Dr Herbert Diess, Chairman, Volkswagen brand, has confirmed that the 2018 VW Touareg will debut later this year. Months ahead of its official debut, Carscoops reader Steven Vanwetswinkel spied a test mule on the Autobahn.
With the redesign this year, the VW Touareg will move to its third generation. The all-new VW Touareg is designed around the VW T-Prime Concept GTE introduced at Auto China 2016. The dynamic 5-seat SUV will have expanded dimensions. The current VW Touareg measures 4,801 mm in length, 1,940 mm in width and 1,732 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,904 mm. The length should increase by around 200 mm, and the wheelbase should stretch by 100 mm.
The next-gen VW Touareg will ride on the same platform as the Audi Q7 - MLB-Evo. Switching to this platform, the Audi Q7 shed 325 kg and saw a 26% improvement in efficiency. The VW Touareg too should reap such benefits from the new chassis.
There's no word on the specifications yet, but we expect six- and eight-cylinder petrol and diesel engines to form the model range once again. Availability of a GTE plug-in hybrid variant will make the news this time. Its powertrain will combine a 2.0-litre petrol engine and a small electric motor. Volkswagen should offer 4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive as standard.
Active Info Display is no longer a luxury at Volkswagen, with even the VW Polo enjoying it. Along with the virtual instrument cluster, the 2018 VW Touareg should have a new infotainment system with a bigger display and the latest in connectivity, including 4G LTE for Wi-Fi hotspot. Semi-autonomous driving tech is also likely to make it to the all-new Touareg's highlights.
Also Read: Production VW T-Roc teased ahead of 23 August world debut
The EU-spec 2018 VW Touareg is scheduled to enter production in the coming months. Sales could commence by the year-end or in early 2018. There are no plans for a 7-seat version of this SUV.
[Image Source: Carscoops]
