Volkswagen’s European division last week launched the Touareg Final Edition, set to go on sale until March 2026 as the last hurrah for the flagship SUV.
With the Final Edition signifying the end of the petrol- and diesel-powered Touareg, recent reports from overseas outlets such as Automobilwoche have claimed the Volkswagen Touareg will return in 2029, and that it’ll move away from its traditional base of being twinned under the skin with the Porsche Cayenne.
Reportedly set to be rebranded as the ID. Touareg – aligning with Volkswagen’s new naming structure of using traditional names for its ID. family of EVs, such as the upcoming ID. Polo – the electric SUV will adopt the new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP).
But for now, we only know about the Final Edition, which is understood to be available as a package on top of all existing Touareg variants – rather than just the flagship R grade – and will come to Australia in 2026.
Final Edition-specific changes includes laser-engraved lettering on the rear door window surrounds and an embossed leather gear selector, while interior illumination becomes available on Touareg variants not currently equipped with it.
When the final petrol or diesel Touareg rolls off the production line in 2026, it’ll mark the end of a 24-year run with combustion engines for the large SUV.
First launched in 2002, it was Volkswagen’s debut SUV, and came out shortly after the uber-expensive Phaeton sedan, which served as the brand’s technological flagship.
Twinned with the Porsche Cayenne – and later the Audi Q7 – the Touareg was the range-topping model for Volkswagen in most markets, highlighted by the availability of a V10 turbo-diesel engine.
A total of more than 470,000 first-generation Touaregs were sold between 2002 and 2010, at which point its second-gen successor arrived, bringing with it Volkswagen’s first ever hybrid powertrain.
The second edition of the Touareg proved even more popular than the first, managing more than 483,000 deliveries from 2010 to 2018, becoming its best-selling generation.
That popularity has since dwelled with the third-gen Touareg, having so far recorded approximately 265,000 deliveries since 2018, despite being the most advanced version of the SUV yet.
Australian deliveries peaked in 2015 when 2568 examples were sold to local customers. In 2024, Volkswagen delivered 908 examples of the Touareg, making it the brand’s slowest-selling SUV, with the Tiguan notching up 8793 deliveries despite a model changeover.
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