NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Blue flags fly green technology

NZ Herald
19 Nov, 2010 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
The new Touareg, 200kg lighter than the 2003 model, feels nimble. Photo / Supplied
The new Touareg, 200kg lighter than the 2003 model, feels nimble. Photo / Supplied

The new Touareg, 200kg lighter than the 2003 model, feels nimble. Photo / Supplied

The new Touareg, 200kg lighter than the 2003 model, feels nimble. Volkswagen uses the colour blue to highlight its "green" strategies, or ways to make vehicles cleaner and more fuel efficient.

Blue and green go together. Blue, say those who know, causes the body to produce calming chemicals. Green symbolises nature. It is a calming, refreshing colour.

VW went with the name BlueMotion as its environmental flag. "GreenMotion" might not have worked.

"Blue is a non-political colour," said a VW spokesman a couple of years ago. "You have to remember the Green party is very strong in Germany. We don't want to be seen to be endorsing one party."

Mercedes-Benz uses blue, too. Its BlueTec logo has the same environmental aims. BMW goes with "EfficientDynamics", one word, often on a blue background. Audi has TDI, or turbo-diesel injection. It's BlueMotion by another name, if you like, because Audi is part of the VW Group and uses BlueMotion technologies.

BlueMotion, BlueTec and so on began with diesel engines. The oil-burners had an advantage: they are more fuel-efficient than petrol units and, over the life of an engine, emit less CO2 exhaust emissions.

Carmakers remapped engines and improved exhaust technology. Next came better gearboxes, low-resistance tyres, regenerative braking, more efficient aerodynamics, and stop-start systems. BlueMotion soon spread to petrol engines.

The technology is not available in every engine but VW will one day have a BlueMotion badge as an option across its range. There will be a BlueMotion petrol model in New Zealand soon, too, perhaps next year.

The latest VW to carry the BlueMotion badge is the all-wheel-drive Touareg, a lifestyle SUV the carmaker says is 200kg lighter and up to 25 per cent more fuel-efficient than the current example. It is cleaner, too, with VW claiming the lowest CO2 emissions in class.

The new model borrows its design cues from the lines of the Golf Mk VI and Polo hatchbacks. The front end especially is the face of the new VW family album.

At 4758mm, the Touareg is 40mm longer than the current model. So is the 2900mm wheelbase. The SUV is 12mm wider but its height has been dropped by 20mm to 1724mm.

The extra length has improved interior room, although the Touareg remains a five-seater with maximum boot space of 1642 litres, depending on seating arrangement.

The changes over the 2003 model extend far beyond new styling. Equipment includes an Aisin eight-speed transmission with manual mode, stop-start fuel-saving technology, regenerative braking, and touchscreen satellite navigation.

Options run to air suspension, lights that dip for oncoming traffic, and seats that massage backs and backsides. The line-up of diesel engines include two V6 units and a V8. The entry-level 3-litre V6 TDI unit delivers 150kW and 400Nm of torque. It is priced from $92,000 but doesn't arrive until early next year.

The other V6 delivers 176kW and 550Nm of torque. VW claims town and around fuel economy of 7.4 litres/100km, or 38mpg, and a CO2 rating of 195gr/km. It sits at $106,000.

The top-end Touareg uses a 4.2-litre TDI V8 engine putting out 250kW and 800Nm. Its combined fuel usage is a claimed 9.1 litres/100km (31mpg). CO2 rating is 239g/km. It costs $139,000 and replaces the previous V10, which doesn't meet Euro6, the new European emissions standard.

Low-ratio is no longer standard in 4Motion. The new off-road option is called 4XMotion. A brief drive of the V6 showed up obvious advantages over the outgoing model. The new Touareg might be longer, wider and lower but it feels smaller and more nimble, thanks largely to its 200kg weight loss.

Discover more

Business

Report: 'Sustainable revolution' could leave kiwi agribusiness behind

18 Nov 10:31 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

World Press Photo Exhibition highlights power of photojournalism

New Zealand

'Blood-curdling': Daughter sees pool champ 'brutally' attacked in pub brawl

New Zealand

'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

World Press Photo Exhibition highlights power of photojournalism
New Zealand

World Press Photo Exhibition highlights power of photojournalism

Why Verona's open-air opera is a must-experience event
Travel

Why Verona's open-air opera is a must-experience event

'Blood-curdling': Daughter sees pool champ 'brutally' attacked in pub brawl
New Zealand

'Blood-curdling': Daughter sees pool champ 'brutally' attacked in pub brawl

'Stressful' night for family separated by cordon during drug raid
Bay of Plenty Times

'Stressful' night for family separated by cordon during drug raid

New UK social media laws come into force today, blocking children under 13
World

New UK social media laws come into force today, blocking children under 13

Scorned husband imprisoned after $2m blackmail attempt of wife's lover
Crime

Scorned husband imprisoned after $2m blackmail attempt of wife's lover



Latest from New Zealand

World Press Photo Exhibition highlights power of photojournalism
New Zealand

World Press Photo Exhibition highlights power of photojournalism

The World Press Photo Exhibition opens in Auckland this weekend.

25 Jul 07:06 AM
'Blood-curdling': Daughter sees pool champ 'brutally' attacked in pub brawl
New Zealand

'Blood-curdling': Daughter sees pool champ 'brutally' attacked in pub brawl

25 Jul 07:00 AM
'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role
New Zealand

'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role

25 Jul 06:59 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search