VW’s largest SUV was officially teased undergoing winter testing
The third-generation Volkswagen Touareg has been with us since 2018, meaning it’s just about ripe for a mid-life facelift. We’ve now been given official images which give us our best look yet at VW’s updated premier SUV.
To continue challenging the likes of the Range Rover Sport, Land Rover Discovery and the recently updated Mercedes GLE, Volkswagen will bestow the Touareg with a technology update inside and a slight redesign of the exterior. The overall range configuration won’t change – those looking for a seven-seat SUV from within the VW Group stable will be served by the Audi Q7 and the Touareg’s MLBevo platform won’t allow for a pure-electric model.
As we can see from these new images taken from the Touareg’s Swedish testing programme, the front will receive Volkswagen’s updated badge and a restyled grille, while an extra crease has appeared beneath the headlights. In range-topping R-Line models, we’ll see a new LED light strip across the grille and larger air intakes for a sportier look.
This R-Line model sits on 21-inch wheels and we expect some new alloy wheels to launch with the updated model. The rear lights will gain a new design and the rear badge will light up – a first for VW. The ‘Touareg’ lettering has been positioned lower on the bootlid.
Underpinning the latest Touareg will be the same MLB Evo platform as before, which is also found in other VW Group premium SUVs, such as the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus.
As before, a 3.0-litre, turbocharged V6 petrol will kick off the range with 335bhp. There will also be two 3.0-litre V6 diesels with 228bhp and 282bhp. A plug-in hybrid with 335bhp will be retained and sitting at the top of the powertrain range will be a plug-in hybrid ‘R eHybrid’ model with 456bhp. Both PHEVs will utilise a 14.3kWh battery and maximum electric-only range should sit around the 30-mile mark. Each powertrain will be mated to Volkswagen 4MOTION four-wheel drive system.
The Touareg already uses Volkswagen’s largest infotainment screens (a 15-inch display alongside a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel) as part of its ‘Innovision Cockpit’ layout and this won’t change with the facelift. It will feature updates, however, as the lane-change navigation and the map and voice control functions have been developed further. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will have wireless connectivity.
The current Touareg starts from £56,125 in Black Edition trim (the only version now available), so expect the facelifted model to sit nearer to £60k when it goes on sale this year.
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Keyword: New 2023 Volkswagen Touareg facelift previewed ahead of reveal