Next Generation VW Touareg Mule Spied

2011 VW Touareg Mule

By Thami Masemola
May 6, 2009 7:33 am
Filed Under: German, Spy Photos, Volkswagen

The next-generation Volkswagen Touareg is due towards the end of 2010. Pretty soon we should have a more regular supply of spy shots featuring the big VW. For now this prototype which was testing in the mountains using the current facelifted body appears to be a powertrain mule for the new V6 TSI hybrid engine.

Despite its rough mule form with alterations to the front bumper, the interior is showing changes as well.  Interior shots reveal the same three-spoke steering wheel found in the Golf VI plus a new speedometer cluster.

Same as the current model, the Touareg will share the same platform as the next Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. It will have more sporting attributes than before and will be styled to look similar to the Tiguan while at the same time adopting VW's new front grille.

Apart from the more powerful R50 not much has been done to the Touareg. However, this situation should change as the new engines such as the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and a speculated 3.0-liter 4 cylinder biturbo start making their way around the rest of the VW group. Another confirmed candidate is the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 found in the soon to be launched Porsche Cayenne Hybrid.

Back in February Volkswagen announced this engine would be included in the next gen 2010 Touareg with an all-new 333 hp (245 kW) supercharged 3.0 liter direct-injection V6 petrol engine connected to an electric motor. This engine produces 440 Nm (325 lb-ft) torque starting at 3000 rpm. The electric motor brings another 38 kW (52 hp) and a massive 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) torque.

Comments

FP23
May 6, 2009 12:57 pm
LOL many Audi parts in the interior.

tom43
May 6, 2009 1:00 pm
Just a mule...


Edited by user on May 6, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Beetle
May 6, 2009 1:28 pm
Also same company

FP23
May 6, 2009 2:47 pm
yea just funny to see it's working plug and play :D

Michael
May 6, 2009 1:38 pm
Touareg "will be styled to look similar to the Tiguan". I hope not...

jandrews90
May 6, 2009 3:36 pm
Really? I love the Tiguan, to each his own i guess

dudeluk
May 7, 2009 6:00 pm
I couldnt agree more. The Tiguan is the worst VW ever produced. Not only terrible to look at, but does it get more impractical than that thing? You only need to look at access to the trunk for an example...

N20_Purge
May 6, 2009 2:03 pm
I wouldn't be too suprised if it looks like a big Golf VI. Whatever it is, I hope it won't be as Butt-ugly as the new Cayenne.

HEMI426
May 6, 2009 4:02 pm
A 3.0 4 cylinder? Should this be a diesel or a petrol? Why a big 4 cylinder. Do it like in old ferraries small displacement and many cylinder (3.0 V12)

N20_Purge
May 6, 2009 4:37 pm
Err, I think they stopped using those for a reason. Won't 12 cylinders in a V shape be too much pressure on such a small engine?

HEMI426
May 6, 2009 4:06 pm
by the way the interior doesn't look like an improvement to me in terms of quality. But the exhaust have a good size, about twice as bog as a touareg 1

May 6, 2009 11:42 pm
It seems that VW is always confident to its interior design style and never want to change it. The new one looks a grown new golf cross model.

BabyMilo
May 7, 2009 3:04 am
I like the current Toureg, I hope it uses the same styling cues, but not to Porsches extent

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