Volkswagen pulls the plug: Touareg and the end of premium!

Volkswagen pulls the plug: Touareg and the end of premium!

Volkswagen is pulling the ripcord: The manufacturer plans to stop production of the Touareg, VW's first premium SUV, from 2026. As Merkur reports, the Touareg was introduced in 2002 together with the Phaeton luxury sedan. This decision marks the end of VW's foray into the premium segment, as the Phaeton was also discontinued in 2016 without a successor.

The third generation of the Touareg has currently been in production since 2018, but the challenges posed by the upcoming Euro 7 emissions standard, which applies from the end of 2027, have prompted VW to rethink production. High development costs for compliance with these new emissions regulations are one reason why a new edition of the Touareg is no longer economically viable, as ecomento explains.

Market and competition

The Touareg, which shares the platform with models such as the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga, has sold more than 212,000 units in Germany over the years. However, only 3,345 Touaregs were registered in the first half of 2025, while the cheaper Tayron model, which has been manufactured in Wolfsburg since 2024, was able to sell 10,800 units in the same period. The Tayron has established itself as a serious successor to the Tiguan Allspace, offering similar dimensions despite being only slightly shorter than the Touareg.

The price difference between the two models is enormous: While the Touareg starts at around 73,765 euros, the starting price of the Tayron is 45,475 euros. This shows that Volkswagen is increasingly relying on more cost-effective models to meet market requirements, which also supports the assumptions about the possible end of the ID.5, which will not receive a facelift.

EU directives and their consequences

The introduction of the Euro 7 standard, which is due to apply from July 2025, affects not only the Touareg, but all vehicle types, from cars to trucks. This new emissions standard is intended to significantly reduce emissions and requires expensive adjustments, so that VW is already pointing to production stops in some plants if the deadlines cannot be met. According to auto motor und sport, Volkswagen does not see itself in a position to meet the Euro 7 guidelines before 2026, which further complicates the situation.

With the decision to stop production of the Touareg, VW is once again forced to adapt its strategy and focus more on electric and cheaper SUV models. It remains to be seen how the market will develop and whether the Tayron can take over the success of the Touareg.