The third-generation Volkswagen Touareg could have only been launched in Malaysia last 12 months, but globally the nameplate already looks to be headed the best way of the dodo. Autocar reports that the mass market-badged premium SUV is about to be discontinued next 12 months with no successor planned, citing company insiders.
Wolfsburg’s impending move will draw a line under its upmarket ambitions, the carmaker having introduced the unique – twinned, let’s not forget, with the Porsche Cayenne and (eventually) the Audi Q7 – in 2002 not long after the ill-fated Phaeton sedan. It also represents a shift in priorities for the brand, which is now aimed toward a wider swath of buyers through more accessible premium models.
The role of Volkswagen’s flagship SUV will soon be assumed by the Tayron, essentially a stretched version of the Tiguan. It’s offered in either petrol, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants – the latter delivering as much as 100 km of all-electric range – and comes with the added practicality of seven seats and the flexibility to tow as much as 2,500 kg.
While the Touareg will soon be no more, its premium-badged siblings will almost actually survive, comparable to the Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Q7. The last of those is after all CKD locally assembled in Pekan, Pahang alongside the Touareg.
Volkswagen has also decided to axe the slow-selling ID.5, a coupé-style version of the electrical ID.4 SUV. The automotive debuted in 2021 with aspirations of conquering the Chinese market but has failed to achieve traction there, while in Europe it has fallen victim to shrinking EV demand and buyers’ preference for its more practical sibling. It is going to go away in 2027 as a part of a broader consolidation of VW’s lineup with a greater deal with high-volume models.
Future models have also been affected, with a smaller variant of the ID.Buzz MPV – previously discussed inside the company as a possible Touran substitute – being placed on the back burner. “We checked out it, however the market is demanding crossovers and SUV models,” said a source near CEO Thomas Schäfer. “That is the direction we ultimately decided to go in.”
This decision was partly put all the way down to VW’s R&D capability being pushed to the limit for the event of more vital models, comparable to the all-electric next-generation Golf.
Seeking to sell your automotive? Sell it with Carro.
This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
