Touareg receives the same light bar as the Taigo and Polo, plus Volkswagen's latest Matrix I.Q. LED headlights. Screengrab: Volkswagen News on twitter.
Kept surprisingly, and literally, under wraps since its last teaser sighting in February this year, Volkswagen has provided the final, almost completely revealed hint of the facelift Touareg ahead of its world debut on 24 May.
Expected to be a significant mid-life overhaul, the first for Wolfsburg’s flagship SUV since its unveiling five years ago, the thinly blacked-out teaser video posted by the Volkswagen News twitter page shows the Touareg being the beneficiary of an illuminated grille, a redesigned bumper, new LED taillight clusters and a full-width LED light bar resplendent with a backlite Volkswagen logo.
A big addition at the front is Volkswagen’s new Matrix I.Q. LED headlights that feature a combined 38 400 micro diodes doesn’t only provide optimal illumination over the current ones, but doesn’t dazzle oncoming traffic even on adaptive full beam.
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Once again mounted on the MLB Evo platform that underpins the Audi Q7 and Q8, the Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne, the Touareg also receives a new load sensor integrated into the roof, and in place of the standard steel sprung suspension, a retuned two-chamber air suspension Volkswagen says has been optimised for comfort and performance.
Inside, the exact changes to the interior haven’t disclosed in full, though confirmed is a new multi-function steering wheel, softer materials for the armrests and an improved Innovision Cockpit with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrated into the infotainment system.
Besides the suspension, the Touareg’s other alterations underneath its skin will likely see the standard inclusion of a 48-volt mild-hybrid system regardless of the combustion engine running on petrol or diesel.
At present, three engines are available globally; a 2.0 TSI, the familiar 3.0 TDI in two states of tune and a 3.0 TSI that adds an electric motor and battery in the case of the plug-in hybrid Touareg R.
Not expected to be retained is the bi-turbo 310kW/900Nm 4.0 TDI that bowed out in 2020, but remains available in the SQ7 and SQ8 TDI.
Also unlikely to the change is the combination of the eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel-drive system across the entire range. As before, an off-road package with a low range gearbox will be offered as an option on some models.
Already confirmed for South Africa from the final quarter of this year, expect sales of the reworked Touareg to commence soon after or from early-2024.
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