2010 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Shows in LA

In an L.A. Auto Show press conference preceded by Red Bull girls handing out their company's energy-boosting elixir, the audience attending VW's shindig stayed awake long enough to learn that Volkswagen is going to add its corporate 3.0-liter V-6 turbocharged, direct-injected diesel engine to the 2009 Touareg SUV. The announcement was as surprising as watching the week of November 17 end with Washington bureaucrats not arriving at a deal with automakers … and that the Detroit contingent didn't manage their PR liabilities very well.

While not nearly as fun as the 550-horsepower W-12 diesel Red Bull race Touareg that will run in the Baja 1000, Volkswagen's primary business in Los Angeles was to show the production Touareg with the clean-running 3.0-liter diesel V-6. This SUV makes eminently more sense for today's economy- and green-minded consumers. The new diesel is the same unit that powers many Volkswagens and Audis in Europe, as well as the recently announced 2009 Audi Q7 3.0-liter TDI that will arrive in the United States early next year.

Specifications for the 2009 Touareg TDI match the Audi's Q7 diesel at 221 horsepower and an impressive 406 pound-feet of torque. We've driven the Q7, and in that application, the power is more than ample and real-world fuel economy was in the mid to upper 20s. The engine's single, variable-geometry turbo resides in the valley of the cylinder vee. Maximum boost is a staggering (by gasoline engine standards) 37.7 psi. Cylinder heads made from a high-strength vermicular graphite iron weigh 15 percent less than traditional cast iron and utilize four valves per cylinder. Fuel is delivered through a pressurized common rail to piezo injectors at 29,000 psi.

The new diesel meets the very green exhaust classifications of Bin 5/LEV II rating thanks to efficient combustion and the AdBlue exhaust treatment system. Similar in concept to how gasoline engines use catalytic converters to reduce harmful NOx emissions, the AdBlue urea solution helps complete the same job for diesel engines, transforming the NOx into harmless nitrogen and water vapor. The amount of the solution used is minimal, about 5 percent the rate of diesel consumption. The AdBlue tank is refilled during normal vehicle service intervals.

As a manufacturing group, Volkswagen is committed to clean diesel technology, and following the launch of the Jetta TDI, the march forward continues.--Rex Roy

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Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius. 2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDIEnlarge PhotoIn an L.A. Auto Show press conference preceded by Red Bull girls handing out their company's energy-boosting elixir, the audience attending VW's shindig stayed awake long enough to learn that Volkswagen is going to add its corporate 3.0-liter V-6 turbocharged, direct-injected diesel engine to the 2009 Touareg SUV. The announcement was as surprising as watching the week of November 17 end with Washington bureaucrats not arriving at a deal with automakers … and that the Detroit contingent didn't manage their PR liabilities very well. While not nearly as fun as the 550-horsepower W-12 diesel Red Bull race Touareg that will run in the Baja 1000, Volkswagen's primary business in Los Angeles was to show the production Touareg with the clean-running 3.0-liter diesel V-6. This SUV makes eminently more sense for today's economy- and green-minded consumers. The new diesel is the same unit that powers many Volkswagens and Audis in Europe, as well as the recently announced 2009 Audi Q7 3.0-liter TDI that will arrive in the United States early next year. Specifications for the 2009 Touareg TDI match the Audi's Q7 diesel at 221 horsepower and an impressive 406 pound-feet of torque. We've driven the Q7, and in that application, the power is more than ample and real-world fuel economy was in the mid to upper 20s. The engine's single, variable-geometry turbo resides in the valley of the cylinder vee. Maximum boost is a staggering (by gasoline engine standards) 37.7 psi. Cylinder heads made from a high-strength vermicular graphite iron weigh 15 percent less than traditional cast iron and utilize four valves per cylinder. Fuel is delivered through a pressurized common rail to piezo injectors at 29,000 psi. The new diesel meets the very green exhaust classifications of Bin 5/LEV II rating thanks to efficient combustion and the AdBlue exhaust treatment system. Similar in concept to how gasoline engines use catalytic converters to reduce harmful NOx emissions, the AdBlue urea solution helps complete the same job for diesel engines, transforming the NOx into harmless nitrogen and water vapor. The amount of the solution used is minimal, about 5 percent the rate of diesel consumption. The AdBlue tank is refilled during normal vehicle service intervals. As a manufacturing group, Volkswagen is committed to clean diesel technology, and following the launch of the Jetta TDI, the march forward continues.--Rex Roy 2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDIEnlarge Photo --- Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.