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A BlueMotion
version of the Touareg is now
available to order, offering
improved fuel efficiency and
emissions of 219 g/km, well
below the tax threshold of less
than 225 g/km. Prices for the
most efficient version of
Volkswagen’s luxury off-road
vehicle start at £34,150 on the
road RRP for the entry level
model and rise to £37,545 for
the SE.
The Touareg
BlueMotion is fitted with a more
efficient version of the
standard car’s 3.0-litre V6 TDI
common rail diesel engine which
develops 225 PS and 550 Nm of
torque, and drives through a
six-speed automatic tiptronic
gearbox. As with all models in
the Volkswagen range wearing the
BlueMotion badge, a number of
modifications have been made to
improve efficiency. Changes
include revised aerodynamics, an
optimised engine including a
more efficient alternator, low
rolling resistance tyres and a
ride height lowered by 25 mm to
reduce drag.
 The
Touareg BlueMotion also features
a regenerative braking system
which is used to charge the
battery while the vehicle is in
motion, reducing the workload of
the engine and cutting fuel
consumption further. All of
these revisions help the Touareg
BlueMotion to achieve 34.0 mpg
on the combined cycle (down from
30.4 mpg), and CO2
emissions are cut to just 219
g/km, down from 244 g/km, making
it one of the only non-hybrid
vehicles in its class to drop
below the 225 g/km barrier.
The reduced
emissions of the Touareg
BlueMotion mean that it
qualifies for band K road tax at
£215 a year, saving £190 over
the standard Touareg 3.0-litre
V6 TDI 240 PS. With the
addition of improved fuel
economy, making savings of two
pence per mile, or £10.99 per
tank, the Touareg BlueMotion can
save the average driver around
£400 a year.
Despite these
modifications and significant
gains in efficiency, the
performance figures for the
Touareg BlueMotion are only
slightly affected with a 0 to 62
mph time of 8.5 seconds and a
top speed of 126 mph.
Equipment levels
on both trim levels, BlueMotion
and BlueMotion SE, remain high
with cruise control, a leather
multifunction steering wheel and
newly designed 17-inch ‘Makalu’
alloy wheels fitted as standard
on BlueMotion models.
BlueMotion SE offers increased
levels of comfort and equipment
with the addition of 2Zone
electronic climate control,
touchscreen satellite
navigation, heated front seats,
‘Cricket’ leather upholstery,
Walnut wood interior trim and
18-inch ‘Valley’ alloys.
As with all
models in the Touareg range, the
advanced 4XMOTION
all-wheel-drive system linked to
an Electronic Differential Lock
(EDL), hill start and descent
assist, Electronic Stabilisation
Programme (ESP) and six airbags
are all fitted as standard.
The Touareg
BlueMotion is available to order
at Volkswagen Retailers now with
the first cars due to arrive in
September.
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