Spied: Is the next-gen Volkswagen Touareg smaller?

What is possibly Volkswagen's new entry into the large SUV segment was sighted making its rounds during testing by our eagle-eyed spies.

Judging from the photos they’ve recovered, the new Touareg appears to have become shorter since its rear overhang is a lot less prominent. Minor details that changed include the alteration of the side mirror’s mounting location as well as the fact that it has a new side profile that’s been left bare without camouflage.

The test mule bears a striking similarity to the T-Prime GTE concept the Wolfsburg-based automaker debuted at the Beijing Auto Show earlier this year.

Supposedly this new Touareg will share the same platform as the Audi Q7, the Bentley Bentayga, and the upcoming Porsche Cayenne. Like the outgoing Touareg, the new model should have a plethora of petrol and diesel engine options, with a plug-in hybrid to likely follow suit. Eventually we may even see a full EV version of the crossover.