A fresh report claims the Volkswagen Touareg is living on borrowed time, with the German firm apparently preparing to end production of its largest SUV in 2026…
It seems the Volkswagen Touareg is facing the chop, with a fresh report claiming the Wolfsburg-based automaker plans to cease production of its largest SUV in 2026 – with no direct successor planned.
According to Autocar, “insiders” at the German company have confirmed the Slovakia-built Touareg will reach the end of the line at some point next year, bringing down the curtain on what will by then be a 24-year run for the nameplate.
The British publication suggests VW’s apparent decision to axe the Touareg comes as part of its shift away from the luxury space. In addition, at least part of the Touareg’s role has already been assumed by the new Tayron, which effectively succeeded the Tiguan Allspace.
As a reminder, the original (7L-series) Touareg hit initial markets way back in 2002. Developed alongside the 1st-generation Porsche Cayenne, the opening version of the big VW SUV – which was fascinatingly produced even in W12 and V10 TDI form – launched in South Africa in 2004.
The 2nd-generation (7P series) model was unwrapped in 2010, arriving in Mzansi the very same year. Finally, the current-generation (CR series) Touareg was unveiled in 2018, making local landfall in July of that year. In August 2024, meanwhile, a refreshed version touched down in SA, offered exclusively with a 3.0-litre V6 TDI powertrain.
In 2023, Volkswagen sold 182 units of the Touareg in South Africa, with that figure falling to 164 units in 2024. Year to date at the end of July 2025, 126 examples of this model have been registered in Mzansi.
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