Redesigned 2015 VW Touareg Revealed in Beijing

As Volkswagen continues to ready its new mid-size crossover for the marketplace, the company also has found time to refresh its current range-topping "truck" and recently introduced the result—the new 2015 VW Touareg—at the Auto China event in Beijing.

An obvious highlight of the updated Touareg is its improved exterior appearance, which is noticeably leaner and more streamlined than the current model, and shows off a more detailed, sculpted front fascia inspired by the one on the global VW Scirocco sports car. The rear of the 2015 VW Touareg was cleaned up as well, while two new wheel designs (18- and 20-inch sizes) and five new exterior colors (Light Silver Metallic, Sand Gold Metallic, Moonlight Blue Metallic, Black Oak Brown Metallic and Reef Blue Metallic).

The cabin also sees its share of fine-tuning to emphasize its "extraordinary alliance of rugged SUV elements and sophisticated premium-class element."  Here, fresh highlights include white control illumination and an expanded number of design themes, with additional colors, more leather, and two extra wood-trim choices, "Sapelli Mahagoni" and "Engineered Ebony." In terms of other tweaks for the 2015 VW Touareg, drivers can expect:

• Standard "coasting" capability, which decouples the vehicle's gearbox and engine to reduce drag on the driveline and boost fuel efficiency in certain driving scenarios
• Volkswagen's automatic post-collision braking system, standard on diesel-powered V6 models, to help prevent the Touareg from rolling into a secondary collision after an accident
• Standard bi-xenon headlights across the Touareg roster
• Numerous enhancements to the sporty R-Line packages for the 2015 VW Touareg

And that's on top of a menu of returning standard and available features that wouldn't be out of place on a premium choice from one of the traditional luxury brands. This includes:

• Three powertrains, with gasoline, diesel and hybrid setups mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission
• Standard 4MOTION all-wheel drive and a dedicated off-road driving mode for true SUV-style performance
• Driver-assistance measures such as Lane Assist, adaptive cruise control, front collision-mitigation technology, smart headlights, blind-spot warning, and a 360-degree camera system
• Cutting-edge connectivity services that, for European customers at least, will include access to Google Earth and Google Street View

More details about the 2015 VW Touareg, including complete pricing and EPA data, will be released at a later date.