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Posts Tagged ‘2006 Midsize SUV’
 Volvo introduced an available V-8 engine for its sport utility vehicle during the 2005 model year. First seen at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, the 311-horsepower V-8 version featured new 18-inch wheels, a graphite-gray grille and twin exhaust pipes. Volvo said the engine emitted a distinctive sound. The 2005 model year also brought improved Rain sensor wipers with flat blades and a standard Home-Link transmitter. Long known for safe, solid sedans and wagons, Volvo joined the SUV fray in 2003 with its car-based XC90. The Swedish automaker claimed the midsize XC90 with Roll Stability Control would be the safest SUV on [...]
 Volkswagen arrived late to the sport utility vehicle party when it launched the Touareg (pronounced “TOUR-egg”) for 2004. Electronically controlled 4XMotion permanent four-wheel drive includes off-road gearing. Up to 100 percent of the engine’s power can be sent to either the front or rear wheels. Off-road helpers include Hill Climb Assist, Hill Descent Assist and a locking center differential. A navigation system is optional. A direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 will be the standard engine for 2006 Touareg once the 3.2-liter V-6 is phased out toward the end of calendar year 2005. The new V-6 develops 280 horsepower, which is 40 hp more [...]
 For 2006, Toyota has launched a hybrid-powered version of its Highlander SUV that features a new second-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive system. Except for a new front fascia and LED taillights, the Highlander Hybrid looks nearly identical to the regular Highlander. Aluminum wheels hold 17-inch tires, and Toyota includes an extended hybrid-power-train warranty. The Highlander Hybrid achieves an SULEV emissions rating, and front- and all-wheel-drive versions are offered. Lexus, Toyota’s luxury division, markets a hybrid SUV named the RX 400h. The Highlander Hybrid provides seating for up to seven people in three rows of seats. Three battery packs sit under the rear seat, [...]
 Introduced in 2001, the car-based Highlander became the most popular member of Toyota’s five-model sport utility vehicle lineup. Though it is structurally related to the more expensive Lexus RX 330, the Highlander has a different squared-off appearance and comes with fewer standard features. Both models can be equipped with front- or all-wheel drive, but the Highlander is available with either a four-cylinder or V-6. Nearly 2 inches narrower and 4.4 inches shorter than Toyota’s truck-based 4Runner, the Highlander promises SUV versatility combined with carlike ride and handling. Except for revised engine ratings thanks to new Society of Automotive Engineers testing standards, [...]
 Toyota last redesigned its midsize 4Runner sport utility vehicle for 2003, making a V-8 engine available for the first time. A face-lift for 2006 gives the 4Runner a new grille, bumpers, fog lamps, headlights and taillights, and redesigned lower cladding and over fenders. The Sport Edition gains a smoked chrome grille, and new 18-inch alloy wheels and a memory feature for the driver’s seat are standard on the Limited. Audio systems have a mini-jack connector for an external audio source, like an MP3 player. Options include a navigation system and a rear-seat entertainment system with a 9-inch screen. Three trim [...]
 Launched during the 2001 model year and initially named Grand Vitara XL-7, Suzuki’s largest sport utility vehicle later adopted only the XL-7 designation to differentiate it from the automaker’s smaller Grand Vitara. The XL-7 name denotes the vehicle’s ability to hold seven people; in contrast, the Grand Vitara seats only five occupants. Seven-passenger seating is actually optional; standard seating is for five. For 2004, the XL-7 got a new five-speed-automatic transmission, and new Drive-Select push-button-operated four-wheel drive could be shifted on the fly. Suzuki has adopted a simplified model strategy for 2006. Antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution are newly [...]
 Subaru combines the notion of a sport utility vehicle and a pickup truck in its compact car-based Baja four-door crossover. A turbocharged engine goes into the Baja Turbo, which was added for the 2004 model year. For 2005, a new net-type center storage pocket for the rear seatback was installed, and the 12-volt power outlet was relocated to the console storage box. All models were pre-wired for optional high-powered, off-road Baja lights. A hard bed cover accompanied the upgraded Baja Turbo with the Leather Package. The only changes for the 2006 model year are a newly standard security system and [...]
 Positioned above the company’s Legacy and Outback and exhibiting a fresh design theme, it is Subaru’s largest model. The B9 Tribeca is manufactured in Indiana. Subaru has never offered a model in the United States that could hold more than five occupants. But the new flagship B9 Tribeca, launched at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is the first-ever Subaru model with five- or seven-passenger seating. The B9 Tribeca went on sale in late May and is equipped with standard symmetrical Variable Torque Distribution all-wheel drive. The all-aluminum horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine generates 250 horsepower, and the [...]
 Porsche introduced its Cayenne sport utility vehicle in early 2003. Both Cayenne V-8 models are refined, civilized and muscular, but their performance personalities differ as much as their prices. Like the stimulating pepper of the same name, this luxury midsize SUV ranks as a hot number — especially the Cayenne Turbo, which has a 450-horsepower twin-turbo V-8. A 340-hp Cayenne S and a V-6 base model are also offered. A standard six-speed-manual transmission went into the V-6 Cayenne for 2005. New options included Sirius or XM Satellite Radio. For 2006, an electronic logbook is optional and a new three-button remote key [...]
 The new Pontiac Torrent is closely related to the Chevrolet Equinox and Saturn Vue sport utility vehicles. Pontiac says the five-passenger Torrent combines car-like agility with SUV capability and versatility. Power comes from a 3.4-liter V-6, and the car can be equipped with either front- or all-wheel drive. An adjustable rear seat yields greater legroom for backseat passengers when it’s moved rearward and expands the cargo area when it’s slid forward. The backseat also reclines. Sales begin in the second half of 2005. All Torrents have power door locks with remote keyless entry, air conditioning, power windows and a six-speaker CD stereo. [...]
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