Volkswagen's luxury hybrid saves fuel, offers sleeker ride

One of the highlights of Eco Expo Asia will be the new Touareg Hybrid, which is Volkswagen's first sports utility vehicle (SUV) to use petrol and electric power. Launched earlier this year, the luxury car embodies Volkswagen's advances in fuel efficiency.

Volkswagen has improved the petrol efficiency of its second-generation Touaregs by 25 per cent, with tweaks to its latest versions' engines and four-wheel drive, a 208kg weight reduction and sleeker aerodynamics.

The hybrid is fitted with a 333hp V6 FSI engine with a fuel efficient stop-start system and a 34.3kW electric motor that offers a combined 380hp, 580Nm of torque and an average petrol consumption of just 8.2 litres per 100km.

Designed for payloads of up to 3.5 tonnes, the hybrid can be driven at 50km/h on electric power to cut carbon emissions in town traffic. The hybrid's direct injection petrol engine has been improved to consume only 9.91 litres per 100 kilometres and it emits 236 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre, 60 grams per kilometre less than its predecessor.

The new Touaregs are also the first SUVs to have an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The seventh and eighth overdrive gears are designed to conserve fuel. The eighth gear, for instance, runs at a 35 per cent slower engine speed than the sixth.

The Touareg also has more rear legroom and up to 1,642 litres of cargo space thanks to the extension of its wheelbase by 41mm, to 2,893mm. Models are also fitted with a four-camera safety and parking system, adaptive cruise control, the latest drive and safety technology, an electronic parking brake and Volkswagen's RNS 850 radio-navigation system, which includes a 60-gigabyte hard drive and 3D building representation.

On Saturday, the public can see the car and those with a valid driver's licence can take it for a test drive at the West Entrance of AsiaWorld-Expo. To register, go to www.ecoexpoasia.com.