Volkswagen's next Touareg will be a quantum leap from the second-generation model released in Australia in July 2011 and facelifted in February this year, if Audi's ground-breaking new Q7 is any guide.
Based on the same lighter new MLB Evo platform as the big new Audi SUV, which will arrive here in September weighing up to 325kg less than its predecessor, the MkIII Touareg is expected to debut late next year or in early 2017, before its global release later that year.
Like the new Q7, it's expected to make significant technical advances underneath an evolutionary new body design, as this Automedia rendering suggests.
The same new aluminium-intensive Volkswagen group platform will also underpin Bentley's upcoming Bentayga and Porsche's MkIII Cayenne (not due until 2018), which will technology flagships for the German giant's SUV range.
Apart from extensive chassis lightweighting, expect the new Touareg to share the Q7's more efficient new petrol and diesel engines – potentially including its advanced plug-in petrol- and diesel-electric hybrid drivetrains – and VW's latest 10-speed twin-clutch DSG automatic transmission.
There could also be advanced technologies from Audi's latest sports cars, such as a configurable digital instrument cluster, advanced driver aids and perhaps even some autonomous driving functions.
Co-developed with the first Q7 and Cayenne, VW's original Touareg was introduced here in 2003 but has never been a strong seller.
Although last year it outsold both of its sister models with almost 2000 buyers, rivals like the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery have traditionally proved more popular despite higher prices.