Volkswagen’s new seven-seat SUV, aimed at providing the company with a rival for the likes of the Ford Explorer in the US, will get its first public outing at the Detroit motor show.

The new 4x4 will be positioned below the Touareg as a cheaper, more spacious offering - the Touareg makes do with five seats.

It will be based on VW’s MQB platform, which is versatile enough to be used in cars as diverse as the Polo and this new SUV, and will be built in the US at the firm’s Tennessee plant.

Large, affordable seven seat SUVS are an important part of the new car industry in the US. Honda’s Pilot, the Explorer and Jeep’s Grand Cherokee all cost from around $30,000, and VW will want to price its new vehicle competitively.