2011 Volkswagen Touareg to be VW’s First Hybrid

It’s no shock that VW is preparing to show off its first hybrid vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show in March, but what may surprise some people is the product that will get the hybrid system: The new 2011 Volkswagen Touareg.

Yet it does make a kind of sense. The Touareg is an amazing vehicle, offering nearly the same mix of stellar off-road ability and premium luxury cues as its platform-mates, the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7, only for thousands of dollars less—in the Porsche’s case, tens of thousands. But if there’s one thing this trio hasn’t been able to offer, it’s fuel efficiency. Even packing VW’s advanced TDI diesel, the current Touareg only notches EPA ratings of 18/25/20 in city/highway/combined driving. (Which, it must be said, is a huge advancement over the regular model’s 14/19/16.)

That’s where VW’s hybrid powertrain comes into play. On the big SUV, the system is good for about 30 mph in all-electric, emissions-free mode; in terms of miles per gallon, VW expects the hybrid Touareg to see about 28.5 mpg. Plus, the new powertrain is just the start of VW’s efforts to improve the Touareg’s fuel efficiency.

Volkswagen engineers also shaved almost 9 percent—more than 450 lbs—off the new Touareg’s curb weight, enhanced its aerodynamics, and added the segment’s first eight-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment.

Notably, VW also has improved the Touareg’s off-road functionality. Two different AWD systems will be available on the ’11 model: The base system will be a VW “4MOTION” setup similar to that on the VW Tiguan, and the hardcore version, called “4XMOTION,” will make it so “the Touareg can conquer any terrain on Earth.” At least that’s what VW says.

One thing that’s more certain is that this new Touareg should conquer more customers when it comes to the U.S. next year. Until then, check out additional photos of the new Touareg below.