# Volkswagen Touareg

The **Volkswagen Touareg** is a full-size, four-wheel-drive premium SUV built by the German manufacturer [Volkswagen](https://www.edgepedia.org/volkswagen) since 2002, when it became the brand's first SUV. It combined the characteristics of an off-road vehicle with the comfort features of a luxury sedan, a new vehicle concept that moved Volkswagen into the premium segment for the first time, alongside the Phaeton saloon.<sup>[1](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/touareg-3627)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup>  More than 1.2 million units have been sold across three generations, and production of the combustion-engine model is scheduled to end in 2026.<sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Market launch | Autumn 2002, as Volkswagen's first SUV and its first entry into the premium segment together with the Phaeton<sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>  |
| Generations | Touareg I 2002–2009 (about 500,000 sold); Touareg II 2010–2018 (more than 483,000); Touareg III since 2018 (more than 265,000)<sup>[1](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/touareg-3627)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>  |
| Total sales | More than 1.2 million units over three generations<sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup> |
| Signature first-generation engine | V10 TDI: 230 kW (313 PS) 5.0-liter diesel, 750 Nm of torque, 0–100 km/h in 7.8 seconds, top speed 225 km/h<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> |
| Off-road capability (first generation) | Water crossings up to 58 cm deep and slopes with inclines up to 45 degrees<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> |
| Current flagship | Touareg R eHybrid plug-in hybrid, 340 kW (462 PS), 700 Nm, 250 km/h top speed<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> |
| End of production | Combustion-engine Touareg production ends in 2026; a FINAL EDITION special model was orderable until the end of March 2026 from 75,025 euros<sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup> |

## Origins and first generation (2002–2009)

Strictly speaking, the Touareg's history began in January 2000 with the world premiere of the AAC pickup/SUV design study in Detroit.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> The production model followed in autumn 2002. With novel features including electromechanical roll stabilization and CDC air suspension offering six levels, the Touareg right away ranked among the best-liked SUVs in its segment when it debuted.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

**The V10 TDI flagship.** The top-of-the-range model was the Touareg V10 TDI, which carried the most powerful diesel engine installed in a Volkswagen at the time. The 230 kW (313 PS) 5.0-liter ten-cylinder generated 750 Nm of torque and accelerated the 2.5-tonne vehicle to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds, with a top speed of 225 km/h.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> With this equipment the first generation could ford water up to 58 centimeters deep and climb slopes of up to 45 degrees.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> The Touareg I was built from 2002 to 2009 and sold more than 471,000 units; Volkswagen's archive figure for the generation is about 500,000 worldwide.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/touareg-3627)</sup>

## Second generation (2010–2018)

Volkswagen presented the newly developed second generation to the media in March 2010. Where the first generation balanced comfort and off-road ability, the design parameters of the second shifted toward very high comfort; the body grew in width and length.<sup>[1](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/touareg-3627)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

**Volkswagen's first hybrid.** The first hybrid vehicle from Volkswagen was introduced to coincide with the second generation's launch. The Touareg 3.0 V6 TSI Hybrid paired a supercharged V6 petrol engine of 245 kW (333 PS) with a 34.3 kW (46 PS) electric motor that recuperated energy during braking, for a combined output of 279 kW (380 PS) and 580 Nm of torque. It accelerated to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, reached 240 km/h, and averaged 8.2 liters of premium petrol per 100 kilometers.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> Volkswagen sold more than 483,000 units of the Touareg II between 2010 and 2018.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

## Third generation (2018 onward)

The third generation, on the market since 2018, uses a steel and aluminum body with weight-saving materials, a wheelbase increased to 2.904 meters, and a vehicle height reduced by seven millimeters.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> Its electromechanical active stabilization system detects roll movements up to 400 times per second.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> Since autumn 2020 the Touareg R eHybrid has been the flagship: a plug-in hybrid with system power of 340 kW (462 PS), 700 Nm of torque, and a 250 km/h maximum speed.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup> More than 265,000 units of the Touareg III had been sold worldwide by the early 2020s, and the model tows up to 3.5 tonnes.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

**2023 update.** Volkswagen upgraded the third generation with revised suspension, a new display and operating concept, sharpened front and rear design, newly developed HD matrix headlights, and LED taillights realized as a light strip; presales began in May 2023 at prices from 69,200 euros.<sup>[1](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/touareg-3627)</sup>

**Air suspension.** Depending on the driving mode, the optional air suspension lifts the current Touareg to a ground clearance of 258 mm, and the rear can be lowered by 40 mm for loading and unloading.<sup>[4](https://www.volkswagen-me.com/en/models/new_touareg.html/__layer/layers/model_pages/touareg_fl24/technology/air-suspension/master.layer)</sup>

## Records and motorsport

**Autonomous driving.** In 2005 the Touareg "Stanley", one of the first intelligent vehicles in automotive history, won the [DARPA Grand Challenge](https://www.edgepedia.org/darpa-grand-challenge) for autonomous vehicles in the United States. Of 23 vehicles in the Nevada desert race, only four finished; Stanley completed the 212-kilometer route in six hours, 53 minutes, and 58 seconds without human intervention, using laser detectors, stereo vision, cameras, GPS, and specially developed control software. The project was a joint effort between Volkswagen and other research centers.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

**The Boeing tow.** In 2006 a near-production Touareg V10 TDI towed a [Boeing 747](https://www.edgepedia.org/boeing-747) weighing around 155 tonnes more than 150 meters on an airport runway and brought it to a standstill, a world record. The car carried over four tonnes of additional ballast for traction, while using a standard engine, gearbox, and air suspension.<sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

**Dakar Rally.** With the Race Touareg, developed by Volkswagen Motorsport for marathon rallies, Volkswagen took three consecutive overall Dakar victories: 2009 with Giniel de Villiers, 2010 with Carlos Sainz, and 2011 with [Nasser Al-Attiyah](https://www.edgepedia.org/nasser-al-attiyah).<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

**Panamericana.** In 2011, Rainer Zietlow and his team drove a Touareg V6 TDI the 22,750 kilometers of the [Pan-American Highway](https://www.edgepedia.org/pan-american-highway) from [Tierra del Fuego](https://www.edgepedia.org/tierra-del-fuego) to Alaska in 11 days, 17 hours, and 22 minutes, beating the previous world record by four days.<sup>[3](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)</sup>

## End of production

Production of the Touareg combustion-engine model ends in 2026. To mark the occasion Volkswagen launched the "Touareg FINAL EDITION", orderable until the end of March 2026 at prices starting from 75,025 euros.<sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup> Volkswagen stated that for Ukraine, production of the current generation with combustion engines will continue through 2027, considerably longer than for the EU market.<sup>[5](https://www.volkswagen.ua/brand-and-news/brand-news/touareg-final-edition)</sup> The current Touareg R eHybrid, at 340 kW (462 PS), is the most powerful model in the standard Volkswagen range.<sup>[2](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)</sup>

## References

1. [Touareg, Volkswagen Newsroom archive](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/touareg-3627)
2. [Current Touareg generation ends with a "FINAL EDITION", Volkswagen Newsroom press release](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/current-touareg-generation-ends-with-a-final-edition-19892)
3. [The first 21 years, Volkswagen Newsroom](https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-touareg-world-premiere-16049/the-first-21-years-16055)
4. [Air suspension: Riding on air, Volkswagen Middle East](https://www.volkswagen-me.com/en/models/new_touareg.html/__layer/layers/model_pages/touareg_fl24/technology/air-suspension/master.layer)
5. [Поточне покоління Touareg завершує життєвий цикл лімітованим виданням "FINAL EDITION", Volkswagen Ukraine](https://www.volkswagen.ua/brand-and-news/brand-news/touareg-final-edition)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › German automobile models › Volkswagen models*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*

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