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VW Touran II, the forgotten car of the VW group. If until 2015 people were laughing at the Polo, now the Touran has come to take its place. Seriously, I think it’s the most made fun of car VW has made since the VW Fox.

The fact that the first generation was built for 150 years straight says something about VW’s interest in the Touran. In fact, the VW Touran II came in strictly because the new MQB modular platform is launching in 2015 and they had to update including this van with windows. It’s just that, like the Scenic, the VW Touran II is a rarer presence on the streets of the homeland than Suzuki’s online presence. Seriously, these people barely have any marketing campaigns and yet their cars sell like German action movie tapes. It’s easy to see why vans with windows are no longer being bought and it all boils down to 2 words: cross-over. Most people now if they want a family car buy a cross-over straight away and don’t have time for MPVs anymore. Still, VW keeps the VW Touran II and the horrible Sharan in their configurator listings as a sign of nostalgia. Like an old man who has eaten his bread but still comes to work even years after retirement, just to see what’s still going on out there, the Touran sits and watches the world around it.

You can see the charm of the first model is gone because now VW has effectively put all the engines they could find in the dumpster and put them on the Touran II. If I had my way, the VW Touran II should have come with just a 2.0 TDI, so you don’t bother with other options that you just look at and say “hmm…interesting” …anyway, and move on down the road to the 2.0 TDI. But at least you can brag that the car was designed by Geo Da Silva, the guy responsible for the Alfa Romeo 156, VW Scirocco, or Audi R8…or was that Walter Da Silva? Even if it’s essentially a Golf Plus with a boot or a taller Golf estate, the Touran still managed to attract a few family members who most likely drive the Touran from father to son.

VW Touran II Engines

Petrol

• 1.0 Turbo of 115 horsepower – When I said VW effectively put every engine it could find through the dumpster and put it in the Touran II, this is one of those engines. I don’t think I need to explain why this clutch eater is a worse idea than pineapple pizza and gum, especially on the Touran.


• 1.2 Turbo  of 110 horsepower – Launched in 2015 and retired in 2019 by the 1.0 TSI, this is another misguided engine for the Touran body. But at least this one doesn’t have any specific issues.


• 1.4 Turbo of 150 horsepower  – At the end of its life, this petrol should have its reliability issues resolved. But again, it’s not going to turn out too well.


• 1.5 Turbo of 150 horsepower  – Coming in 2019 to show us that VW still has a knack for engines that consume oil, this 1.5 TSI seems to remind us of the old 1.8 TFSI and its oil consumption. It seems VW can’t help but be oil incontinent.


• 1.8 Turbo of 180 horsepower – Fantastic engine, just doesn’t belong in the VW Touran II. That is if you just want to check your kids in the morning to see if they’ve eaten in the morning, taking corners at speed and forcing the little ones to send their food straight from their stomachs to the window.

Diesel

• 1.6 TDI of 110 and 115 horsepower – Most people will probably jump to this engine just because it’s cheaper and more fuel efficient. However, the acceleration is measured by the calendar when you load it up the and you won’t be able to tow anything bigger than a crate of beer either.


• 2.0 TDI of 115, 150, and 190 horsepower – The classic 2.0 TDI that’s sort of the village bike in the VW group comes to the Touran and is ready to help. By far the most balanced engine and more apt to work for the Touran’s bodywork but especially for the way it will be used.

 VW Touran II General Issues

• The VW Touran II comes with more options and safety systems than Hannibal Lecter so check out everything button and function.


• The DSG automatic transmission promises to have fixed its past issues and is now reliable. It remains to be seen, but in the meantime, you’ll have to change the oil and filters every 60,000 km. Statistics at the moment say that the DSG is still a bad boy out to get your money.


• Diesel engines suffer from the modern issues of diesel being strangled by pollution regulations as if they were paying for the service. Particle filter issues, dual mass flywheel, and EGR issues. The old saying – you give a penny, but you know you don’t have it.


• Infotainment has a tendency to shut down all of a sudden without you saying anything to it. Basically, just like any phone, you have to restart the car and it will come back. Or you put on a ’80s tape and don’t care about navigation and videos.

VW Touran II Verdict

A car forgotten by buyers, VW, the car industry or country TV fans. Like many other cars, the Touran is improving but not evolving. It remains in a car sector that is less and less populated. And rightly so. For the money, a Touran costs you can buy a Tiguan, 2 Dusters, Kadjar, Tucson, and whatever crossover was launched this week. And many people will choose the Tiguan, even if it has a microscopic boot, over a van with windows. In the past, the Touran could steamroll the competition because it came with 7 seats, but most modern family cars come with that option. So why buy a Touran in 2022?

What engines do you recommend? The only petrol that makes sense on the Touran is the 150hp 1.4 TSI, and the diesel is clearly the 150hp 2.0 TDI.