Best-in-class vowel-to-consonant ratio: 10 things to love about the Touareg

Posted on 05 January 2012 by

Ah, the majestic Volkswagen Touareg. Bold, beautiful, and born for adventure. What’s not to love? You already know that the Touareg gets you where you’re going in style and comfort, but here are a few more things you may not have known about it.

  1. It’s an IIHS Top Safety Pick. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s judges awarded the Touareg with their Top Safety Pick rating, the highest possible rating from the non-profit safety research organization.
  2. The Touareg TDI gets an estimated 28 miles per gallon. You already know that the Touareg can go anywhere—and now you know that it will burn less fuel getting there. The Touareg TDI also puts out an impressive 406 pound-feet of torque at 1,750 to 2,250 rpm while producing 225 horsepower at 3,500 to 4,000 rpm.
  3. It’s rugged, yet refined. Sure, the Touareg is ready to handle any terrain at any time, but with luxurious standard features like a multi-function steering wheel, heated rear reclining seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and leather seats, you’ll look (and feel) great, no matter where your Touareg takes you.
  4. It has an available Dynaudio® premium sound system. The 620-watt sound system with 10 premium speakers and DSP technology will make road noise practically disappear.
  5. The Touareg has a Hybrid option. That’s right: you can get a Touareg fully loaded with premium features and the world’s first supercharged hybrid engine.
  6. The REST button keeps you warm when it’s cold out. “Rest” is the German word for “residual,” and the REST button enables the Touareg’s residual heat function, which uses an electric pump to circulate engine coolant through the heat exchanger for a maximum of 30 minutes after the car is turned off.
  7. Available 4Motion all-wheel drive. With the special synchronized technology in 4MOTION, each wheel is always in motion and constantly working together.
  8. It can get you across two continents in record time. Earlier this year, Rainer Zietlow and his team set a new world record for driving the length of the Pan-American Highway, crossing through 14 countries and covering nearly 16,000 miles in a Touareg TDI in only 12 days. You may never need to drive that far, but if you do, the Touareg can handle it.
  9. It comes with a programmable key fob. The key fob can be programmed to do all sorts of things, like open and close the rear hatch and even start your engine remotely.
  10. The Touareg will leave the light on for you. The automatic vehicle illumination feature lights the way when you’re walking from the vehicle to your destination. You can even turn on the headlights from your key fob when you’re approaching the Touareg.

Tell us: what’s your favorite thing about the Touareg?

Behind the wheel with Danielle Gumro: Why she loves the Touareg, in her own words

Posted on 25 August 2011 by

It’s a story as old as time: girl meets Touareg, falls in love, and drives happily ever after. (That’s a thing, right?) We recently caught up with Volkswagen product specialist Danielle Gumro to get her thoughts on her daily driver, a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel.

Danielle’s Touareg—which she nicknamed her “Miracle Whip”—is more than just a great way to get around; it also doubles as a personal assistant. The Touareg’s voice command feature is especially handy when either of them needs to fuel up. “I love being able to locate things so simply by just pressing a button and telling my Touareg what I need. ‘I need coffee. I need diesel. I’m hungry.’” She also loves that she can open the back hatch right from her key fob when her hands are full. And even though the sweltering summer temps have prevented her from using them, she’s looking forward to trying out the heated seats and pressing the Touareg’s REST button this winter. (Editor’s Note: “REST” is the German word for “residual,” and the button enables the vehicle’s residual heat function, which keeps the cabin warm, even when the engine off and you’re running short errands.)

When we asked Danielle what she likes best about driving a TDI, she answered, “The fuel economy, definitely. I also like the way that it performs—it gives me a little pep in my own step,” she added, referring to the powerful low-end torque, but also to something else. “Once you know what diesel technology is all about, it’s like being in on the secret. You feel cooler. Let’s just say that if I had a collar on right now, it’d be popped.”

Like Danielle, the Touareg is always up for a challenge and does everything in style; this dynamic duo gets lots of attention, no matter where they go. Danielle recounts one story involving a valet who drilled her for information on the Touareg. “He had no idea Volkswagen made something that luxurious” Of course, as a seasoned product specialist, she was more than equipped to answer all his questions.

While Danielle isn’t planning to drive her Touareg across 14 countries like the TDI Panamericana team recently did, she does have a few road trips on her calendar. Stay tuned to the Touareg Blog for more on that.