Volkswagen is putting Touareg out to pasture

After a 24-year run, Volkswagen’s oldest existing nameplate, Touareg, will be no longer, production ending next year. That will leave the incoming five- and seven-seat Tayron as the largest Volkswagen SUV on sale.

Debuting in 2002, the premium SUV was part of the original Porsche Cayenne project, sharing its same platform. It also gave Volkswagen its first upmarket model, followed later by the ill-fated Phaeton. Touareg for a time came with a monstering 5.0L twin-turbo V10 diesel so immense that its momentum hindered its cornering ability.

Why retire the Touareg? Tayron is a lower-cost alternative with broader appeal and now fulfils much of the Touareg’s role at a lesser price. It comes as a five- or seven-seater and offers a 2500kg towing capacity in 2.0 TSI 4Motion guise. It also has a more practical interior. 

Touareg isn’t the only badge VW is retiring, as the ID 5 is also leaving the line-up.

Read our 2024 Touareg R review.

Launched in 2021 as a coupé-styled alternative to the ID 4 SUV, its aim was to sell well in the Chinese market. However, it failed to gain much traction there. In Europe, the handier ID 4 also proved more popular. And ID 5 never sold in the US market. Production of the SUV coupe ends in 2027. 

Volkswagen is determined to contain costs and is streamlining its range, concentrating on high-volume models.

A compact but practical MEB-based electric MPV model was being planned to replace the Touran. Dubbed ‘mini-Buzz’, the board appears to have handed this project to Skoda instead.  A Volkswagen insider said the firm is focusing on crossovers and SUV models because that’s what its customers want. Moreover, Volkswagen’s R&D centre in Germany is busy with more important models right now, the electric Golf being its main priority.