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VW says its diesel-powered V-10 Touareg will return to the U.S. for '06 model year
HARRY STOFFER | Automotive News
Posted Date: 6/22/05
WASHINGTON -- Volkswagen of America Inc. vows to return the Touareg's V-10 diesel engine to the United States for the 2006 model year.
First, though, the company must persuade the EPA.
VW introduced the heavily promoted V-10 in last year, but it dropped the diesel from its engine lineup for 2005. The company could not certify that the engine would meet federal standards for tailpipe emissions.
For 2005, Volkswagen proposed injecting a compound called ferrocene into the V-10's exhaust. That would help the particulate filter work properly, the company said.
But ferrocene is not registered for use in the United States, the EPA says.
VW insists it will find an acceptable alternative.
"We are confident this flagship product will be back in the U.S. market for 2006," said David Geanacopoulos, VWoA's director of industry-government relations.
The same particulate issue does not affect the company's smaller diesel engines in other models, he says.
Halo engine
VW says it initially expects to sell about 450 V-10 diesels a year in the United States. That estimate falls far short of its prediction two years ago, when company officials said the V-10 would account for about 12 percent of projected annual U.S. sales of 40,000 Touaregs, or 4,800.
In 2004, U.S. sales of the Touareg were 27,706.
Regardless of numbers, the engine became a source of great publicity. VW cited the engine as evidence of its engineering prowess. It called the V-10 an example of the promise of modern diesel engines to provide clean, efficient power. Automotive reviewers generally raved.
Growing pains
VW's experience reflects the challenges diesels face in meeting increasingly tough U.S. clean air standards. Those standards are being phased in through the 2009 model year.
Geanacopoulos says VW sought to use ferrocene as an interim step until low-sulfur diesel fuel is widely available.
Federal rules require extensive production of the fuel by late 2006.
He did not describe the technology VW plans to use to get the engine back in the United States.
VWoA Vice President Len Hunt said in a February letter to dealers: "Sometimes being at the forefront of new technology entails setbacks, but we are confident of the next technological solution."
Merrylin Zaw-Mon, director of certification and compliance at the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, says she understands VW is seeking a particulate filter that does not need ferrocene.
She adds: "To Volkswagen's credit, it was their decision to pull the car off the market."
Zaw-Mon says such a decision probably has been made before but surely is rare.
I love diesels!
QuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
QuoteQuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
Besides, what I really want to do is wait until someone wrecks one, then SHOVE the engine into a TT roadster.
!!!
QuoteQuoteQuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
Besides, what I really want to do is wait until someone wrecks one, then SHOVE the engine into a TT roadster.
!!!
Would it fit? And if it did, that would be one absolutely insane vehicle!
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
Besides, what I really want to do is wait until someone wrecks one, then SHOVE the engine into a TT roadster.
!!!
Would it fit? And if it did, that would be one absolutely insane vehicle!
I have absolutely no idea if it would fit. Besides, once I get something in my head...I MAKE IT FIT!!!
What they really need to bring back is the 6 speed W8 Passat 4Motion.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
Besides, what I really want to do is wait until someone wrecks one, then SHOVE the engine into a TT roadster.
!!!
Would it fit? And if it did, that would be one absolutely insane vehicle!
I have absolutely no idea if it would fit. Besides, once I get something in my head...I MAKE IT FIT!!!
What they really need to bring back is the 6 speed W8 Passat 4Motion.
That was a very nice car, but somewhat like the Phaeton. One of the best cars that no one wanted.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
Besides, what I really want to do is wait until someone wrecks one, then SHOVE the engine into a TT roadster.
!!!
Would it fit? And if it did, that would be one absolutely insane vehicle!
I have absolutely no idea if it would fit. Besides, once I get something in my head...I MAKE IT FIT!!!
What they really need to bring back is the 6 speed W8 Passat 4Motion.
That was a very nice car, but somewhat like the Phaeton. One of the best cars that no one wanted.
Yup. The Phaeton should be able to steal away some Lexus sales, but people are so snooty---they don't care if it says Toyota under the hood as long as it says Lexus on the hood.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
Besides, what I really want to do is wait until someone wrecks one, then SHOVE the engine into a TT roadster.
!!!
Would it fit? And if it did, that would be one absolutely insane vehicle!
I have absolutely no idea if it would fit. Besides, once I get something in my head...I MAKE IT FIT!!!
What they really need to bring back is the 6 speed W8 Passat 4Motion.
That was a very nice car, but somewhat like the Phaeton. One of the best cars that no one wanted.
Yup. The Phaeton should be able to steal away some Lexus sales, but people are so snooty---they don't care if it says Toyota under the hood as long as it says Lexus on the hood.
I agree. I think it even says Toyota on the windows (the tiny print on the bottom). On Acura's it says Honda. Smae thing. I'd much rather have a Phaeton than a LS430--both are about the same price now (the Phaeton has massive incentives), and the Phaeton has gobs more road presence, and has a much nicer interior.
QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteI love diesels!
Me too. Especiall V10 ones.
Besides, what I really want to do is wait until someone wrecks one, then SHOVE the engine into a TT roadster.
!!!
Would it fit? And if it did, that would be one absolutely insane vehicle!
I have absolutely no idea if it would fit. Besides, once I get something in my head...I MAKE IT FIT!!!
What they really need to bring back is the 6 speed W8 Passat 4Motion.
That was a very nice car, but somewhat like the Phaeton. One of the best cars that no one wanted.
Yup. The Phaeton should be able to steal away some Lexus sales, but people are so snooty---they don't care if it says Toyota under the hood as long as it says Lexus on the hood.
I agree. I think it even says Toyota on the windows (the tiny print on the bottom). On Acura's it says Honda. Smae thing. I'd much rather have a Phaeton than a LS430--both are about the same price now (the Phaeton has massive incentives), and the Phaeton has gobs more road presence, and has a much nicer interior.
Yup...most people don't even notice that. When I was a kid, I noticed that it said ATOYOT on the windows of our GS. Confused me for a little bit (I was really young).
Hell, people bitch about VW, but open my hood and see how many Audi symbols you can find in the engine bay--probably as many, if not more, as VWs.
atoyot, and aruca. Thats what is says on the windows :)
Quoteatoyot, and aruca. Thats what is says on the windows :)
Also, take a look at the Lexus Identity Crisis. Look at the back of a Bimmer or Benz. You've got the symbol and the model. Lexus also puts their name on it! So you've got "Lexus L RX330" or whatever at the back and an L up front. Acura's getting that way too, with "ACURA" impressed on the front bumper of the TL.
Great news, glad to see it back.