VW has released fuel economy figures for the facelifted VW Touareg, as well as equipment details ahead of the model’s European market launch this autumn.

Compared to the previous model, fuel consumption has been reduced from 7 l/100 km to 6.6 l/km (35.6 mpg US) for the base 204PS (201hp) 3.0-liter V6 TDI engine, with CO2 emissions down from 184 g/km to 173 g/km. Improvements are even greater on the more powerful versions of the 3.0-liter V6 TDI engine, the 245PS (242hp) and 262PS (259hp) models.

The combined fuel consumption of the former drops from 7.2 l/100km to 6.6 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions rated at 174 g/km. In the case of the off-road oriented “Terrain Tech” version with low range fitted with the 259hp engine, fuel efficiency increases from 7.3 l/100 km to 6.9 l/100 km (34 mpg US).

These improvements are due to aerodynamic refinements to the body and underbody, as well as the introduction of new tyres optimized for low roll resistance. The V6 TDI also has a coasting function, which disengages the 8-speed automatic transmission to utilize the kinetic energy during periods where no acceleration is required, thus further reducing fuel consumption.

The facelifted Touareg’s standard steel-spring suspension has been improved to offer more agile steering and comfort, while an air suspension system continues to be offered as optional. The latter can increase ground clearance to 300mm (11.8in) on off-road terrain.

For the first time, the Touareg is available with mobile online services, in combination with the RNS 850 radio/navigation system and mobile phone preparation. These will include a “Point-of-Interest (POI) Search” via Google, map display provided by the “Google Earth mapping service”, the “Google Street View” function and “Online Traffic Information”.

The facelifted Touareg launches this autumn in Western Europe as diesel (V6 TDI and V8 TDI) and hybrid (V6 TSI plus electric motor) models. The model will arrive in Russia at the end of this year and in North America and Asia in early 2015. In these markets, the Touareg will also offer V6 and V8 petrol engines.

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