After years of slow sales, Volkswagen is finally killing off the Touareg for the US market. Despite the ever-growing popularity of SUVs and crossovers, the Touareg never quite made a mark in America. Sales of the near-luxury SUV were down 26 percent in the first half of 2017, with just 1,630 units rolling off dealer lots. There's no one reason for the decline in sales, but the premium price tag cannot have helped.
The 2017 Volkswagen Touareg starts at $50,405 in the US, with the top of the range Executive trim starting at $61,105. For reference, the all-new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas starts at $31,425. Even the top-of-the-line Atlas SEL Premium with 4MOTION undercuts a base Touareg at $49,415. The two models aren't exactly direct competitors, with the Atlas offering more space and a four-cylinder, two-wheel drive model. It isn't quite as premium as the Touareg, but it doesn't have to fight heavy hitters from Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Cadillac.
The all-new Tiguan will help fill the space vacated by the Touareg. The new model is larger than the outgoing one, and there's a new compact crossover on the way that will slot below the Tiguan.
