Production of the Touareg stopped in Slovakia at the end of March. In Australia? We still have cars. But not for long.
Stocks are drying up. The final units—like the pricey Wolfsburg Edition—are hitting the floor now. By year-end, that door slams shut.
So.
Who sits at the top now?
Piergiorgio Minto. Brand director for Volkswagen Australia. He told CarExpert that the halo role is non-negotiable.
“It is definitely important for the brand… Touareg is doing an excellent job.”
Good work. Now it’s gone.
“We are having a look into some products.” Vague? Sure. But he hinted at something big. Something above the new Tayron.
Does it have to be an SUV?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
The Electric Wagon
Look at the ID.7.
It’s the global flagship right now. A liftback or Tourer. Electric. Basically what the Passat would have been if we ever saw one here.
Specs? Heavy.
* 77kWh or 86kWh batteries
* WLTP range over 700km
* 0-80% charge in ~26 minutes
Pricey? Yeah. Around A$96k in the UK. But think about it. That’s not much more than a fully loaded Golf R.
A practical electric flagship?
Why not.
The Passat Ghost
Or maybe they bring back the Passat.
It lives on in Europe as a cousin to the Skoda Superb. No sedans there, only wagons.
Engine? Electrified.
The UK gets a 200kW eHybrid. 120km of EV range from a smallish 19.7kWh pack. 0-100 in 7.2s. Fast. Clean(ish).
But wait. Skoda already has the Superb here. Would VW flood its own nest?
Sales of large wagans are flatlining. It’s a dying breed.
Arjun Nidigallau, head of product, keeps it real.
“We keep an eye on every global factory.”
South Africa? Yes. South America? Yes. China?
Also yes.
It comes down to shipping. Logistics. Which box fits the best in the container.
The China Card
China is playing a different game entirely.
SAIC and VW just dropped the ID. Era 9X.
It’s massive. 5207mm long. That’s nearly 300mm longer than a Touareg.
And the powertrain?
EREV.
Extended Range Electric Vehicle.
Petrol engine. But it never touches the wheels. It’s just a generator. Keeps the battery topped up.
Three flavors. All use the same EA211 turbo engine.
* Small battery. 267km range.
* Bigger battery. Rear-wheel drive. 340km range.
* AWD beast. 380kW total power. 321km range.
It’s weird. It works.
Will this tech cross the ocean?
Bloomberg thinks so. VW is mulling EREVs for the US and Europe. Hybrids are surging. Range anxiety is real.
If shipping works out… who says Australia is immune?
No Clean Finish
We don’t know the answer yet.
Minto won’t say. Nidigallu is weighing routes. The Touareg is still on the ground for now, wrapped in Wolfsburg trim, looking dignified in its swansong.
$125k+. Final edition plaques inside. A nod to the past.
But the future?
It could be a wagon. It could be a plug-in hybrid. It could be a giant Chinese range-extendev rolling in off a cargo ship next year.
One thing is clear.
The vacancy is real.
