Volkswagen is banking on the fuel-saving properties of a new gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain and what it describes as a wholesale improvement in quality levels to bolster North American sales of its second-generation Touareg.
This new Touareg represents VW's first foray into the premium-hybrid-SUV market, which includes gasoline-electric entries from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac, among others. Further competition will come from a similarly powered version of the new Porsche Cayenne, alongside which the new Touareg was developed.
Despite the late entry of its hybrid, VW says it is confident the heavily reworked SUV will emulate the sales success of its seven-year-old predecessor--which recently raked up half a million sales worldwide--and register gains in many markets where it is sold.
