2018 VW Midsize SUV Spy Photos Review

After back in April the first development mules of VW’s new B-segment SUV has been spied testing, in May the car has been showcased by VW themselves. It seems that the future 2018 VW Midsize SUV is going to be based on the same MQB platform as the Passat. This means that the car will feature a transverse front engine and either front or all wheel drive. The wheelbase of the new model is only 3.4 inches longer than that of the Touareg. Despite that, the new SUV looks noticeably larger than the Touareg.

2018 VW MIDSIZE SUV PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

So far it seems that the new car will be fully showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show this autumn. The price is still unknown at this point but many expect the car to cost little over $30,000. This is a lot less than what the Touareg costs but it is worth mentioning that their new Midsize SUV will be aimed at a different market altogether. Because it will be based on the same platform as the Passat, we expect it to feel a lot more like a minivan than a true SUV. This would make it quite similar to competitors like the Pilot or the CX-9.

DESIGN

Even though the future 2018 VW Midsize SUV is most likely still under development, we already have a good idea about how it will look like. Back in April, it has been spied wearing no camouflage. This is rather interesting and it shows that VW does want the car to leak before release. Its front and the rear end seemed to be unfinished but its profile looks done. Unlike some of its competitors, the VW looks a lot like a true SUV with muscular lines and a really imposing look. From the camouflaged development vehicles it seems that the front end is pretty much the same as that of the Cross Coupe GTE. The back is also similar but this has been covered slightly better so the actual details are unknown.

INTERIOR

So far we know that their Midsize SUV will be available only as a seven seats version. On top of that, it will not be as luxurious as the Touareg. The interesting part is that it will be bigger, so Volkswagen will have to adapt some of the interior components from the Passat to it. We expect the two to share a similar dashboard and equipment level which would allow for such a low price. The fit and finish will most likely be above the competition which has been the case with the previous VW models.

ENGINE

There are two possible engines for the 2018 VW Midsize SUV so far. Because it will have a transverse engine, it won’t get any exotic powertrains. Instead, it seems that the base model might receive their 2 liters turbocharged inline 4 which currently makes 200 horsepower and little over 200 lb-ft of torque in certain applications. However, the more probable contender here is their 3.6 liter naturally aspirated VR6 engine. This makes 280 horsepower and over 250 lb-ft of torque and it would be a perfect match for it. In any case, a six-speed automatic transmission with a regular torque converter is likely going to be used. This is not the fancy dual-clutch but then again, it doesn’t have to be. Most of its competitors value the smoothness and fuel efficiency more than the raw power of certain engines and this will be the case with the future Midsize Volkswagen SUV 2018. A hybrid powertrain has also been rumored to be offered in the future. We also hope that VW will somehow manage to offer a diesel once again despite the problems they had recently with these type of engines.