Volkswagen’s flagship Touareg SUV, slated to be discontinued next year, could return as an electric model and potentially become the first vehicle built on the group’s new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), according to a report by Automobilwoche.
The prospect of an ID. Touareg debuting the SSP comes as a surprise, since the architecture was expected to launch with the ID. Golf or ID. Roc in Wolfsburg. However, delays to those models — now reportedly pushed to 2030 due to the later relocation of ICE Golf production to Mexico — may clear the way for the SUV. Ending combustion Touareg production in Bratislava would allow Volkswagen to prepare an SSP assembly line there by 2029, Automobilwoche said.
“Premium vehicles remain the most profitable cars. VW would launch a model that could generate substantial revenue,” Automobilwoche noted, adding that the logic of producing the ID. Touareg first is rooted in profitability and manufacturing timelines. The publication also suggested the electric SUV could feature a range extender, though details remain speculative.
Currently, the Touareg shares its platform with the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga. Porsche plans to launch an all-electric Cayenne in 2026 on the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), jointly developed with Audi, rather than on SSP. The SSP was originally slated to debut with VW’s Trinity model, now delayed to 2032, but could first appear in the Audi A4 e-tron by 2028.
Unveiled in 2021, the SSP is designed to cover all vehicle segments with an 800-volt system for faster charging and a “unified cell” developed by VW’s battery arm PowerCo. Volkswagen has also partnered with Rivian to integrate its software and electrical architecture into SSP as part of a joint venture announced last year.
