By ROB HULL, MOTORING EDITOR
German car giant Volkswagen will axe another evergreen combustion engine model from its range next year as it continues to accelerate towards its all-electric future.
The brand is reportedly planning to announce that it will wield the axe on a vehicle it has been selling for the best part of 25 years - and had once proved immensely popular with large families.
Insiders at the Wolfsburg manufacturer have told Autocar that production of the Touareg SUV will end in 2026.
Having first launched in 2002, VW has shifted more than 1.1 million worldwide across three generations.
Since the Phaeton luxury saloon was terminated in 2016, Touareg has been VW's most prestigious nameplate and the pinnacle of its petrol and diesel-engined line-up.
However, sales have tumbled to around 1,100 units per annum in recent years as rivals from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche have dominated the large executive SUV market.
Volkswagen is reportedly set to wield the axe on the Touareg after a 24-year production run. It will see the German outfit leave the ultra-competitive luxury SUV segment
When its departure is confirmed for 2026, the new Tayron will become VW's largest SUV model in the UK.
It will also be the biggest combustion engine car it sells.
Touareg was originally developed at the turn of the century alongside the Porsche Cayenne - the German sports car company's (which is also owned by VW Group) first foray into the SUV segment, with the pair launching in 2002.
They have since continued to share platforms, though Cayenne has gone on to be a higher volume seller thanks to its badge appeal.
The move to kill it off next year - once confirmed - will mean that Volkswagen will no longer occupies the most executive SUV class, which in recent times has welcomed major players of the likes of Bentley (Bentayga), Ferrari (Purosangue), Lamborghini (Urus) and Maserati (Levante).
With more competition - and premium German rivals extending their offerings in this market - the Touareg has become a very unpopular option.
With no direct successor planned, its demise will close the book on a 24-year availability of what bosses once dubbed the brand's 'true flagship model'.
According to a Volkswagen statement given in 2023 - when the Touareg was last facelifted - more than 1.13 million have been sold worldwide.
Some 58,200 of these have been delivered to customers in the UK.
The first-generation Touareg (pictured) arrived in 2002. It was developed alongside the original Porsche Cayenne - the German sports car maker's first foray into the SUV segment
Since the first-generation car's arrival, it has survived on a shared platform with the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7
When it arrived, the luxury SUV market was relatively sparse. Fast-forward two decades and the competition has been too much for the modest Touareg to compete
If you couldn't quite afford a Porsche Cayenne Turbo in 2007, the Touareg R50 was a great alternative. Powered by a 5.0-litre V10 diesel engine putting out 345bhp, it was one of the original super SUVs
While it might have become less popular in recent years, it has proved itself durable... with some extreme evidence to hand showing just how well built the Touareg truly is.
In December 2023, a Russian driver had a miraculous escape after his Touareg plunged 40ft from a multi-storey car park.
He was driving the SUV when it smashed through a flimsy barrier and fell to the road below.
Incredibly, Evgeny Shamko, 40 (at the time of the event), suffered no injuries from the almighty fall, according to reports.
The report come months after Volkswagen pulled the Arteon Shooting Brake estate from its combustion-engine line-up - having dropped the conventional Arteon saloon back in 2023.
And while it debuted a new Passat last year, it will be sold in the UK exclusively as an estate, with the four-door version scrapped from showrooms, leaving the electric ID.7 as the company's standalone saloon car.
By the time the second-generation Touareg emerged in 2010, the premium SUV segment was becoming congested. BMW's X5 remained stiff competition, while Mercedes and Audi also increased their offerings
The Mk2 Touareg featured a world-first automotive headlight technology: the 'Dynamic Light Assist' glare-free high beam. It gradually adjusts not only the high-beam range but also its pattern, meaning the area around cars in front could be illuminated at high beam intensity
While Touareg's exit stage left is part of VW's range transition to EVs, even some of its battery cars are being culled.
As well as reports of the Touareg bowing out, the ID.5 electric SUV is also expected to retire in a matter of months.
Having only launched in 2021, the sportier - coupe-inspired - variant of the ID.4 is being hung out to dry in 2027, having registered disappointing sales.
It was primarily targeted at the Chinese market, however a boom in new domestic brands at a lower price point saw demand flop.
The third-generation Touareg hit the market in 2018. By this time, it has already become a widely unpopular option for buyers shopping in this class of vehicle
Since the Phaeton luxury saloon was terminated in 2016, Touareg has been VW's most prestigious nameplate and the pinnacle of its petrol and diesel-engined line-up. But it too soon will be no longer available in Volkswagen showrooms
Sales in Europe have been lacklustre too - and VW didn't even bother offering it to US customers.
The ID.5 platform is also the basis of the contentious Ford Capri, which launched last year.
Volkswagen's EV priorities are now expected to shift towards smaller models, with a Polo-size ID.2 expected next year, and a smaller ID.1 a real possibility for 12 months later.
VW has also recently confirmed its iconic hot hatch badge will live on in an EV world.
CEO Thomas Schafer in May revealing the GTI performance range remains part of the German giant's plans.
