Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental.
While I was abroad, my colleague Matthias Knödler visited two Volkswagen events for me that I don't think should be missed: a Volkswagen T5 Multivan drive, which included vehicles of all generations of the VW bus—and the launch of the face-lifted Touareg. Here's our combined research, including where Volkswagen's next bus/van is headed.
Even though Volkswagen's next-gen van, the T6, is around the corner, the company is tight-lipped about it. Clearly, the final push for the current-generation model, the T5, is on. The biggest challenge for the T5—and, soon, the T6—is the Mercedes-Benz V-class. For decades, Volkswagen's offerings were clearly superior to Benz's, and in a clear reversal of the brands' roles in the passenger-car market, the VW bus and Multivan models were offered with more premium and upscale fittings. Benz's defunct Viano, by contrast, oozed "commercial vehicle" from every pore. With the new V-class, this paradigm has changed dramatically. Daimler upped the van ante, and the T6 will need to make a leap forward to match it.
Besides defeating Benz, Volkswagen clearly is focused on the bus's heritage; at the T5 event, it displayed examples of every previous bus. This got us thinking: Wouldn't a retro-themed model like the Microbus or a production version of the Bulli concept be a compelling future Bus option?
Sadly, VW says it isn't likely. A new Microbus would have been too expensive to make, and the Bulli concept, developed by Volkswagen's passenger-car division, is jokingly referred to as the "T5 concept" because it could fit in the back of a T5. The traditional flat-front Microbus format, which places the driver above the steering wheel and ahead of the front axle, wouldn't fly in today's world of crash standards and crumple zones, and there is no suitable rear-engine platform in the portfolio.
After licking our wounds from the news that a retro Bus won't be happening any time soon, we inquired as to the future of the VW hauler in the U.S. Could the new T6 be offered in America, like some of its predecessors? "Never say never," says our confidant, but adds that the U.S. is "a rebate and incentive market." Making a profit on vehicles intended to be affordable workhorses—especially ones not built in North America—could be difficult, however.
Touaring the 2015 Touareg
In other Volkswagen news, the Touareg received yet another face lift, as well as an improved suspension that's more comfortable, even without the optional air springs. The Aisin eight-speed automatic transmission boasts less friction and enhanced software, too. This update has a short shelf life, however. The Touareg in its current form will be sold for just three more years, possibly less. Next year, Audi launches its new Q7 on the VW Group's new modular MLB Evo platform; the new Touareg is expected to follow soon after, as will a fresh Porsche Cayenne.
Here are some facts we learned about the current Touareg and its siblings:
- The upcoming B-SUV, based on the MQB platform, is not expected to cannibalize the Touareg (or the Tiguan, for that matter). We're told that the new small crossover is "much more of a family car than an off-roader;" plus, the Touareg is seen as a premium, upscale offering.
- The Touareg is now only available with a V-8 gasoline engine in Russia and China; demand elsewhere is too low.
- Among TDI diesel models, the V-8 TDI captures just 10 percent of sales. VW "can't make money with large engines."
- VW's fear of starting a price war with competitors using cheap, U.S.-built V-8 engines is what's keeping the V-8 TDI or a V-8 gas engine from the U.S. market.
- On the flip side, VW won't downsize to four-cylinder power in the Touareg because the small engines' "real-life consumption is far removed from the [hypothetical] advertised figures."
- Porsches are more popular: When Porsche added the V-6 TDI to the Cayenne's options list, relative production of Touaregs and Cayennes shifted from an 80/20 split to nearly 50/50.
- The Touareg V-6 TDI diesel is actually faster than the Cayenne diesel with the same engine, reaching an even 140 mph compared to the Porsche's 137-mph top speed.
- 2015 Volkswagen Jetta Driven: The Way It Should Have Always Been
- 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel Tested: It Makes Sense to Someone—$43K in Options and All
- Volkswagen Touareg Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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