This car’s last full redesign, in 2009, gave it a face only a mother could love. The result was a resounding lack of love from premium car shoppers, who didn’t dig the slab-sided looks and silver beak of a grille. Sales bottomed out in 2010, so Acura decided that, for 2012, it would address the main reasons the TL was being passed over. The makeover, known as a mid-model change in the auto industry, does more for the car’s looks than the short list of alterations alone would suggest. The most important change, of course, is the new grille, which is smaller and better integrated into the front fascia. Also new are the “waterlines,” or creases, in the front and rear bumper covers, and a black valance piece to the rear, all of which help reduce the visual height of the car when viewed straight on, front and rear. The overall result is a car that trades incongruousness for a big dollop of the classiness that many buyers in the luxury segment expect. So confident was Acura in the TL’s mechanical make-up that they changed little about the car’s chassis and drive-train. Engine choices for 2012 remain the same as last year: base TLs use a 3.5-litre, 280-horsepower V6 that drives the car through the front wheels via that six-speed auto. The old automatic was no slouch in its performance, (in spite of reliability troubles early on), so the main benefit of the extra gear comes in its positive effect on another increasingly important number in luxury cars, fuel economy. That, by the way, was another reason that TL rejectors went to other brands, so engineers found a few other ways to chip away at the car’s L/100 km figures.
The clear direction for Volkswagen this year is more emphasis on electric and hybrid options, and a goal of expanding the SUV lineup overall. Of course, we won’t see these goals met until at least next year, if not the following, but VW is setting some clear objectives for the brand. For the 2016 model year, we saw the hybrid option removed from the Touareg trim options, but a recent teaser image has us pondering the potential for a 2018 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and its specs are impressive. Though Volkswagen hasn’t officially announced that the teaser image is, in fact, the 2018 VW Touareg, Volkswagen listing it as being a new direction for the premium SUV segment all but confirms it. We don’t see Volkswagen developing a whole new premium option when there really isn’t an economy SUV in the lineup right now. The new concept will premiere at the Beijing Auto Show, which starts next Monday, April 25. VW hasn’t released a whole lot of information on the model, aside from some teaser images that hint at a much sportier design.
What we do know is that the model will be much more high-tech, so we wouldn’t be surprised by gesture control technology as seen in concepts like the e-Golf Touch. VW claims the digital operation and display will introduce a “new level of interactivity,” which, to us, confirms this theory. Unlike other models, this one is said to have a lounge-style interior and increased operation for passengers. This has us reconsidering the interior of the BUDD-e, as this is the most direction concept of “lounge-style” we can think of. If you can recall that interior, it had an L bench for rear passengers and the front passenger seat was capable of turning to face the rear. Aside from additional focus on digital features, the 2018 VW Touareg Hybrid will have a potent powertrain. This time, it will be a plug-in hybrid, which is typically a better bet as far as fuel economy goes. The 2015 Touareg had a 3.0-liter V6 that delivered 380 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, but only earned an EPA-estimated 20 city and 24 highway mpg rating. Sure, it was powerful, but it didn’t quite balance economy, luxury and power in the right mix for its price tag. This could change for the plug-in option, as it is said to still have a power output of 376hp and 516 pound-feet of torque. As the model is just a concept right now, with us holding out for solid information early next week, we have no details on a potential release date or pricing, but it’s still showing some exciting possibilities for Volkswagen. Once we hear more, we’ll be updating here at the New Century Volkswagen Blog, so stay tuned.
