A Chinese automotive news website called AutoHome has leaked undisguised photos of Volkswagen's forthcoming three-row, seven-seat crossover, rumoured to be called the Teramont and set for a late-2016 reveal.
These images show a strong resemblance to the CrossBlue concept VW showed at the 2013 Detroit auto show. For obvious reasons, that concept's diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain is likely off the table, at least for the moment; these spy photos show a "V6" badge on the tailgate that suggests Volkswagen's corporate 3.6L six-cylinder will be found under the Teramont's hood.
Australian mag CarAdvice suggests a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder might be on the menu as well, but we're not so sure that's a likely inclusion in the North American lineup, unless VW is desperate to offer a more efficient non-diesel option.
The unfortunately grainy photos (we suspect these were taken with an actual spy camera, given how good smartphone cameras are now) show an exterior that calls to mind the Jeep Grand Cherokee in scale and style, part of that being due to VW's new angular design language, which we're not quite accustomed to yet. The dashboard is more what we're used to in current VWs.
CarAdvice also posits the Teramont will be less expensive than the current Touareg; granted, they're talking about the Australian market, but if VW wants to compete with the likes of the Mazda CX-9 and Ford Explorer, an MSRP lower than the Touareg's $51,000 would be a good idea. The CX-9 starts at $35,300, and Explorer at about $32,000.
A late-2016 intro suggests VW might be planning to pull the covers off the Teramont at November's Los Angeles auto show.
