The Volkswagen Touran is a compact MPV first launched in February 2003, sold in Europe and other select markets. It fills a gap in Volkswagen's model lineup, above the related Volkswagen Golf and below Sharan. In some regions, such as Japan, the car is called Golf Touran. The name 'Touran' derives from the combination of 'Tour' and 'Sharan'. Despite the similarity of their names, the Touran is not related to the North American market Volkswagen Routan. The vehicle is delivered in five or seven seat versions.
First generation (''Typ'' 1T, 2003–2015)
The Touran, launched in 2003, is the first Volkswagen MPV based on a Golf platform. It joined Volkswagen's existing MPV line up that included the Sharan and Caravelle. It can be considered an extended version of the Golf Plus, since their front ends are similar in size, while the Touran's rear overhang is longer. The Touran introduced electro-mechanical steering, a first in its class and for Volkswagen. It is able to vary the weight of the steering depending on the road speed. Due to the lack of energy consumption in idle it also improves the overall efficiency of the vehicle. The Touran was the first vehicle to use Volkswagen's 2.0 TDI engine. The engines available at the launch included a 1.6 FSI and two diesel engines, the 1.9 TDI with and the 2.0 TDI. The engines are EURO 4 compliant, except the 1.9 TDi when paired with the DSG. The Touran launched with a six speed manual gearbox as standard, and a DSG for the 1.9 TDI Engines.
Safety
The initial test of the Touran in 2003, resulted in a four star rating for adult protection. Volkswagen made slight changes to the Touran from November 2003, adding "an intelligent reminder for the driver and front passenger to buckle their seat belts." This allowed the Touran to be retested the same year, scoring a single extra point, and so giving the car a five star rating for adult protection:
The 2007 model year Touran was the first production vehicle in the Volkswagen Group to be released with the new Park Assist technology. Park Assist helps the driver parallel park the vehicle. Firstly, after having activated the feature and whilst travelling up to 30 km/h Park Assist uses sensors to attempt to identify a suitable parking spot. The driver then stops ahead of the parking spot, releases the steering wheel, but continues working the gears, accelerator and brake pedal as advised by the display panels, as the Park Assist controls the steering to park the vehicle.
CrossTouran
At the December 2006 Bologna Motor Show, Volkswagen released the third Cross vehicle designed by Volkswagen Individual GmbH. The CrossTouran is distinguished from a standard Touran by its 17-inch alloy wheels, redesigned plastic guards which ape a crossover vehicle, and a higher suspension/chassis setup that is optional for standard Tourans in Europe. All CrossTouran engines are EU4 compliant. Petrol engines
1.6 with 75 kW / 102 hp
1.4 TSI with 103 kW / 140 hp
2.0 TSI with 125 kW / 170 hp
Diesel engines
1.9 TDI with 77 kW / 105 hp
2.0 TDI with 103 kW / 140 hp
2.0 TDI with 125 kW / 170 hp
Second facelift (2010)
In August 2010, the Touran was updated to the newer Golf VI platform. This included as new features compared to the previous facelift the option for DCC, Light-Assist for Xenon Headlights, an improved Park-Assist System that can also handle perpendicular park positions and updated infotainment systems. The aerodynamics of the car were also improved, the Cw improved from 0,31 to 0,32 to 0,29. At the end of 2010, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive released the new Touran in China. Though its front was updated to the German style, the tail keeps the design of the phase II model. The electronic systems of this domestically produced car were upgraded as its relative in Europe. A 1.4 TSI, which can output 93 kW, was added to the new model. New engines were available following the downsizing trend, a 1.2 with and a new 1.6 Common Rail TDI with or. They replaced the 1.6 and 1.9 TDI from the previous model. The 1.2, and 1.6 TDI were also available as BlueMotion, Volkswagen's low fuel consumption vehicle program. In 2012, the engine was replaced with the.
Engines
The Touran is available with petrol, diesel and compressed natural gas engines. The diesel models of the Touran offer better fuel economy. Given the proper conditions, it is possible to achieve over in a diesel Touran. The car is delivered with a five- and six speed manual transmissions, Tiptronic six speed automatic transmission or the DSG twin clutch automatic transmission; the 1.4 TSI, the 1.6 FSI from 2003 to 2006, the 1.9 TDI from 2003 to 2008, and the 2.0 TDI uses the six speed version, and the 1.9 TDI since the middle of 2008 use the seven-speed dry clutch version. As for the 2010 model, an updated version of the 2.0 TDI engine was launched with common rail technology. The engine was introduced in the Volkswagen Passat in the models from 2008.
Touran Hy Motion and Hybrid
The Touran Hy Motion is Volkswagen's Hydrogen Development concept. It has a nickel-metal hydride battery which produces, it does the 0–100 km/h sprint in 14 seconds and has a top speed of. In 2008, Shanghai-Volkswagen with Tongji University had released a Touran Hybrid, as part of the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. A prototype of the Touran Hybrid was shown with a electric motor in conjunction with a petrol engine, the transmission will most likely be Volkswagen's Direct-Shift Gearbox.
Awards and safety
The Touran won What Car?'s 2005 Compact Van of the Year award.
