Volkswagen Touareg

What is the Volkswagen Touareg?

The Touareg is Volkswagen’s large SUV, with a cabin and road manners shaped for comfortable travel as well as the ability to handle rough terrain. Launched in 2002, it was Volkswagen’s first SUV and became the top model in the brand’s range.

The first generation paired comfort with off-road capability. The second generation, introduced in 2010, put more emphasis on comfort and brought Volkswagen’s first SUV hybrid. The third generation arrived in 2018 with digital cabin technology and the first plug-in hybrid in the Touareg line.

Generations, engines and power

Generation I ran from 2003 to 2010, generation II from 2010 to 2018, and generation III began in 2018.

EU registration figures for 2010–2025 span engines from 1.6 to 4.1 litres and power from 85 kW (116 PS) to 310 kW (421 PS). Listed fuel types include diesel, petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid. UK figures for 2003–2026 show 2.5- to 4.9-litre engines and 128 kW (174 PS) to 340 kW (462 PS). Among the leading EU entries are 3.0-litre diesels rated at 193 kW (262 PS) and 210 kW (286 PS).

Fuel consumption and CO₂

The lowest listed EU consumption for petrol, diesel and hybrid versions is 8 L/100 km on WLTP. For plug-in hybrids, the EU minimum is 2.2 L/100 km on WLTP, a weighted official figure that assumes some driving is electric. In the UK, the lowest listed figure for petrol, diesel and hybrid versions is 6.6 L/100 km on NEDC; the plug-in hybrid figure is 9.6 L/100 km on WLTP. The US minimum is 9.8 L/100 km on the EPA test, also listed as 24 MPG combined. Canada’s minimum is 9.8 L/100 km on NRCan’s 5-cycle test. WLTP and NEDC are European procedures, while the EPA and NRCan use different methods, so results across markets are not directly comparable.

Where was the Touareg sold?

EU registration figures for 2010–2025 total 441,331. The UK figures cover 2003–2026, the French figures 2012–2015, and the US and Canadian figures 2004–2017.