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Vehicle Type: Mid-size Diesel-powered Luxury SUV

Pros and Cons*
The 2013 Touareg TDI has excellent fuel-economy ratings for both city and highway driving conditions. It has a comfortable, quiet cabin and exhibits superb road handling characteristics. Its luxurious, understated interior can compete with any other mid-size luxury SUV on the market.
Unfortunately, the sport suspension and 20-inch wheels tend to spoil its exemplary ride, and its steep starting price is out of the reach of the average buyer.

Price
The Touareg TDI is available in three models:

• The Comfortline, which starts at $53,975;
• The Highline, which starts at $59,970;
• The Execline, the most luxurious version, which starts at $63,800.

(Photo: Volkswagen)

Fuel Economy
Fuel economy ratings are an estimated 10.8/6.7 L/100 km (city/highway), and the fuel tank has a 100-litre capacity.

Exterior Styling
In spite of its imposing stature, the Touareg TDI, with its sober lines and familiar front grille, still manages to resemble the Passat. It comes equipped with standard foglights, rain-sensing wipers, integrated side-mirror turn-signal lights, LED lighting and remote hatch release. An optional electric sliding panoramic sunroof is also available.

Interior
The elegant interior offers comfortable seating and smooth, soft surfaces for its five occupants. Dual-zone electronic climate control, navigation system with 8-inch high-res touchscreen, multifunction trip computer, Bluetooth connectivity and keyless access are some of the features available in the Touareg TDI.

(Photo: VW)

Cargo Capacity
The Touareg offers a generous 909 litres of storage space, which can be expanded to 1,812 litres when rear seats are lowered.*

Drivetrain
All three Touareg models come equipped with the standard 240 hp 3.0 litre V6, along with standard 8-speed Tiptronic transmission and 4MOTION all-wheel drive.

Safety
The Touareg features the following standard safety systems:

• Rearview camera
• Front airbags and supplemental restraint systems
• Driver and front passenger side airbag supplemental restraint system
• Side Curtain Protection head airbags, front and rear
• Rear-impact-optimized head restraints - driver and front passenger
• 3-point safety belts, all seating positions, height-adjustable for driver and front passenger
• Emergency locking retractors for all seating positions
• Front seat safety belt pre-tensioners with load limiters
• Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS)

Comparable Models
The Volkswagen Touarag is part of an elite crowd that includes the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and, with the Execline version, the Porsche Cayenne.

*Sources and testimonials;
www.vw.ca