New Volkswagen Touareg to move upmarket

The 2017 Volkswagen Touareg will receive a more luxurious interior and a design influenced by its smaller sibling, the Tiguan, when it arrives in less than a year's time. The five-seat SUV model will sit directly above the Tiguan when it replaces the current Touareg, which has been on sale since 2011. Eventually it’ll rank as VW’s second-largest SUV, after the larger Cross Blue production model is launched into the US and Chinese markets.

The recently sighted 2017 Touareg test mule is heavily camouflaged, but LED lighting and the car’s more angular design is clear. The car’s shape looks similar to that of the Cross Blue, but the more rounded wheel arches, a larger front grille and a shorter wheelbase are the most obvious differences.

The Touareg’s light design is expected to take more influence from the Tiguan than the Cross Blue. Beneath the covers, it looks like the latest Touareg test mule features horizontal structures on both its front and rear lights, as previewed by this year's Beijing motor show concept.

Under the bonnet of that concept was a plug-in hybrid powertrain that produced 386hp and 700Nm of torque. The system could run in full-electric mode for up to 80km. A hybrid powertrain like this is therefore expected to be offered with the 2017 Touareg, but more conventional turbocharged four-cylinder diesel and petrol units are likely to form the bulk of its engine line-up.

As is the case with the current car, all versions of the new Touareg will come with four-wheel drive as standard.

The new Touareg's cabin is expected to be more luxurious. With the 2018 BMW X5 and Volvo XC90 down as key rivals, the Touareg will also have some of the market's best infotainment systems to contend with. Volkswagen hasn’t announced when the 2017 Touareg will be revealed, but it's expected to be at the Geneva motor show next March.

The new Touareg is also expected to head to India shores following its reveal with Volkswagen planning a slew of SUV launches ranging from entry level to full-sized models in the coming years.