VW Touran CCS: Driving report

We found a very interesting driving report of the

The surprising news is that this won't signal the end of today's diesel and petrol units. VW says combustion engines will still dominate for a long time yet - they just won't be in the form that we're used to!

Top of the technology list is VW's Combined Combustion System (CCS). Trialled here in a Touran compact MPV, the gadgetry combines the direct injection concept of the maker's TDI diesel and hi-tech systems used by TSI petrol motors to clean up oil-burning combustion, while also reducing CO2 output. In unifying diesel and petrol theories, VW says it has created a brand new engine concept.

So how does it work? By carefully controlling fuel injection and valve timing, VW can create the perfect mixture of fuel and air. A large proportion of exhaust gases are recirculated, too, resulting in clean combustion with no particulate or soot and low nitrogen oxide emissions. For now, the application of CCS is limited. Conditions have to be just perfect for the technology to work, with low engine revs and gentle acceleration required. However, emissions are significantly reduced when the system is active, and VW's engineers hope to broaden its scope in the near future.

There is one final string to this Touran's bow. Even though its powerplant started life as a conventional 2.0-litre TDI diesel before having the CCS equipment installed, it can now also run on a second-generation biofuel known as SunFuel.