• Range of efficient petrol and diesel engines
• Manual and DSG automatic gearboxes
• No hybrid help but still low-cost motoring

There’s a variety of petrol and diesel engines on offer with power ranging from 110hp up to 190hp. All engines are four-cylinder turbocharged units and comply with stringent Euro6 legislation, coming with either manual or automatic gearboxes depending on spec.

Volkswagen Touran petrol engines

The petrol range starts with a 1.2-litre TSI unit with 110hp and 175Nm of torque between 1,400 and 4,000rpm. Available with a six-speed manual gearbox only, this engine allows the Touran to accelerate from 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds and can travel up to a top speed of 117mph. 

Although the figures here are a little underwhelming, we found the 1.2-litre very capable in urban environments with enough pull to make decent progress on slip roads and away from the lights. On the motorway the engine strains a little when accelerating past 60mph, when cruising though it proves smooth and refined.

The second petrol choice is a 1.4-litre TSI powertrain. It offers 150hp and 250Nm of torque which helps the car to sprint from 0-62mph in just under nine seconds and can climb to speeds up to 130mph. You can also specify this engine with Volkswagen’s excellent seven-speed DSG auto gearbox. 

Volkswagen Touran diesel engines

There are three diesel choices in the Touran line-up to consider. The first is a 1.6-litre that offers 115hp and 250Nm of torque. You can opt for the six-speed manual gearbox or the seven-speed DSG automatic for a premium. 

Although a little on the noisy side, the 1.6-litre diesel engine is refined and smooth with enough torque to pull the car to motorway speeds on slip roads – only on steeper hills did the engine begin to strain and you needed to change down a gear or two to get enough power.

The 0-62mph sprint is achieved in a leisurely 11.9 seconds and the automatic gearbox proves well-matched to the engine, with near seamless gear changes. 

This is the pick of the bunch in terms of running costs too with a combined fuel economy of 61.4mpg (65.7mpg for the automatic) and CO2 emissions as low as 112g/km. 

If you’re looking for more power, the 2.0-litre diesel option should fit the bill. With 150hp and 340Nm of torque, the 0-62mph sprint is achieved in under 10 seconds and the car can reach a top speed of 129mph.

With a choice of gearboxes, this engine is smooth and refined and excellent when cruising on the motorway. The engine noise is quieter than the 1.6 and also won’t leave you too penalised in terms of running costs, with a combined fuel economy figure if 61.4mpg (60.1mpg for the DSG) and CO2 emissions from 119g/km. 

The third and final diesel choice is a 190hp 2.0-litre unit which is available exclusively with a DSG gearbox on higher-spec Touran models. 

This engine and gearbox combination works very well indeed, with sufficient acceleration for all situations and very smooth gearshifts. Whether or not you can justify its extra cost relative to the rest of the line-up is another matter, though.

• Safe, competent family car
• Drive modes to tweak character
• Great around town and easy to park

Out on the road the Volkswagen Touran is a competent and good all-round performer and is both comfortable on the motorway and at ease in urban environments. The car is easy to drive and the steering is well-weighted, yet not too heavy for easy parking.

The optional drive modes enable you to adapt the throttle and steering setup for a more engaged drive, though, which helps somewhat, via Eco, Normal and Sport.

With 62kg shed over the previous generation, it’s more agile on the road as a result. Sporty handling is not what the Touran is all about though; as a family car that offers comfortable and stress-free driving, it firmly ticks the box.

There’s a little body roll produced in the corners and there’s plenty of grip on offer which keeps the car stable and secure on the road. That’s because the suspension is a little on the soft side – especially felt by those in the second and third rows – but it does a good job of soaking up potholes and bumps in the road.