Next Gen 2011 VW Touareg first full body spy photos in American desert

Our spy photographers have managed to catch the first "full bodied" images of Volkswagen's redesigned Touareg SUV undergoing testing in the United States.

While these pictures don't provide a lot of details, this is the first time the 2011 Touareg has been caught wearing a production body (previous mules wore the current Touareg body). Up front, the next generation Touareg appears to adopt VW's new grille design which has appeared on the Golf VI, Golf Plus and Polo. Other changes appear to include more pronounced character lines and a slightly revised rear hatch.

Although little is known about the Touareg's new platform, it is expected to offer a more street oriented setup which should help to put the "sport" back into sport-utility. As with the current model, the new platform will also serve as the basis for the redesigned Porsche Cayenne and next generation Audi Q7.

Power is expected to be provided by a variety of engines including a supercharged 3.0-liter V6, a speculated 3.0-liter four-cylinder biturbo, and hybridized version of the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 which will be lifted from the Porsche Cayenne Hybrid. Volkswagen will also offer the high performance Touareg R50 which features a massive 5.0-liter biturbo V10 TDI engine with 258 kW (350hp) and 850 Nm of torque.

Look for the new Touareg to be unveiled in late 2010, with sales beginning in early 2011.