2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel First Impressions
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2009 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel First Impressions by Mike Goetz / Auto123.com |
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HUNTSVILLE, Ontario -- They're calling it Touareg TDI, but could just have easily called it Touareg Take Two. Take One debuted in 2003 as a unique SUV proposition -- a full-bore mountain climber that came at no compromise to luxury, convenience or safety. Available with three stout engines (V6, V8, V10 diesel), a high-tech air-suspension system, and a host of other neat stuff, the Touareg seemed destined for upward mobility.
But all that good stuff also made Touareg somewhat heavy, pricey, and thirsty. All this gradually impacted sales. At the same time, there came a constant stream of new competitors -- it made the luxury segment look like an overstuffed kitchen party. Luxury SUV buyers are fickle. They'll run to any new high-tech debutante that appears on the scene. Net result: lately, Touareg often found itself in the hallway. "Frankly, Touareg sales were not where we wanted them the last two years," said John White, president of VW Group Canada. He noted that only 800 Touareg models were sold in 2008. But he's pointing to a "rejuvenation" of the model in 2009, due to the introduction of the new 3.0-litre V6 TDI Clean Diesel. In one fell swoop, it promises to give Touareg more fuel efficiency, more power, more lovely greenness. Squeaky-clean diesel As with VW's 2.0-litre TDI engine, this 3.0-litre TDI meets current North American emission standards (Tier II/BIN 5). Diesels find it tricky to pass Nox limits. TDI uses a bunch of devices in the exhaust system; to achieve what VW calls Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). Many modifications were made to Touareg's existing exhaust system to incorporate the SCR system (see chart). The most intriguing of these devices is the AdBlue injector. When the AdBlue (urea-based) fluid mixes with hot exhaust gases, it creates a new cocktail that greatly increases the efficiency of the downstream DeNox converter.
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