Volkswagen apparently plans to discontinue the Touareg

Luxury Strategy VW Apparently Plans to Discontinue the Touareg

2025-08-25 From Mario Hommen/SP-X | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

For over 20 years, Volkswagen has tried to compete with manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes. These ambitions could soon come to an end.

According to the British magazine Autocar, VW will remove the Touareg from the market in 2026.(Image: VW) — According to the British magazine Autocar, VW will remove the Touareg from the market in 2026.
(Image: VW)

VW could discontinue production of its flagship Touareg as early as next year, bringing its so-called premium ambitions of more than two decades to an end. According to a report by the British magazine Autocar, which cites insider information, the upper-class SUV is set to be removed from the lineup without a replacement. The model series, produced since 2002, is said to be replaced by the seven-seater Tayron, introduced in 2024.

The discontinuation of the Touareg is part of a strategic shift to focus the VW portfolio more on volume models. According to Autocar, the ID 5 electric SUV coupe developed primarily for the Chinese market is also set to be discontinued, but not until 2027.

"Upmarket" Strategy Ends

With a production end of the Touareg well before the previously expected year 2030, the "Upmarket" strategy initiated by Ferdinand Piëch would also come to an end. This strategy was launched in the late 1990s with the goal of leading the classic volume manufacturer VW into the luxury segment and directly challenging competitors like Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus.

Around 1997/98, the projects for the Phaeton, internally designated D1, and the Touareg—Project PL71, developed jointly with the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7—were initiated. Both models entered the market in 2002. Despite two facelifts, the Phaeton could never compete with the S-Class and 7 Series. Its production at the Transparent Factory in Dresden ceased as early as 2016. Now, with roughly a decade of delay, the Touareg could follow, marking the definitive end of Piëch's luxury offensive.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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