Touareg targets Range Rover
Exclusive images as VW’S big SUV heads upmarket
THE third-generation Volkswagen Touareg will take a marked leaped forward in terms of technology, design and connectivity and aim to give the brand a further push into a more premium market to help it rival the likes of Audi and BMW.
Our exclusive images reveal how the allnew Touareg could look when it makes its global debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Luxurious range-topping models could hit £70,000 as they aim to steal sales from the Range Rover, Auto Express understands.
Volkswagen is positioning itself as the more mainstream premium brand within the VW Group, and closer to the likes of Audi in terms of prestige than Skoda or SEAT. The first real push into that market comes with the Arteon (driven on Page 26) – a rival for BMW’S 4 Series Gran Coupé – but VW will dial up its premium image with the next Touareg.
Dr. Elmar-marius Licharz, VW’S head of product line for medium and full-size cars, told us: “It’s a big jump [the new Touareg] to catch what we think is premium for Volkswagen: young, connected and cool, this is the idea.”
The revamp starts with the exterior design; prototypes wearing minimal disguise show that the Touareg will adopt many of the styling cues which featured on the T-prime GTE concept at last year’s Beijing Motor Show. Our images give you a clear idea of how the finished product will look; a huge chrome grille which bleeds into LED headlamps, deep air intakes and a more angular body will be its defining features. Licharz added: “The last Touareg’s design
was not as aggressive compared with the first model. It [the new Touareg] will be much better looking – more of an SUV – so I think we have a big jump.”
Along with the new look, the next model will be considerably larger than the outgoing car. It will based on the VW Group’s MLB architecture, which also underpins the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga. The Touareg’s proportions will remain close to those of the T-prime concept, so a wheelbase stretched by 100mm and an increase in overall length of around 200mm is to be expected.
The new platform will also bring with it a new batch of six and eight-cylinder engines. Two versions of a new 3.0-litre V6 diesel are likely, developing around 215bhp and 270bhp respectively, while a larger V8 diesel will also be offered to buyers.
Another new powertrain option will be a plug-in hybrid GTE, comprising a fourcylinder 2.0-litre TFSI turbocharged engine and small electric motor. VW is targeting an all-electric range of around 30 miles.
While the company is taking a more evolutionary approach with the exterior design, the cabin will be a dramatic departure from VW’S current line-up.
Licharz told us: “With the interior, it will come pretty closer to the T-prime concept, which is interesting for us to see if this big digital platform will work inside the car.”
The cabin of the T-prime concept (above, left) featured a 15-inch display on the dash along with a completely digital instrument cluster. The idea is to offer buyers a more configurable and personalised interior space, with the customisable dash similar in theme to a smartphone. A 4G Internet hotspot will also feature.
VW bosses previously expressed an interest in developing a more luxurious Touareg, possibly with only four seats, to cement its position in the premium market.
“Along with the new look, the next Touareg will be considerably larger, thanks to its MLB architecture”