Beloved Volkswagen model is ceasing production after 24 years on the market
Published on Aug 08, 2025 at 8:32 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 08, 2025 at 10:41 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Volkswagen is rumored to be gearing up to say ‘goodbye’ to the Volkswagen Touareg after more than two decades on the market.
The Volkswagen Touareg luxury SUV was introduced in 2002.
The car is now in its third generation and has had a handful of facelifts over the years.
However, it’s now been revealed that the marque is retiring the SUV with production ending in 2026.
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The Volkswagen Touareg is being retired in 2026
The Touareg was developed as a joint venture project by Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen, and shares a platform with the Porsche Cayenne.
The SUV, which has a reputation for being notoriously difficult to repair, was designed to compete with similar offerings from premium carmakers.
The first generation was available with a choice of engines, including a beefy 6.0-liter W12 that produced just shy of 450 horsepower.
Over the years, different variants and powertrains were offered, including a hybrid option.
The car has been in production for 24 years with more than a million built, but the carmaker is set to pull the plug on the SUV, according to a new report in Auto Car.
Production will cease on the Volkswagen Touareg in 2026, the report claims.
As yet, the carmaker has neither confirmed or denied the claims made in the report.
The news comes less than two years after the marque unveiled its Tayron SUV.
The Tayron offers a two or three-row seating option and has a capacity to tow up to 5,511 pounds.
It’s also a lot cheaper to produce than the Volkswagen Touareg, so it appeals to a broader audience of those wanting a spacious SUV without a hefty price tag.
It’s not the only model headed for retirement
As well as ceasing production of the Volkswagen Touareg, the report goes on to claim that the carmaker will also be retiring the ID.5 EV in 2027.
The ID.5, which is basically a coupe version of the ID.4, was introduced in 2021 and geared towards the Chinese market.
However, just a few years on from its debut, the ID.5 is also facing the chop.
The report explains that the discontinuation of the cars is part of ‘broader efforts to streamline the range’ and to ‘concentrate on high-volume models’.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
