ge5544541244024335629
Carsales Staff19 May 2015
NEWS

VW's next Touareg rendered

Third-generation large Volkswagen SUV to learn lightweight lessons from new Audi Q7

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.

Share this article
Written byCarsales Staff
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.