The Volkswagen Touareg is now in its third generation, with the current model five years old. The mid-cycle refresh of the mid-size crossover is arriving, and prototypes are already seen being tested by our spy photographers.
While the prototype spied appears completely naked to any concealment, a closer look reveals smart stickers covering important areas for obvious reasons. This is typical of VW, as seen on their other models we’ve seen tested on public roads. To give us a preview, our colleagues from Kolesa tried to remove the sticker, unofficially revealing what the facelifted Touareg would have looked like before its supposed debut.
Changes to the design of the headlamps, grille and bumper are expected, and Kolesa’s renderings attempt to emulate how a contemporary look would be rendered. The grille appears larger, albeit slightly, while the biggest change may be in the bumper accents. No changes are expected to the side profile for this refresh.
At the rear, Kolesa envisions LED lighting connecting the two taillights, which is actually a common design element among today’s vehicles. Taillamp graphics will likely be different to keep the crossover fresh, front and rear.
We also expect an update under the hood of the Touareg. This is because the facelift model is seen being tested on the dynamometer. For the record, the most powerful version is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged engine mated to an electric motor. Combined, the maximum output is 456 horsepower (340 kilowatts) and 516 pound-feet (700 Newton-meters) of torque.
More electrification could be made, though we wouldn’t be holding our breath on that one. However, the crossover will retain 4Motion all-wheel drive capability, complete with a Torsen center differential lock. The eight-speed automatic torque converter gearbox will also remain in the refreshed model.
