2006 Volkswagen Touareg SUV

The Touareg represents Volkswagen's first attempt at building an SUV. It's part of the company's strategy to grow its market share while aiming for a more upscale image. While customers can find nearly the same interior volume and all-wheel-drive peace of mind with a loaded Passat wagon, the Touareg offers the off-road enthusiast a more sophisticated four-wheel drive and higher ground clearance. Sharing its basic architecture with the Porsche Cayenne, the Touareg touts an impressive list of standard performance, safety and luxury features that allow it to compete head-to-head with a number of premium SUVs costing thousands more. Volkswagen hopes to introduce a V10 turbodiesel to the U.S. market, a move attempted in 2005 only to be thwarted by a last-minute EPA regulation. The 5.0-liter V10 TDI is rated at 310 horsepower, can accelerate the Touareg from zero to 60-miles per hour in 7.5 seconds and has an EPA highway fuel economy rating of 23-miles per gallon.