The Volkswagen Touareg could be getting the boot as early as 2026, with the Tayron replacing much of its purpose, bringing an end to 23 years of its luxury SUV legacy, Autocar reports.
The publication states that Volkswagen is considering shifting its priorities following the success of the Tayron. Initially launched in China and later introduced to European markets, the large-sized SUV is available in both two- and three-row configurations, similar to the Touareg.
It also offers a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, 4Motion all-wheel drive, and a towing capacity of up to 2,500 kg — covering many of the Touareg’s capabilities, but with a more versatile interior and a far more palatable asking price.
The original Volkswagen Touareg was developed alongside the Porsche Cayenne back in 2002. The platform gave birth to Porsche’s first SUV and also helped the former Volkswagen chairman, Ferdinand Piëch, achieve his goals of making Volkswagen more upmarket alongside the Phaeton: a luxury flagship sedan built to rival the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Besides the Touareg, Autocar reports that Volkswagen could also be retiring the ID.5 electric vehicle (EV), despite it only debuting in 2021. The ID.5 is essentially a coupe-styled version of the ID.4 EV hatchback, aimed primarily at the Chinese market – but failed to attract much interest, likely due to fierce local EV competition. The car also struggled in Europe as people preferred the more practical and traditionally shaped ID.4.
Apart from this, rumours suggest that Volkswagen is discussing a compact, MEB-based electric MPV, nicknamed the “mini Buzz”, as a potential replacement for the Touran. The publication reports that sources close to Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer claim the project isn’t a major priority, partly because Skoda — sibling company to Volkswagen — is also evaluating a similar model for its upcoming range, saying, “We looked at it, but the market is demanding crossovers and SUV models.”
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The report adds that Volkswagen might not have the engineering bandwidth for an electric MPV, with its Braunschweig R&D centre in Germany already under strain from more crucial projects, particularly the electric Golf.
Volkswagen’s flagship SUV is still available in Malaysia as a locally assembled model starting from RM399,990 on-the-road, without insurance and inclusive of the Volkswagen Assurance Package (VAP).
The Touareg is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged engine making 340 hp and 450 Nm of torque. Power is sent through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive (AWD) system. So if you want a piece of Volkswagen’s history, now may very well be the time to get yourself one before they’re gone for good.
READ MORE: 2024 Volkswagen Touareg R-Line priced slashed by RM70k, now RM400k with extended warranty package
