Volkswagen Touareg SUV

April 30, 2002 – Volkswagen has released first details of the Touareg, joining the Passat W8 and the Phaeton in the next phase of the company's luxury segment campaign. The Touareg is said to have outstanding on-road and off-road characteristics, and features permanent, electronically controlled four-wheel drive, double wishbone suspension, full air suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers, and high-torque engines with five, six, eight or ten cylinders.

The Touareg will debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, and be introduced to the market in autumn 2002. Its namesake is a people in the Sahara, also known as the 'knights of the desert'. They are famed for their traditions and ability to adapt to difficult conditions. The name was chosen to symbolise the ability of the vehicle to adapt to very different driving conditions. The Touareg is an 'all-round specialist' with a top speed of over 250 km/h.

With a length of 4.75 metres, width of 1.93 metres, height of 1.72 metres, and a wheel base of 2.86 metres, the Touareg is firmly placed in the off-roader luxury segment. It is slightly longer and wider than the BMW X5.

The Touareg is a crossover design, which will call to mind not only an off-road vehicle, but also a sporty luxury class estate car. It shares the same basic platform and architecture with the forthcoming Porsche Cayenne, which will also be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. Porsche and Volkswagen jointly developed their SUV projects to reduce development costs.

As with the Cayenne, the bodyside features a rounded shoulder and sculpted wheelarch forms. A strongly defined groove in the lower part of the doors separates the upper body and the rocker form, disguising the height of the vehicle, and adding to the robust appearance. The front end design is similar to that of the Phaeton, with the cutline of the wrapover hood running to the inboard edge of the headlamps.

The Touareg is a full-blooded off-road vehicle. Power is transferred to the driven wheels via a transfer box, which has off-road gear ratio reduction, and three locking differentials. The multi-plate clutch is automatically controlled by the running gear electronics – depending on conditions, up to 100 percent of the traction force can be transferred to either of the two axles. A rotary control switch in the cockpit can be used to activate the differential lock manually. The four-wheel EDL determines exactly in which ratios the power is distributed to the wheels.

Short overhangs, ground clearance of up to 300 mm, and a wading depth of 585 mm, gradability of 100 percent and the ability to roll to 45 degrees, make the vehicle suitable for extreme off-road conditions.

Double wishbones front and back with a noise-insulated sub-frame give the vehicle the noise level and comfort of a luxury saloon, coupled with the precision of a sporty passenger car. Pneumatic suspension and continuous damping control give the car an unprecedented level of suspension comfort – both on-road and off-road. A switch in the cockpit allows the driver to select a more sporty or a more comfortable suspension. The fully galvanised, unitised, four-door body has extremely good stiffness, which forms the basis of the Touareg’s high level of comfort and high quality.

The interior design, in the style of the Phaeton, uses a large range of high-quality equipment to underline its positioning as a luxury vehicle. Elaborate seats, a fully adjustable steering wheel, and an optional separate air conditioning system for the rear seat passengers enable vehicle occupants to travel in comfort and luxury.

The vehicle does not have an aggressive off-road design, thus paying heed to weaker road users in the event of a collision. Non metal wings and a soft aluminium hood are used to enhance safety. The high standard of passive safety includes front, side and curtain airbags and active head restraints in the front.

ABS, traction control, ESP (electronic stabilisation programme), EBC (engine braking control) and HBA (hydraulic brake assist system) give the safety level of the best passenger cars. If the car is fitted with pneumatic suspension, it is automatically lowered by 25 mm when its speed reaches 125 km/h.

The tailgate window can be opened separately. Load capacity is variable from 555 to 1,570 litres. It has a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes. At the German market launch, the Touareg will be available with a 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine and a 5.0 litre V10 TDI engine.

	Volkswagen reveals first details of Touareg SUV
	Click for larger images	April 30, 2002 – Volkswagen has released first details of the Touareg, joining the Passat W8 and the Phaeton in the next phase of the company's luxury segment campaign. The Touareg is said to have outstanding on-road and off-road characteristics, and features permanent, electronically controlled four-wheel drive, double wishbone suspension, full air suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers, and high-torque engines with five, six, eight or ten cylinders. The Touareg will debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, and be introduced to the market in autumn 2002. Its namesake is a people in the Sahara, also known as the 'knights of the desert'. They are famed for their traditions and ability to adapt to difficult conditions. The name was chosen to symbolise the ability of the vehicle to adapt to very different driving conditions. The Touareg is an 'all-round specialist' with a top speed of over 250 km/h. With a length of 4.75 metres, width of 1.93 metres, height of 1.72 metres, and a wheel base of 2.86 metres, the Touareg is firmly placed in the off-roader luxury segment. It is slightly longer and wider than the BMW X5. The Touareg is a crossover design, which will call to mind not only an off-road vehicle, but also a sporty luxury class estate car. It shares the same basic platform and architecture with the forthcoming Porsche Cayenne, which will also be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. Porsche and Volkswagen jointly developed their SUV projects to reduce development costs. As with the Cayenne, the bodyside features a rounded shoulder and sculpted wheelarch forms. A strongly defined groove in the lower part of the doors separates the upper body and the rocker form, disguising the height of the vehicle, and adding to the robust appearance. The front end design is similar to that of the Phaeton, with the cutline of the wrapover hood running to the inboard edge of the headlamps. The Touareg is a full-blooded off-road vehicle. Power is transferred to the driven wheels via a transfer box, which has off-road gear ratio reduction, and three locking differentials. The multi-plate clutch is automatically controlled by the running gear electronics – depending on conditions, up to 100 percent of the traction force can be transferred to either of the two axles. A rotary control switch in the cockpit can be used to activate the differential lock manually. The four-wheel EDL determines exactly in which ratios the power is distributed to the wheels. Short overhangs, ground clearance of up to 300 mm, and a wading depth of 585 mm, gradability of 100 percent and the ability to roll to 45 degrees, make the vehicle suitable for extreme off-road conditions. Double wishbones front and back with a noise-insulated sub-frame give the vehicle the noise level and comfort of a luxury saloon, coupled with the precision of a sporty passenger car. Pneumatic suspension and continuous damping control give the car an unprecedented level of suspension comfort – both on-road and off-road. A switch in the cockpit allows the driver to select a more sporty or a more comfortable suspension. The fully galvanised, unitised, four-door body has extremely good stiffness, which forms the basis of the Touareg’s high level of comfort and high quality. The interior design, in the style of the Phaeton, uses a large range of high-quality equipment to underline its positioning as a luxury vehicle. Elaborate seats, a fully adjustable steering wheel, and an optional separate air conditioning system for the rear seat passengers enable vehicle occupants to travel in comfort and luxury. The vehicle does not have an aggressive off-road design, thus paying heed to weaker road users in the event of a collision. Non metal wings and a soft aluminium hood are used to enhance safety. The high standard of passive safety includes front, side and curtain airbags and active head restraints in the front. ABS, traction control, ESP (electronic stabilisation programme), EBC (engine braking control) and HBA (hydraulic brake assist system) give the safety level of the best passenger cars. If the car is fitted with pneumatic suspension, it is automatically lowered by 25 mm when its speed reaches 125 km/h. The tailgate window can be opened separately. Load capacity is variable from 555 to 1,570 litres. It has a towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes. At the German market launch, the Touareg will be available with a 3.2-litre V6 petrol engine and a 5.0 litre V10 TDI engine.