Innehållsförteckning för March 2006 från MotorTrend

@ motortrend.com Expanded Photo Gallery: High Adventure in Bolivia! Join Brian Vance for an extended peek at some mud-flinging fun in South America with Land Rover’s G4 Challenge. Exclusive Auto Show Coverage Our online coverage of the 2006 Chicago auto show, begins on February 8 at motortrend.com/autoshows/ “Bond Girl” Extended Version: When it comes to bagging some of the world’s hottest future cars, you’re no match for Brenda Priddy, the camera-toting mom turned spy. Our additional bonus photos illustrate what it takes to succeed in the automotive world of spy versus spy. motortrendclassic.com Historical features, vintage-car reviews, event coverage, and lots more! Check it out at Motor Trend Classic online. Future Vehicle Forecast For more information beyond the collection of vehicles assembled in this issue, go to the "Unofficial Guide…

ALTHOUGH this dramatic sedan is officially a concept, what you're looking at is the all-new replacement for Lincoln's LS, due in 2OO7. This car, codenamed D385, represents the most radical departure yet from the tired old Lincoln image epitomized by the ubiquitous Town Car, now regarded by many as little more than an upmarket taxi rather than a serious Cadillac rival. The D385 is a striking amalgam of American and European styling themes, combining lots of chrome and a prominent grille with a rakish profile and taut surfaces. Inside are modern colors and detailing—and no fake wood. It's just as radical under the skin, too. D385 is built on the same architecture as the next-generation Volvo S80 and XC90. That means the transverse mounted, 315-horse Yamaha-built 4.4-liter V-8 under the…

AUDI WILL campaign the first diesel-powered car to challenge the 24 Hours of Le Mans. An all-aluminum 5.5-liter biturbodiesel V-12 powers the new R10 prototype racer. Audi rates the car, which is significantly longer than the race-winning R8, at more than 650 horses and 812 pound-feet of torque. Because the useable torque band comes in between 3000 and 5000 rpm, the R10's drivers will make fewer shifts around the Le Mans circuit. And because it has turbodiesel power (with two diesel particulate filters), the car is expected to run two extra laps on each tank of fuel. The Audi R10 makes its race debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida, March 18, before it goes on to Le Mans, France, for the June 17-18 enduro.…

american gothic I end up in the same position as always at this time each month. I come home from work to find the latest issue of Motor Trend either hidden or "Miss Placed," as my wife calls it, and I have to sneak to another room to read it. A few hours pass, and I return to find an unhappy wife. She has eaten alone and gone to bed early. Still, though, I quickly fall asleep dreaming of articles written as well as some of the greatest novels. I wake up the next day refreshed and comforted knowing that Motor Trend will be there for me next month—though I'm not sure about my wife. Shawn NovingerMechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Which would you rather have?—Ed. write us at 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los…

TALKING POINTS Engine: 6.0-liter (364.1 cubic-inch) LS2 V-8 from the Corvette, rated at 400 horsepower, with Active Fuel Management, GM’s new name for cylinder shutoff. AFM helps the Camaro avoid the gas-guzzler tax. The 1969 SS 350 (a 5.7-liter) was rated 300 horsepower, and the SS 396 was rated 325 horsepower, both using the old SAE gross scale. Transmission: Six-speed manual. Suspension: Four-wheel independent with MacPherson-strut front, multilink rear, progressive-rate coil springs and gas-pressurized dampers. The 1969 SS 350 had coil springs in front and a solid axle with leaf springs in the rear. Brakes: Four-wheel disc, 15-inch rotors with four-piston calipers. The 1969 SS 350 had front discs/rear drums. Wheels: Cast aluminum, 21 inches front, 22 inches rear. Tires: 275/3OR21 front, 305/30R22 rear. DESIGN NOTES Grillo evokes base 1969…

0:16 EXCLUSIVE DRIVE 0:16 ACCORDING to the latest data, the median home price in Miami-Dade County is $381, 600. That figure may have been used in a great deal of sidewalk calculating as we drove a 2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder through the streets of South Florida."lf I sell the house and buy that car, Id still have maybe $ 181,000 left over for a one-bed-room condo…" Whether you like its angular edginess—most think it's smokin' hot—the car has neck-snapping potential that should earn it the official endorsement of the Chiropractic Association. Miami is officially Lamborghini World, home of the world's largest Lambo dealer, Prestige Imports, where they tell us they've built quite a cottage industry in personalizing Gallardos, because "no one wants to pull up next to a Gallardo that’s…

0:19 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE SPYDER BASED ON the underappreciated 2006 Eclipse coupe, the 2007 Spyder will provide yet another way to enjoy the Mitsu's potent powertrains and fourth-generation organic/futurist styling. In fact, thanks to an available V-6 and true 2+2 seating, the Spyder will be in a class almost by itself. Both current Eclipse coupe trim levels will carry over to the droptop: a 162-horse four-cylinder GS and a 263-horse V-6 GT. Due to the exhaust particulars in the convertible's chassis, the Spyder's V-6 loses three horsepower compared with the coupe's, but there's more than enough power to blow your hair back on the way to six-second blast to freeway speeds. BOTTOM LINE: If past sales are any indication, the 2007 Spyder should account for about a third of Eclipse sales.…

FIRST LOOK 0:29 THE Escalade is more than an SUV:it's a popcuture celebrity, having struttedc in hip-hop videos, starred in : The Marrix: Reloaded," whiskes professional athletes to and from their games, and in 2004 it was even the top-mentioned brand (41 times) in Billboard's Top 20 singles, according to San Francisco ad agency Agenda. Yet moms and "normals" are just as enamored of the Escalade. So hoe will Cadillac ensure the continued, pan-demographic appeal of the redesigned GMT900-based model, on sale in the first quarter of 2006? Here's a look at some of the best features of the next-gen 'Slade. RIGHT: The elongated Escalade (by 21 inches) receives the plusg luxury o the standard model, but benefits from a whopping 9.5 inches more legroom in the third row and…

0:44 FIRST DRIVE 0:44 THE all-new, 2007 Explorer Sport Trac shares much of its platform and technology with the current Explorer SUV, which Ford redesigned last year. Thanks to almost 17 inches of added wheelbase compared with the previous model's, the Sport Trac boasts a 4.3-foot-long composite bed and crew-cab pickup-type seating for five adults. The biggest improvements this year are the all-new reinforced frame and four-wheel independent suspension. The new IRS, attacking corners and banked turns with significantly more confidence and composure, is far superior to the two-generation-old live-axle/leaf-spring setup on the previous Sport Trac. Add Control Trac, Advance Trac, and roll-stability software programs to help keep all four wheels safely on the ground (plus front, side, and curtain airbags in case they don't), and you have a fine,…

0:46 MINI TRAVELLER IN 1960, the things you could do with the original pint-size Mini suddenly became a lot more interesting with the introduction of its lengthened variations, the Austin Seven Countryman and stablemate Mini Traveller. Well, it'll be deja vu all over again when the revamped new Mini gets the Traveller stretched-taffy treatment late in 2007, adding about eight inches in length and perhaps even a few of the show version's trick details. Likely to appear are the concept car's multi-configurable cargo hold and split rear doors instead of a hatch; but don't bet on its B-pillarless roof support and the complexly hinged side doors. BOTTOM LINE: Certain to be yet another swinging 1960s Mini hipster successfully updated smack into the hip-hop era. 0:47 NISSAN SENTRA EXPECT a larger…

0:58 FIRST DRIVE 0:58 BLURRING the frosty German landscape at an indicated 270 kph (168 mph) in a 2007 Audi S8 proved an exercise in noise. Not road or wind noise, mind you, but rather a grating clatter courtesy of AC/DC and the S8's optional $7800,1100-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system, whose 14 aluminum-grille-covered speakers glitter the cabin. Underhood, however, is where the real wattage lies. Borrowed from the Lamborghini Gallardo and tweaked just right, the S8's 5.2-liter V-10 engine is an aluminum jewel that weighs in at just 485 pounds—44 pounds less than the M5's V-10—yet produces 450 horses and 398 pound-feet. From Gallardo to S8, the V-10 has undergone myriad modifications, most notable a bump from 4961 to 5204 cc and the implementation of direct fuel injection. Power…

THINK OF THEM AS MODERN VERSIONS OF YOUR DAD’S BUICK OR MERCURY "SO JUST WHAT category do these three cars fall into?" someone asked during a staff meeting as we moved to the next subject on the agenda, a planned comparison of the Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Avalon, and Hyundai Azera. After a moment of typical befuddlement around the conference table, our chief categorizer of things cleared his throat "Well, think of them as aspirational four-door sedans. Modern versions of your upwardly mobile Dads Buick or Mercury. A step up from a Ford or a Chevy, but a notch below a Lincoln or a Cadillac." In other words, what our fathers drove as they dreamed of their Eldorados (auricular and vehicular). Many of those dreams are now warehoused in Motor Trend's…

THIS DELIGHTFULLY cheesy mid-1960s publicity shot shows the Fab Couple with their George Barris "Kustomized" Mustang convertibles. They were typical Barris movie/television pieces for the day: loud paint with shading around the body lines, grilles made out of hardware-store materials, and tacked-on, nonfunctional scoops (of sorts) on the hoods. Barris gave the interiors a makeover featuring flamboyant fabrics and wild colors—not so different from what Mrs. Bono would become known for later in her career. The Pontiac-style split nose was an interesting design touch. The cars must've been provided by Ford; note the manufacturer license plates. Cher has been in the music business for four decades now. Sonny went into politics, but met an untimely end in a skiing accident. Anybody seen these Mustangs lately? coverage august 1961 45 YEARS…

THIS IS the all-new CL-Class coupe, codenamed C216, which will make its debut within six months of the launch of the all-new S-Class on which it’s based. Like the new S-Class, the new CL is longer and wider than its predecessor, and under the camouflage are similarly bold character lines. The new CL will be packed with high technology, too, including single-lens bi-Xenon headlights and cameras front and rear to assist with parking. Standard engine for the U.S. will be the new 382-horse, 5.5-liter V-8 used in the S550, though European buyers can order one with a 4.0-liter diesel V-8. This is the CL63 AMG version, to bow in spring 2007 with the new 503-horse, 6.2-liter AMG V-8, seven-speed automatic, and ceramic brakes. Deeper bumper fascias front and rear, quad…

LAMBORGHINI has created a dazzling, new-aged Miura concept in the mold of the original, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year. The notion is similar to that of the Ford GT: maintain the classic's design ethos while modernizing the details and increasing the overall package size. The first Miura was bodied by Bertone, but this one is the work of the Lamborghini's Centro Stile studio's Walter de' Silva, newly appointed design director (who also retains design responsibility for Audi). Billed as "strictly a concept" by President and CEO Stephan Winkleman, the Miura could be put into limited production if there's enough demand, say insiders. If built, the Miura would use elements of the Gallardo's space frame and the 512-horse, 5.0-liter V-10, mounted longitudinally, cutting both cost and development time. Emulating…

0:7 FIRST TEST 0:7 IT smoother and quieter than a garden-variety XLR.Only the 19-inch rolling stock mesh front grille-work, stainless-steel tailpipes, and a discreet badge or two hint that this version of Cadillac's edgy two-seat roadster is different from others. But mash the throttle, and you'll know it is: The intake tract moans, the supercharger whines, and the flapper valves in the mufflers open to let the exhaust breathe free. Oh, and there's another indicator:The speedometer needle will pass the “60* mark in 4.5 seconds. Cadillac appears serious about its 'v-Series' performance sub brand, and why not: AMG and M have worked like charms for Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Brewing up high-powered versions of mainstream models isn't a new idea. But it is a smart one that adds brand value and…

0:17 PREVIEW DRIVE 0:17 THOSE expecting the usual evolutionary Porsche baby step in horsepower will be disappointed. From the 415 horses (SAE rated) in the 996 Turbo (the 993 Turbo had 400), the 997 now bumps against the Ferrari F430 with an upgrade to 473 horses—a 14-percent boost and just under seven percent more than the 444-horse 996 Turbo S. Torque delivery from the reworked heroic 3.6-liter boxer-six also is improved, thanks to the new Variable Turbine Geometry turbochargers good for up to 17.4 psi boost. Movable vanes change the angle at which air blows on the turbines depending on engine speed and throttle position. Power builds sooner and more smoothly, while more torque is available across a wider rev band—all 457 pound-feet from the 997 Turbo can be accessed…

0:30 JEEP WRANGLER THE granddaddy SUV brand will celebrate its 65th anniversary with the jaunch of four all-new models, bringing the Jeep range to seven vehicles—the largest in the nameplate's history—including a reworked version of its iconic Wrangler."Our customers wanted more. More of everything," say Jeep insiders when asked to describe the philosophy behind the reinvention of the Wrangler. Under the hood is a new 3.8-liter V-6 with 205 horsepower. The wheelbase has been extended 2.0 inches and the track 3.5 to improve ride and handling as well as interior room. The increase In size hasn't hurt the Wrangler's off-road capability: In fact, the 2007 Wrangler boasts approach and departure angles of better than 40 degrees and a ramp-breakover angle of better than 25 degrees. Top-of-the-range Rubicons boast locking front…

0:45 FIRST DRIVE 0:45 SINCE introducing the Camry sedan in Japan in 1980, Toyota has sold more than 10 million worldwide, with over 6.5 million snapped up in the United States, the world's single largest market for the model. Last year, alone, Toyota sold more than 400,000 of the family freighter, making it the best-selling passenger car in the U.S. for the eighth time in the last nine years. Never an automaker to rest on its laurels, Toyota will attempt to make 2006 another best-selling year for the Camry, and it'll likely succeed due to the introduction of the all-new iteration you see on these pages. Now in its sixth generation, the 2007 Camry line includes the most powerful version ever as well as the most fuel-efficient example to date.…

0:53 FIRST DRIVE 0:53 50 MAYBACH continues to work on its identity crisis. You know, the one its 63-year absence in the market, beginning in 1939, created, and which the Maybach-like 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has fostered. No one mistakes Rolls-Royce Phantoms or Bentley Continentals for anything else. Maybach's latest therapy comes in the form of a sport package, of sorts, although it's not badged an AMG model. It pins a unique nose on the short wheelbase 57 model and adds 62 horses, 20-inch 11-spoke wheels, 0.6-inch-lower ride height, thicker anti-roll bars, and a stiffened Airmatic suspension. The 57 S also has a perforated leather steering wheel, "piano black" and carbon-fiber interior accents, available Vesuvius black or Aspen white super-supple leather seats with decorative piping, and body-color panels in the headlamps'…

0:59 EXCLUSIVE RIDE 0:591 WAS semireclined, not unlike the driving position in an F1 car, as electric motors whirred and the Birdcage 75's giant glass canopy closed down over me. Although I couldn't see any of the car's corners, the view was otherwise as panoramic as an F-16's cockpit. So this is what it's like to be inside a flying saucer. The breathtaking standout of last year's Geneva auto show, the Birdcage is Pininfarina's way of celebrating its own 75th birthday as one of Italy's premier design houses and coachbuilders. Why not a Ferrari, with whom Pininfarina is most often identified? "We did a Ferrari concept a few years ago," notes passionately well-spoken Paolo Pininfarina, president and CEO and a member of the family's third generation. "We are currently working…

THERE'S SOMETHING wrong here—and so right it hurts. A two-ton sedan shouldn't do the things a world-class sports car does. Want to pass that piece of rolling road furniture parked in the fast lane? Bam! It's gone in as long as it takes to turn your head. Care to shake-off those tailgating Tooner Boyz on the freeway interchange? Whoosh! Your satisfaction will arrive at the same moment they realize there isn't a hope of matching your cornering speed. Oh, hello, officer. These are my vented and cross-drilled brakes, which can haul me down to a safe and sane rate of progress (120-to-60 mph) in less time (2.6 seconds) than it took for you to notice. The officer removes his sunglasses, peruses the vehicle, and says, “You're not exactly driving a…

IN BIG CITIES across America, the "it" car is the sleek CLS from Mercedes-Benz. The CLS is even better when dressed for success in optional AMG attire that includes a raucous 5.5-liter supercharged V-8, sport suspension, and massive brakes. But, for some, even the creases on AMG's trousers aren't sharp enough, so the automotive aftermarket is ready to help. Brabus, one of the best-known Mercedes-Benz tuners, offers a host of hot hardware to amplify the already stunning CLS55.We tested Brabus's K8 version, seasoned with equal portions of power, looks, and handling. Underhood, thrust is up a reported 81 ponies thanks to a titanium pulley that overdrives the factory twin-screw supercharger, high-flow air filters, and special spark/fuel calibration ($13,500 with warranty). Brabus improves venting via its larger-diameter stainless-steel exhaust system ($3195)…

2005 SUBARU LEGACY GT Total mileage 18,699 WE GOT loads of mail about the Legacy's climate-control temperature fluctuation. The problem was cured with a new HVAC control unit, while a new A/C compressor rpm sensor fixed a reader's car. Your fix may be different from either of those, but we do appreciate when you contact us to describe your experiences with vehicles that are the same as ours. While the Legacy GT might seem pricey at $30K, it's easy to lose sight of all the feature content. An Audi A4 3.0 Quattro would set you back an additional $5K and still be 30 horses shy of the Legacy GT. Average fuel econ 18.4 mpg Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $38.13 (3000-mile service); $42.24 (7500-mile service); $91.51 (15,000-mile service) Normal-wear cost…

REAR-DRIVE cars are coming back to GM. And it's Chevy, not Pontiac or Buick, that'll benefit, according to well-placed sources. GM announced last year it was axing plans to use the Australian designed and developed Zeta rear-drive platform for a range of new cars, most notably the next-generation Pontiac GTO. But it now appears rear drive is back on the agenda. The difference is GM will use key elements of the Zeta platform to develop specific cars for the U.S. market, rather than take the platform wholesale from its Australian subsidiary Holden. The other big change to the plan? The next-generation GTO is definitely dead. You'll note the GTO didn't show up at this year's Detroit auto show—even though exclusive renderings we ran last year were based on an actual…

ULRICH BEZ has thrown down the gauntlet to his former employer Porsche with this gorgeous four door concept, the Aston Martin Rapide. The rakish Rapide takes aim at Porsche’s planned front engine, V-8-powered Panamera four-door, due 2009. Because it’s based on the versatile VH architecture that underpins the current DB9 and Vantage, it could beat its Stuttgart rival into production by at least a year. HELLO, GORGEOUS Although obviously based on the svelte DB9, the Rapide’s shapely silhouette is the work of new Aston design director Marek Reichmann, who started working on sketches of the car last summer. The Rapide is nearly a foot longer than the DB9, but just 1.6 inches taller and 308 pounds heavier. MY, YOU’RE FAST 6.0-liter V-12 from the DB9 has been uprated to 480…

VW CHIEF Wolfgang Bernhard is finally putting some flesh into his promise to introduce 10 new VW-branded vehicles by the end of the decade, even though some models haven't been determined. One that's made the cut for the 2008 model year is a "new Scirocco," a reprise of the much-loved 1974-1992 Golf-based hatchback coupes. One difficulty facing VW is to separate the new Scirocco from Audi's next TT, especially if Audi decides to import the Shooting Brake version to the U.S. The TT uses the same mechanical matrix, but it’s likely the VW will have more rear-seat space than theTT. Practicality was always a hallmark of the Scirocco line. The top version will run the Golf R32's driveline, which means a 247-horse, narrow-angle V-6, DSG six-speed gearbox, and 4Motion all-wheel…

0:9 FIRST LOOK 0:9 NO OTHER automotive brand says "suave" like Jaguar. Say the following sentence out loud:"Shall we pop over to your bungalow in my Jag?" Notice how you instantly sound like Cary Grant? With its new 2007 XK Coupe and Convertible, though, the British maker wants to do more than charm the ascots off the country-club set-—it wants to strike fear into BMW and Mercedes-Benz. That the new XK is edgier and more performance-attuned than the model it replaces is immediately apparent when you slip into the crisply tailored cockpit. Instead of a conventional ignition-key slot on the steering column, there's a racy, red "Start" button on the center console. Paddle shifters await driver-directed gear changes, while the clumsy old "J-gate" console lever has been jettisoned in favor…

0:18 FIRST LOOK 0:18 SIZE matters in the U.S., but bigger isn't always better. How much extra have you recently spent to shrink your cellphone, iPod, or laptop computer? Could small be the next big thing in cars, too? Last year, the boxy Syn trucklet made the query while attempting to show that small could be tough, solid, and versatile. Ford is asking the question a second time this year with its stunning REFL3X concept. The REFL3X's mission is to demonstrate that small can be sporty, fun, practical, and—here's the tricky part—aspirational (that's industry lingo for "profitable"). The REFL3X shades about as much ground as does the boxy Syn trucklet, but the stance and proportions are dramatically different and considerably more beautiful. Its wheelbase and length are B-class, but the…

0:25 MAZDA CX-7 OVER a year after presenting the MX-Crossport concept at the 2005 Detroit auto show, Mazda delivers the production version—dubbed ; CX-7-—just in time for spring shopping. The CX-7 is Mazda's first crossover vehicle, and it promises to be a sporty one, thanks to a turbo 244-horsepower, 2.3-1 iter four, a six-speed automatic, 18-inch wheels, and an available Active Torque-Split l all-wheel-drive system. While Brady Bunch households won't be drawn to the two-row, five-seat configuration, active families will find solace in the 60/40-split rear seat, 58.6 cubic feet of maximum cargo space, and standard ABS, stability control, and traction control. BOTTON LINE: Mazda injects a dose of zoom-zoom into the crossover segment. 0:26 LINCOLN MKX THE 2007 MKX won't be a luxo version of the Ford Explorer, as…

0:42 FORD F-250 SUPER CHIEF HOW COULD the locomotive, a mode of transportation that rocked the world 200 years ago, be the inspiration for Ford's latest concept vehicle? Trains have been powered by steam, diesel, turbine, and hybrid, as have automobiles, and might provide ideas for new ways to power cars and trucks as resources change. From those ideas came Ford's F 250 Super Chief, which made its debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Styling is where the Super Chief most emulates its namesake. The front end is dominated by an intimidating grille, and the streamlined body leads to a smooth, side hinged tailgate. The suicide doors enter into Spinneybeck leather easy chairs with ottomans that pop up from the floor. The warm- toned cabin…

LESS THAN two years after the Honda Accord Hybrid began emitting ultralow emissions into the American atmosphere, the new Camry Hybrid—powered by a 147-horsepower Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and a 45-horsepower electric motor—joins the Green Party, delivering an estimated combined-fuel-economy rating of 40 mpg. The Accord, which ruffles leaves with a combined 253 horsepower courtesy of a 3.0-liter V-6 and an electric motor, has a combined-fuel-economy rating in the low 3Os. Take that, Honda! Whereas the Accord Hybrid is the most powerful, most expensive, and most fuel efficient of the Accord line, the Camry Hybrid is simply the most fuel efficient, outgunned and overpriced by its more upscale V-6 siblings. So if it’s miles and not horses that are of the utmost importance to your hybrid conscience—and Toyota is certainly hoping…

0:54 BENTLEY AZURE AFTER A five-year hiatus, the Azure name is back, once again adorning a Bentley flagship convertible. Inspired by the Arnag Drophead Coupe concept revealed at the 2005 Los Angeles auto show, the Azure utilizes the rigid body structure and control-arm suspension from the Arange sedan. Power comes from the Aroagel's twin-turbocharged V-8, which produxces 450 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque. To lighten and stiffen the body, Bentley fitted the Azure with carbon-fiber underfloor cross braces, a welcome addition that helps accommodate the Azure's three-layer fabric roof. At the flip of a switch, the roof stows under a leather-trimmed tonneau in under 30 seconds. BOTTOM LINE: The Bentley Azure costsmore than a quarter mil, but cruising south Beach necver felt so good. 0:56 ROLLS-ROYCE CORNICHE THE CORNICHE,…

FIRST TOYOTA Then Nissan. And now Honda. With every full-size-truck launch, Japanese manufacturers have learned more about what does and doesn't fly in the thus far American-brand-dominated truck market. Nissan and Toyota have taken somewhat conventional approaches, although neither has yet to offer the depth and breadth of models, cab configurations, and powertrain variations of the Big Three. Not so Honda. With clever packaging and innovative approaches to rear suspension/bed/storage design, Honda has conceived and engineered a different kind of truck and repurposed existing platform and powertrain architecture-darned good ones, by the way—which saved costs and cut development time. As a result, the Ridgeline reaches new highs in balancing ride, handling, and utility. It so impressed during our recent Truck of the Year showdown that we made a unanimous decision…

WE X AD high hopes for the Volkswagen Touareg when it arrived here. After all, this all-terrain machine was codeveloped alongside the Porsche Cayenne, leaving no doubt VW was serious about becoming a major player in the SUV market. The results were impressive, so much so that we awarded VW's first effort in this category with our 2004 Sport/Utility of the Year and a few months later took one into our long-term test fleet for scrupulous evaluation. At launch, the Touareg was offered with two gas engines and one diesel V-10 (emission requirements have since canceled the super torquey diesel option). It's available with a low-range transfer case, locking differentials, and driver-adjustable air suspension to adjust ground clearance. All this plus attractive styling, premium interior materials, and a sizeable cargo…