Host Ross Rapoport spent a week in the all-new 2011 Volkswagen Touareg VR6 Sport, a brand new redesigned premium SUV that is as fun to drive as it is comfortable and elegant.

Sharing some design cues with the far-more expensive Porsche Cayenne, the Touareg has flowing lines and a pronounced back-end, making its silhouette look eerily similar to its European cousin. Also for 2011, the Touareg has managed to drop over 400 pounds while increasing its cargo capacity and overall size, a fairly noteworthy improvement over the course of one year.

Watch the 2011 VW Touareg VR6 Sport Review Video at YouTube.

The Touareg for 2011 comes in several different engine options, including a brand new hybrid option which unfortunately we didn’t get to test drive. However, our 3.6L VR6 engine, with 280 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque, was more than capable of getting us around town with its ample power and acceleration. Gas mileage is decent considering the engine and the weight, you’ll be mustering roughly 16 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. With the hybrid engine, you’ll be getting slightly better numbers: a supercharged V6 with 333 horses and 324 pound feet, with gas mileage coming in at 20/27. Do the math and that extra power and mileage might not be enough to justify the additional $9,000 or so it takes to upgrade to the hybrid engine. And all of the Touaregs come with VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system to manage all the twists and turns your commute can throw at you.

Inside, the Touareg is functional and efficient, if a little plain. The execution is user-friendly, with a highly intuitive climate control and navigation system. All in all, the cabin is practical, but doesn’t contain any particular cutting-edge technology that you might expect in a SUV at this price. In fact, the Touareg doesn’t contain real leather seats, a sunroof, or a third row of seats.

The 2011 Touareg has undergone some very desirable upgrades and changes for this year, and remains a very powerful front-runner in the midsize and luxury SUV segment, giving many of its more expensive competitors in its class a run for their money. Our VR6 Sport Touareg starts off at $45,600 with an as tested price of $46,420.

Host: Ross Rapoport

Vehicle: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg VR6 Sport
Base Price: $45,600
Price as tested: $46,420
Engine: 3.6L VR6 engine
Horsepower: 280 hp / 265 lb-ft torque
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles

EPA: 21 city / 27 highway MPG

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Volkswagen brought their second generation Touareg (with a twist) to the 2010 New York Auto Show. The 2011 Touareg features a hybrid powertrain, showcasing the brand’s first-ever hybrid. The Touareg offers three available engines to suit a variety of different drivers: A V6 FSI gasoline engine, a V6 TDI Clean Diesel engine, and a V6 TSI gasoline hybrid engine. With the hybrid model, a 3.0-liter supercharged, direct injection V6 gasoline engine is paired with a special electric motor that reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by about 40 percent.

An eight-speed automatic transmission, helps the Touareg Hybrid achieve approximately 25 mpg and 21 mpg during highway and city driving respectively. A special clutch can disengage the transmission from the engine when the engine is not powering the Touareg, allowing it to coast forward emission free to further aid in fuel savings. The electric motor can also recover kinetic energy during braking to help recharge the nickel metal-hydride battery pack. With the V6 engine and electric motor combined, a total of 375 horsepower and 428 lbs.-ft. of torque are available, allowing for full towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds.

Compared to its predecessor, the 2011 Touareg is wider and has a shorter overall height for a stronger presence. A longer wheelbase and greater length provide greater stability, and more room inside the cabin, while the use of new materials and other adjustments have removed nearly 450 pounds from the vehicle. The Touareg’s interior has also been refined, making for a better use of space for both the driver and passengers, as well as in the cargo area.

A seven-inch widescreen color display located between the main gauges in the dash provides the driver with the latest vehicle status information, including of the drive system in the hybrid model, turn-by-turn navigation directions, and more. Volkswagen’s new RNS850 touch screen entertainment and navigation system features an 8-inch screen, a 60GB hard drive with 18GB of space available to upload audio, video, and more, and a DVD/CD player with MP3 playback and Satellite/FM/AM stereo. The navigation system can display maps and directions in a 3-D view, and highlights major landmark highlights to further assist when traveling.