2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 Review

Summary
Last year's engine upgrades made the Touareg better than ever, and this year's refresh improves it further. However, its many drawbacks make it tough to recommend the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 over more family-friendly crossovers that offer more features for the money.

What's New for 2008
Despite what its sequel-like name suggests, the 2008 Touareg 2 is a midlife refresh of Volkswagen's SUV. Restyled front and rear fascias, additional features and new option packages highlight the changes.

Introduction
Slapping a "2" on the end of a title is typically the signifier of a full-fledged sequel, but the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 is more like a re-edited director's cut DVD. Despite the name, VW's first SUV is by and large the same solid vehicle that was sold last year, sporting revised styling and some additional features like standard parking assist and a power liftgate. That's basically the equivalent to new DVD packaging and a couple of director's commentaries.

Powertrains and Performance
Each Touareg 2 trim level comes with a different engine, but all have a six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive and a low-range gear. The VR6 name refers to the narrow-angle 3.6-liter V6 that makes 280 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy for this engine is below average at 16 mpg city/20 mpg highway. The V8 is a 4.2-liter unit that produces 350 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque.

� Source: edmunds
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