No Dutch party
![Volkswagen Touran](https://media.autoweek.nl/m/71lykapbw48a_800.jpg)
![](https://media.autoweek.nl/m/71lykapbw48a_800.jpg)
Believe it or not, it has been twenty years since the Volkswagen Touran came on the market. A successful story for Volkswagen, the last chapter of which has yet to be written, although it has already ended in the Netherlands.
The month of March is almost over, but not before Volkswagen points out to us in detail that it is already twenty years ago this month that the Touran experienced its market introduction. On March 14, 2003, that happened, to be precise. Incidentally, the oldest Dutch Tourans will only turn twenty next month, because deliveries here started in April 2003. In the years that followed, the Volkswagen Touran grew into a model that can hardly be ignored in the Dutch streetscape. Volkswagen’s answer to the already hugely popular Opel Zafira here caught on with the Dutch public.
It was especially hard in the beginning. In 2004, the first full year of sales, more than 6,200 were on Dutch license plates. That number has never been surpassed. After the facelift of the first generation, in which the Touran received the new large chrome-plated family face, sales picked up again in 2007 (5,248 units), but then fell quickly. The last facelift for the first Touran came in 2010 and the nose was again aligned with the other models, although the years clearly started to count. Sales of the second facelift peaked at 3,690 units in 2011. The completely new second-generation Touran appeared in 2015 and could hardly be in the shadow of its predecessor here in the Netherlands. With 1,545 copies, 2016 was the best year.
The second facelift of the first Touran
In 2020 it was announced that Volkswagen no longer thought it was worth it here and the Touran was removed from the range. For example, it ended in the Netherlands after 17 years for the once so popular Volkswagen, although it is still available elsewhere. For example, the Touran is still on the market in its home country and there it is now also getting a small refresher. More extensive LED lighting, more standard safety and assistance systems, a new steering wheel and improved infotainment are included. It all passes us by, too bad?
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl