Volkswagen Touareg!

[a2Pilot]

VW is entering the Sport Utility market with it's upscale Touareg. It' s positioned more as a competitor to the MDX. It only seats five. VW developed it in partnership with Porsche to reduce costs for both companies. Prices will be in the $40K range. Pretty Cool, but a lot of cash!

http://www.vw.com/NASApp/newmodellau...areg/index.jsp

[davemac]

Yeah, I think it was Car & Driver (?) that just did a comparison test on luxury midsize suv's and it took first place & was plenty impressive.

[a2Pilot]

Hi davemac! Yes, they did. Interesting article wasn't it? I don't understand why VW is adding high-end vehicles to thier VW lineup when they have Audi as a premium brand.

http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caran...o_bradsher.xml

[kompers]

I wonder about that myself! That VW is sure a nice looking vehicle, though!! If it were in my price range and had the capacity of the Pilot, I would definitely be interested!

[Commuter]

Isn't Porche really the premium brand?

[davemac]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by a2Pilot
[B]Hi davemac! Yes, they did. Interesting article wasn't it? I don't understand why VW is adding high-end vehicles to thier VW lineup when they have Audi as a premium brand.

[url]
Yes, they're often a tough company to understand. Who's the marketing genius that came up with a SUV name that 99% of the population will mispronounce?? One of the few mfgs thats trying to advance in the direction of higher end stuff (with the Tuareq, W8 Passat, and eventually Phaeton). To me, it seems like it will be a tough sell, as buyers paying these prices will be expecting top quality service/treatment (not something VW garages always known for). They certainly haven't done a good job of marketing the $36,000 Passat W8 thus far.
(As a current Passat, and former A4 owner) I do enjoy following their Company. BTW, I'm planning on going back to the A4 QTM as I've found it difficult transitioning to the less spirited ride of the Passat.

[davemac]

Originally posted by Commuter
Isn't Porche really the premium brand?

There is to be a Porsche version of the SUV... close to six figures Saw a writeup, supposed to be pretty special (as it should be)

[Bill Balmer]

Originally posted by davemac


There is to be a Porsche version of the SUV... close to six figures Saw a writeup, supposed to be pretty special (as it should be)

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo (actually a twin turbo V8) will be "close to six figures" at $89k, but the Cayenne S will be significantly less - around $59k if I recall correctly. I have seen road tests that prefer the VW Touareg to the Cayenne S. The Cayenne Turbo is a beast, though, with well over 400 bhp. Anybody remember the GMC Typhoon?

[MDXlite]

Had it sat seven- I'd be in it instead of the Pilot. Hate the name- love the car. Was close to getting the MDX but the value of the Piot was too great to ignore. C'est la vie.

[JungleJim]

Originally posted by Commuter
Isn't Porche really the premium brand?

No, Porche is unrelated to VW/Audi.

[BuffaloNY]

Originally posted by davemac
Yes, they're often a tough company to understand. Who's the marketing genius that came up with a SUV name that 99% of the population will mispronounce?? One of the few mfgs thats trying to advance in the direction of higher end stuff (with the Tuareq, W8 Passat, and eventually Phaeton). To me, it seems like it will be a tough sell, as buyers paying these prices will be expecting top quality service/treatment (not something VW garages always known for). They certainly haven't done a good job of marketing the $36,000 Passat W8 thus far.
(As a current Passat, and former A4 owner) I do enjoy following their Company. BTW, I'm planning on going back to the A4 QTM as I've found it difficult transitioning to the less spirited ride of the Passat. [/B]

Volkswagen is trying to keep consumers who, say, started out in a Golf MkIII and now have kids, etc. and want to upgrade to something better now that they have the scratch, but don't want to abandon the Marque. Although Audi and VW come under the same umbrella, so do Caddy and Chevy, but they're not the same vehicle.

Audi is not only higher-end than VW, it's also sportier (S-series). VW is more utilitarian than Audi, hence the Touareg. As for the Phaeton, that one's harder to explain because of the A8. I still think that VW wants a car at all possible ends of the spectrum. They are going to start importing the Polo soon for the low end, Golf/Jetta for mid-range, Passat for growing Yuppie families, Touareg for SUV-types and Phaeton for middle-aged executives. I kind of like the idea that, in Europe, a person can buy a $10,000 Lupo and a $70,000 Touareg at the same dealership.

[tledjazz]

As a former Jetta owner I waited years for VW's SUV to come out. Like Honda, they took their time. When I saw the price range, and it would only seat five I scratched it off my list. Who knows, by the time they do a redesign with a third seat, I may actually be able to afford one. I love My Pilot, but there's something about a Volkswagen. Those of you who've had one know what I'm talking about.