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After the dust of the dunes, the conquest of asphalt!
Let’s take a few steps back: last week I shared with you my experience driving the Touareg on a sand track. For details, see my blog. So what about the asphalt? Let’s face it, most SUVs are going to spend the greater part of their lives in the city, far from the kind of terrain they were really designed for. The SUV, after all, is the descendent of an all-terrain military vehicle that progressively evolved into a pick-up truck and then into a “sport” adaptation. For you SUV buffs, here’s a link to a brief history of the SUV.
After finding out that the Touareg outdoes itself in difficult terrain, it was only natural to see how this all-terrain vehicle with 4XMOTION technology would do on a “normal” road. Is it heavy to handle (especially in curves)? Is its acceleration that of a lame duck? Does it guzzle fuel at high speeds? With its high centre of gravity, what are the advantages and disadvantages in every day driving situations? And finally, does easy handling always go hand in hand with an eco-friendly energy-efficient TDI Clean Diesel? Those are just some of the questions asked by an everyday driver like me who can claim to be pretty green. Let’s take a closer look.
First, fuel consumption.
11:45 a.m. – Montreal, Metropolitan Autoroute. I step on the gas to test the Touareg’s acceleration while trying to pass a truck. The Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) engine kicks in and has no problem whatsoever quickly passing the mammoth semi that’s blocking out the sun. From 0 to 100 km/h in 8.3 seconds is not bad at all for a vehicle this size, i.e. 2.3 tonnes when empty. That’s quite a load to get moving! This kind of performance is an important security advantage: there’s nothing worse than trying to pass a huge truck on a rainy day but not being able to do it quickly due to a lack of oomph! Of course, this rather surprising performance is suspicious: maybe it’s made possible by a gas guzzling V6?
Surprise! The Touareg consumes only 8 litres per 100 km (highway) and 11.9 litres per 100 km (city). Which is little for an SUV. I’m rather surprised to learn of the Touareg’s fuel economy, especially given its size and V6 engine, which can be a bottomless pit to fill up with fuel!
That reminds me, did you know that the first production series V6 car was the Lancia Aurelia B10 Berlina (sedan)? Made in 1950, only 954 of this model were built. What was its fuel consumption? More than 20 litres per 100 km, and that’s at sustained speeds! Of course, it used gasoline, not diesel. Collectors today will pay about $200,000 for one of these beauties.
The Touareg in comparison is a real deal! As a person aware of environmental issues, can I choose the Touareg for driving in the city? Hmmm. It depends. I don’t know about you, but when I shop for a vehicle, I look not only at its price and fuel consumption, I look at its size and weight. Why? Well, the answer is simple. More weight = more resources used in its manufacturing and transport. And just so you know, the average weight of a new car went from 900 kg in 1984 to 1254 kg in 2004, and the average power has increased by 38% in 20 years, which means even more resources used. From this angle, the Touareg, like any other SUV, isn’t ideal.
However, what are you supposed to do if you really need a vehicle that can handle difficult driving conditions? After all, we don’t all have the privilege of living in upscale Montreal neighbourhoods where the asphalt is perfectly smooth … well, maybe not perfectly smooth. If I lived out in the country, I could be easily tempted by a Touareg, especially given that it effectively combines the best of both worlds, i.e. power and the environment.
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