, and ME which all adhere to "CA emission Standards".

This may change because California is looking at their current (diesel) standards and may roll the back due to their impact on this issue.

VW is working on this problem an anticipates a "50 state car" at some point.

Stay tuned!!

] [/QUOTE]

$41,000????

For that kind of money I can get one of these....

three years old and about $25k

Then I could get one of these.........

for the difference.

Both diesels. And the big one already has 525ftlb of torque! Why wait?

I take it that the 2004 and after TDI cars won't be allowed in some states, but the Toureg (how IS it spelled?) will because it's not considered a car? What kind of mpg is it expected to have?

Would keep our Golf for commuting, of course!

The new 2004 regs have closed the loophole for truck emissions. Everything up to 8500lb gross has to meet the same emission requirements.

The Tourareg will be a "45" state rig.

the touareg will be more stylish, fun to drive, and fast than a f250. It's a different customer...and the touareg will likely beat the powerstroke's mileage by nearly double. I hear ya on the E300 though It's one of the smoothest engines i've experienced.

Sure, the VW would beet the Ford stock.

You can modify the powerstroke to get an easy 750ftlb of torque out of it and increase the fuel mileage by 10 to 15%. I know of guys getting 25mpg going 65mpg unloaded with powerstrokes. It also hauls about three times the load combined hauling and towing.

But the point is the truck would be for work.

Keep the F350 for hauling and use the Merc. for cruising and our Golf for commuting.

The Tourareg, for what it is, will never be a true work rig. And for how much I talk down SUVs, I do realize the need for the true contractor or person that truely needs a real work truck. Someday when my old '84 Suburban 6.2l wears out I'll probably look at something like the F350 above. But that will be long time as I only put about 1k miles a year on the Suburban.

The Touareg, which will be built in Bratislava, Slovakia, also will be sold with a 4.2-liter, 310-hp V-8 gas engine.

Hey, I may be going to Bratislava in a few months. Do you think one could purchase a Tourareg there, and import it here? Why not? I heard from my dealer that the Touareg TDI will be about $50,000; way out of my league.

AutoDiesel,
In Germany, there are tuners modifying the Touareg.
VOLKSWAGEN Touareg V10 TDI
Stock --313 HP/750 NM 313 HP/553 ft lb
Chipped --385 HP/980 NM 385 HP/ 723 ft lb

Here is the link to my source for information on this.
http://www.wkr-chiptuning.de/liste.htm

You have hit on one of the key reason for my liking the Touareg. I'll be able to haul and tow the things I need while still being able to cruse in luxury at least as nice as that MB. The Touareg will be a lot better at driving around on my favorite old logging trails than either the MB or the Ford and performs on the highway like a nice German sports sedan. You can go ahead and buy two vehicles to do this but I prefer maintaining, insuring, and housing just one.

I guess we will see how this plays out. Will they sell more for less money or charge a lot and sell less. I hope they learn from american makers that they need a strong transmission behind one of these beasts. I hear plenty of stories about automatic transmission failures. especially behind a modded engine.

Do you think one could purchase a Tourareg there, and import it here? Why not? I heard from my dealer that the Touareg TDI will be about $50,000; way out of my league.

[/QB]

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Besides the shipping, EPA tests, and port inspections, the Touareg sells for more over there. VW is discounting the Touareg quite a bit for the US Market to the tune of over 8000 USD.

I dont think the touareg will be substantial enough to use for large towing jobs and work etc, like a superduty powerstroke or cummins etc... Despite the torque numbers, I dont think the touareg will be physically long or heavy enough for to tow a 15,000lb trailer. We'll have to see. I dont think anyone will buy a touareg for a work truck anyway.... I also suspect a stock touareg will leave a chipped powerstroke in the dust....those trucks are huge and heavy..

Sounds great at first, the thought of having available a sportute with a Diesel, so we can finally have newer Diesel techno. , in the mid sportute size. All we can get are Golf/Jetta / Bugs or supersized powerstrokes.
We need diesels in the mid range of size and cost to increase mileage, So we can have some more room to fit the kiddies, and also be the weekend home project hauler.

As far as I'm concerned it's got two BIG strikes agianst it.
One: It's still a VW! We all know VWofA service is awful.

Two: It's a 50K VW! What good is having a 50K 4 wheeler that the dealers aren't able or willing to fix?

Originally posted by Lightman:
I dont think anyone will buy a touareg for a work truck anyway.... I also suspect a stock touareg will leave a chipped powerstroke in the dust....those trucks are huge and heavy..

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">7700lb Powerstrokes with just a chip won't do it.
But add a few more items like propane and turbo mods and I know of a couple of guys with time slips running in the 13's!
The gas Touareg pulled only 15.7 / 89 mph in the Jan/03 CarandDriver comparison test (7.5 sec 0 - 60). The diesel Touareg might do better 0 - 60 but probably not much better in the 1/4.
But then again, all of the above is just showing off. It's what it can do for you that counts.
And like you said, people won't be buying Touaregs for what they can do.
Just like all the other SUV's on the road.

I thought I could live without a work truck for a while, but I couldn't. Usually doing projects a few times a year. And for that, nothing beats a nice big American pick-up!

I hear ya. The new powerstroke and 5.9HO cummins are some wicked beasts. Pretty damn expensive for a truck though....as well as the touareg. Good point above about the crappy vw service, at least with the few dealers i've been to. I'm eager to see the numbers for the jeep liberty diesel if it actually comes out. Too bad they wont make a diesel wrangler (drool)