Originally thought to be scheduled for a mid 2010 launch, sources close to Volkswagen have told the Carsales Network that the new generation Touareg will be launched in March.
While it is still unclear if the vehicle will be given a glitzy unveiling at the 2010 Geneva motor show, which commences in early March, the new model is nevertheless being readied in the first quarter.
Like the first generation Touareg, the new model's underpinnings were developed by Porsche primarily for the Cayenne performance SUV.
Porsche, which is now owned by VW, is widely expected to unveil its second generation Cayenne at the 2010 Geneva motor show in early March, and Europe's largest car maker is unlikely to want to dilute the spotlight by launching its sister vehicle, the Touareg, at the same event.
Our sources also hinted that there was some disagreement between Porsche and Volkswagen about which vehicle -- the Cayenne or Touareg -- should be launched first, but at this stage it appears as though the former has won out.
In the past, Volkswagen's Touareg has been criticised for having a bland look, and the German car maker is expected to deliver a more modern design with the next generation SUV, borrowing design cues from the Tiguan compact SUV and possibly even the Golf.
Images of what are purported to be the 2010 Volkswagen Touareg have been floating through the digital ether for the past days in the form of a die-cast model, which shows a very Golf-like front end design.
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