The Touareg's 2011 redesign made it much better, an agile, solid, well-finished SUV with comfortable seats and a plush interior. The V6 turbodiesel, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, pulls strongly and is relatively refined. Some low-speed transmission shifts could be smoother. The low-speed ride is overly firm. Access is easy and towing capacity is generous. The V8 engine has been dropped in favor of a hybrid model, and the base 3.6-liter engine is carried over. The redesigned SUV weighs less than the original Touareg but has lost its low-range, off-road gearing. Changes for 2016 included vented seats for the V6 Lux versions, a power-adjustable steering column, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist for the V6 Executive model. The Hybrid and TDI versions were discontinued. The Touareg was dropped after the 2017 model year.