The third-gen VW Touareg is already five years old, so the German brand decided to give it a facelift to keep it fresh in a competitive market. A set of revealing teasers hint at rather subtle styling changes, but despite the carry-over engines, VW upgraded the chassis, aiming at improved comfort and driving dynamics.
The official photos show a lightly camouflaged prototype of the facelifted Touareg during winter testing in the ice-cold Swedish Lapland. VW’s glowing QR-code-style wrap is quite thin, giving us a good idea of the exterior design – just like our recent spy shots. Changes are focused on the front end, where the Touareg got a slimmer grille, larger bumper intakes, and revised headlights. The latter incorporate IQ.LIGHT HD matrix technology with a total of 38,400 micro LEDs and are connected to the VW badge through a thin light bar.
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The profile is virtually identical, as is the case with most mid-lifecycle updates. The tail is instantly recognizable but Volkswagen brags about the addition of an illuminated logo on the tailgate, which is a first for its European range (the feature is already available in the US and China). The lower portion of the rear bumper also appears to be slightly revised with a new mesh for the diffuser. Note that the pictured prototype is the flagship R, which explains the larger alloy wheels and the sporty trim around the bodywork.
Moving inside, the Innovision Cockpit with the 15-inch infotainment touchscreen and the digital instrument cluster is carried over, but the software has been upgraded. This brings improvements in the voice control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and new lane-precise navigation with HD maps. The steering wheel retains the touch-sensitive buttons that VW has pledged to get rid of in the future, but at least there is still the good-old volume knob on the center console. Finally, the armrests and center console panels are now softer to the touch, following customer feedback.
While the aforementioned changes are subtle for a five-year-old model, VW engineers did some work on the setup of the MLB architecture which is shared with the large premium SUVs of the VW Group. The highlight is a new setup for both the standard steel spring suspension and the optional two-chamber air suspension, bringing a larger differentiation between comfort-focused and performance-focused driving modes. Also, a new roof load sensor has been added, notifying the active electronic systems when a roof box is installed in order to increase driving stability.
The powertrain lineup of the VW Touareg will be carried over, including the 3.0 V6 TSI (petrol), the 3.0 V6 TDI (diesel), the eHybrid (PHEV), and the performance flagship R (PHEV). All of them come standard with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.
The facelifted VW Touareg will premiere in the summer of 2023. Just like its predecessor, it will be produced in Bratislava, Slovakia alongside the mechanically-related Audi Q7/Q8 and Porsche Cayenne/Cayenne Coupe which are also up for mid-lifecycle updates later this year.
