VW Touareg TDI BlueMotion Announced in Germany

Volkswagen adds a new BlueMotion model to their SUV range.  The efficient Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI has already begun sales.

With a 10 percent reduction in fuel consumption, the new BlueMotion vehicle uses about 8.3 liters of fuel per 100km.  This translates to roughly 34 mpg (UK).  Having that level of efficiency makes you wonder why Volkswagen would bother going ahead with the announced Touareg V6 TSI Hybrid.  The Touareg BlueMotion TSI Hybrid gets 9.0 liters of fuel per 100km or 31.4 mpg (UK).

However, the big difference is the level of power between the two vehicles.  The TDI model, with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic, gets the benefit of 225 horsepower, versus the hybrid's 374 hp derived from both the V6 and electric motor.  Cost of the hybrid has been suggested to be in the €50,000 to €55,000 range when it is released next year.  The currently available VW Touareg V6 TDI will start at €50,450, while a special edition "North Sails" model begins at €59,500.

If the current North Sails edition is any indication, the new version should also get Nappa leather seats, and Alcantara headliner.  Designed in part by boat sail manufacturer North Sails, the current edition gets better fuel economy than its base model.

We can only hope that the Touareg V6 TDI also gets an additional boost in economy.