2018 VW Touareg spied testing in Europe

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]