Volkswagen Touareg R axed from line-up
The high-powered SUV has been removed from the range after just 18 months on sale in the UK
The Volkswagen Touareg R has been withdrawn from the UK market after just 18 months on sale.
Going on sale in March 2021 with a £71,995 price tag, the Touareg R became Volkswagen’s most powerful model and the sole electrified option in the German firm's R performance sub-brand.
In the Touareg R, power came from a plug-in hybrid powertrain centred on a 3.0-litre petrol V6. It had an output of 456bhp - higher than the 444bhp W12-powered Volkswagen Phaeton and Touareg of old.
The standard Touareg remains on sale with the choice of two 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel V6s or a 3.0-litre petrol V6, with its highest power output standing at 335bhp.
Volkswagen didn't immediately respond for comment when contacted by Autocar, but the removal of the Touareg means the Tiguan R is now the firm’s most powerful model on sale.
The Touareg hasn’t been quite as popular for new car buyers in the past few years as before. According to figures from Jato Analytics, Volkswagen sold 13,191 Touaregs in Europe in 2021 - a drop of 9% year on year.
It has retained a more consistent performance in the UK, however, with 2260 Touaregs sold in the UK in 2021, according to the SMMT, which was a minor drop on the 2275 sold the year prior.
But as of October 2022, the Touareg has sold fewer than 50% of its 2021 figure, with 1018 cars registered.
