A LONG-running SUV that’s been a huge favourite among UK drivers is set to be axed – and nothing is being lined up to replace it.
After 24 years, Volkswagen is reportedly set to stop production of the Touareg in 2026.
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The premium SUV, first launched in 2002, was developed alongside the original Porsche Cayenne – with Porsche existing under the Volkswagen umbrella – in a bid to elevate VW’s brand image.
But, according to Autocar, the German giants are now happy to see the model reach the end of the road and leave the Tayron, a lower-cost SUV with broader appeal, as its only SUV offering in the UK.
Known for its luxurious interiors, advanced tech and strong towing capabilities, the Touareg appealed to drivers looking for both practicality and sophistication and over the years it gained a reputation for being a well-rounded SUV.
With no direct successor planned, it surely signals the end of VW’s push into the premium SUV market.
According to a VW press release in 2023, more than 1.1 million people worldwide, including about 58,200 in the UK, have bought a Touareg during its two-decade run.
What’s more, the Touareg has already been off sale in the US since 2017, having been replaced by the more mainstream Atlas.
Autocar has also reported that VW plans to discontinue the ID 5.
Unlike the Touareg, the ID 5 has a much shorter history, having been launched in 2021 as a coupe-styled sibling to the ID 4.
It was primarily targeted at the Chinese market but struggled to gain much popularity there, while in Europe, buyers have often favoured the more practical ID 4.
The ID 5 was also never introduced to the US market.
VW said they intend to cease production of the ID 5 in 2027 as part of its efforts to streamline its model range.
This comes as, back in May, VW CEO Thomas Schafer revealed its fan-favourite GTI performance range is set to continue into its all-electric future.
In fact, the German marque promises it will be better than ever, with multiple model lines confirmed by Schafer, who claims these new machines will be “mind-blowing” to drive.
Set to go electric in 2026, the GTI range will start with the ID-named GTI concept – a souped-up iteration of the ID 2 supermini.
Naturally, a GTI version of the forthcoming all-electric ninth-generation Golf will also arrive by the end of the decade, marking the beginning of “a whole group of GTI” models set to roll out in subsequent years.
Work is reportedly already under way on the development of the first electric GTI models, with particular attention being paid to ensuring they are just as fun to drive as their predecessors.
However, with the current petrol-powered car set to remain on sale for several more years, the production version of the electric Golf GTI will not appear in showrooms for some time.
