Volkswagen Touareg Final Edition signals end of flagship SUV’s production
It might have sold in small numbers, but the Touareg underpinned generations of innovation
Volkswagen will say goodbye to its Touareg SUV with a Final Edition special available to order over the last year of production. Its specification is based on the current R-Line Black Edition, fitted specifically with the 3.0-litre V6 diesel powertrain. It’ll be available to order until production ceases in early 2027, 25 years after the model made its debut.
Unique design elements include laser-etched Final Edition badging on the rear window surrounds, plus debossed badging on the gear selector and new door-sill garnish. These are in addition to the equipment package offered on the Black Edition, with standard fitment of high-spec elements like leather upholstery, multi-colour ambient lighting, and 21-inch alloy wheels.
UK pricing has not been announced yet, but we expect it won’t move much from the current model’s £74,525 asking price. The only powertrain available will be the V6 diesel engine, which produces 281bhp and 600Nm of torque, powering all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Are you in the market for a big, high-spec SUV like the Volkswagen Touareg? Check out the Auto Express Buy A Car service now to search out the best deals.
Why should we care that the Touareg is dead?
To dismiss the end of Touareg production would be a mistake, though, as this high-class SUV represents more than just the end of a model line. It’s also the last surviving vestige of VW’s ultra-ambitious era of engineering under the leadership of its late chairman Ferdinand Piech. This didn’t just result in the Touareg and Phaeton four-door saloon, but also drove the development of the VW Group’s profit-generating high-end models like the Porsche Cayenne and even the Bentley Continental GT.
The original Touareg was brought to market in 2002 as an ambitious, high-cost SUV designed to rival cars like the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE (or ML as it was badged at the time). The difference was that the Touareg had genuine off-road ability, with locking differentials and height-adjustable air-suspension.
This ambition spread to powertrains too, as this was the first VW-badged car with a V8 petrol engine, not forgetting the iconic V10 turbodiesel. Volkswagen engineers even managed to cram in a 6.0-litre W12 into the first-generation Touareg’s engine bay for a limited production run.
It also formed the foundation of the Cayenne, a model that in its first two generations was so closely developed with VW that it shared door skins with the Touareg. With no Touareg, there might not have been a Cayenne; Porsche could have looked very different to the company it is today.
So despite selling in relatively small numbers, the Touareg’s position within the VW Group’s premium offering is still central to all the big SUVs built on its MLB-Evo platform. This doesn’t just include the Porsche, but also the Audi Q7 and Q8, Bentley Bentayga and even the Lamborghini Urus – all of which draw their key underpinnings with the VW.
Curiously, in the documentation alongside the Final Edition’s release, Volkswagen said “production of the Touareg combustion engine model is due to end for UK customers in 2027”, suggesting that while the SUV might be put to sleep as we know it, the moniker could be revived some time in the future with an all-electric powertrain.
In order for a new model to be able to carry the Touareg name, though, it doesn’t just need to be big, it also needs to be the technical innovator within the group. We’ll have to wait and see if VW is able to pull off such a feat again.
Get the latest and best car news and reviews, first! Follow Auto Express on Google today
Find a car with the experts
