Best Volkswagen Engines

2.0 8V (AZJ/AQY)

Golf, Octavia, Alhambra, Transporter, Fabia, Superb

Simple VW 2.0 eight-valve petrol (115 hp, belt-driven) in the Golf IV, Bora, New Beetle, Octavia, Fa...

1.9L TDI I4

Golf, Ibiza, A4, Octavia, Leon, Toledo, A3, Passat, Golf 1.9 TDI

The rotary-pump TDI that built the legend. Simple VP37 injection, 500,000 km examples are documented...

1.0L TSI I3

Up, Polo, A1, Golf, Ibiza, Leon, Fabia, Octavia, A3, Rapid, Q2, T-Roc, Arona, Kamiq, Taigo, Karoq, Scala, T-Cross, Ateca, T-Roc 1.0 TSI

Three-cylinder turbo with a dry toothed belt (not a chain) in the Polo, Fabia, Ibiza, T-Roc, Golf an...

1.8 NA (ABS/ACC/ADZ)

Golf

Simple 1.8-litre 8-valve petrol with single-point Mono-Motronic injection and hydraulic lifters, in ...

1.0L MPI I3

Mii, Citigo, Polo, Fabia, Up, Ibiza

Naturally aspirated port-injected three-cylinder in the up!, Mii, Citigo, Fabia and Polo. No turbo a...

2.3 V5 (AGZ/AQN/AZX)

Golf, Toledo

VW 2.3 narrow-angle five-cylinder (VR5), a VR6 with one cylinder less, in the Golf IV, Bora, New Bee...

1.8L TSI I4 (EA888 Gen 3)

A4, Octavia, Ibiza, Superb, Leon, Passat, A3

The third-generation 1.8 TSI/TFSI (2012-2020): 180 hp in the Audi A3 8V, Skoda Octavia III and Super...

1.4 16V MPI (AHW/AKQ/AXP/BCA/BBY/BKY/BUD/BXW/CGGA/CGGB; 100 hp AUB/BBZ)

Leon, Golf, Fabia, Ibiza, Octavia, Polo, Cordoba, Altea, Roomster

Volkswagen Group's naturally aspirated 1.4 16-valve petrol (75-101 hp) in the Golf 4, Polo 9N and 6R...

1.6L NA I4

A4, Felicia, Polo, Ibiza, Toledo, Octavia, Golf, Leon, A3, Passat, Cordoba, Altea, Exeo, Caddy, Fabia

EA827/EA113-family 1.6 8-valve petrol with port injection and a timing belt (codes AEK, AFT, AKS, AE...

2.0L TSI I4

Tiguan, Golf, Passat, A3, Q2, A1, Q3, Octavia, T-Roc, Tarraco, A4, Polo, Formentor, Ateca, Leon, Kodiaq, Arteon, Q5, Karoq, A6, A5 2.0 TFSI, A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI, Golf GTI 2.0 TSI, Golf R 2.0 TSI, Passat 2.0 TSI, T-Roc R 2.0 TSI

Fourth-generation EA888 (evo4, from 2020): 350 bar injection, GPF, 245-320 PS in Golf 8 GTI/R, S3 8Y...

1.2L TSI 16V

Fabia, Ibiza, A3, Touran, Rapid, Toledo, Octavia, Polo, Golf, Leon, Polo 1.2 TSI

The 16-valve belt-driven 1.2 TSI that replaced the chain engine from 2012 - no serious faults report...

VR6 3.6 (BWS/BHK)

Touareg, Q7, Passat, Superb, Cayenne

Biggest VR6: Passat R36, Touareg 7L/7P, Audi Q7, Superb 3.6, Cayenne 958 base V6. Direct injection, ...

3.2L VR6

Touareg, Golf, TT, Cayenne

Unique narrow-angle V6 with a glorious sound - Golf R32, Audi TT/A3 3.2, Touareg 3.2. Sound basic en...

1.7 SDI (AKU)

Arosa

Arosa/Lupo. Indirect injection diesel — no turbo, no common rail, no DPF. Extremely simple. Unbreaka...

1.4L TSI

Octavia, Golf, Leon, Q3, Polo, A1, A3, Ibiza, Passat, A4, Tiguan, Touran, Toledo, Q2, Formentor, Tarraco, Superb, Kodiaq, Golf 1.4 TSI, Passat 1.4 TSI

Sweet spot VW engine. ACT cylinder deactivation on some. Good balance of power and economy. Belt dri...

2.0 FSI (AXW/BLR/BLX/BLY/BVX/BVY/BVZ)

A3, Golf, Octavia, Passat, Leon, Altea, Toledo, Touran

Volkswagen's 150 hp naturally aspirated 2.0 with direct petrol injection (EA113 family), fitted 2003...

1.2 6V / 12V MPI I3

Ibiza, Polo, Fabia, Roomster

The small non-turbo three-cylinder petrol of the VW Polo 9N and 6R, Seat Ibiza 6L and 6J, Skoda Fabi...

VR6 2.8 12V/24V

Golf, Alhambra

VW's narrow-angle 2.8 VR6, as a 12-valve (174 PS: Golf 3, Corrado, Passat, Sharan) and a 24-valve (2...

1.4L TDI I3 (common rail)

Polo, Fabia, Ibiza, Rapid, Polo 1.4 TDI

The three-cylinder common-rail 1.4 TDI of the EA288 family (2014-2018), 75-105 hp, in the VW Polo, S...

1.6L Diesel I4

Yeti, Rapid, Toledo, Leon, Golf, Octavia, A3, A1, Superb, Passat, Q2, Ateca, Scala, Tiguan, Touran, Arona, Karoq, T-Roc, Kodiaq, Ibiza, Kamiq, Polo

MQB-era 1.6 TDI. Robust bottom end and turbo; the pain is the emissions kit. Engines built to Septem...

1.6L Diesel I4

Polo, A1, Golf, Leon, A3, Fabia, Ibiza, Passat, Roomster, Octavia, Altea, Caddy, Superb, Yeti, Rapid, Toledo

First common-rail 1.6 TDI and the Dieselgate engine. Economical and long-lived at the bottom end, bu...

2.5 TDI V6 (AFB/AKN/AKE/AYM/BAU/BCZ/BDG/BDH/BFC)

A6, Passat, A4, Touareg, Superb

Audi-designed 2.5 V6 diesel with a Bosch VP44 pump, used in the A4, A6, A8, Passat B5 and Superb. It...

2.0L TDI (clean diesel)

Yeti, A6, Leon, Octavia, Golf, A3, Passat, Alhambra, Tiguan, Kodiaq, TT, Q3, Transporter, Q5, A4, A5, Q2, Touran, Ateca, Superb, Tarraco, T-Roc, Karoq, Arteon, Caddy, Formentor, Caddy 2.0 TDI, Golf 2.0 TDI, Passat 2.0 TDI, Passat Variant 2.0 TDI, Sharan 2.0 TDI, T-Roc 2.0 TDI

MQB/MDB-era 2.0 TDI (2012 on), including the 2019+ evo with twin AdBlue dosing. Robust bottom end; t...

1.4L TSI I4

Golf, Tiguan, Passat, Octavia, Leon, A1, Rapid, Yeti, A3, Superb

The simpler single-turbo EA111 - no supercharger, less heat, fewer piston failures than the twinchar...

1.2L TSI 8V

Fabia, A1, Caddy, Golf, Toledo, Ibiza, Polo, Yeti, Roomster, Octavia, Leon, A3, Polo 1.2 TSI

The 8-valve chain-driven 1.2 TSI in the Golf 6, Polo 6R, Fabia II, Ibiza 6J, Yeti and Caddy. VW admi...

2.0L TDI CR I4 (EA189)

Passat, A6, A3, Leon, Altea, Octavia, Transporter, Exeo, A4, Q5, A5, Tiguan, Golf, Yeti, Superb, Alhambra, Q3, Caddy, Ibiza, A1, Passat 2.0 TDI

The first common-rail 2.0 TDI (2007-2015) and the Dieselgate engine. Strong and economical, but the ...

1.2 TDI 3-cyl (CFWA)

Fabia, Roomster, Ibiza, Polo

Polo/Fabia/Roomster. 3-cylinder diesel. Timing belt. DPF clogs rapidly in city use. EGR valve foulin...

1.9L TDI PD I4

A4, Octavia, Golf, Leon, Toledo, A3, Fabia, Ibiza, Polo, Cordoba, Alhambra, Passat, Superb, A6, Transporter, Altea, Touran, Roomster, Golf 1.9 TDI

Pumpe-Duese successor to the VE. Strong and tunable, but the camshaft also drives the unit injectors...

W8 4.0 (BDN/BDP)

Passat

Volkswagen's 4.0 W8 (2001-2004), sold only in the Passat W8 4motion: two narrow-angle VR4 banks, 275...

2.0 TDI Pumpe-Duese Diesel I4 (EA188)

Toledo, Golf, A3, Altea, Leon, Touran, Octavia, Passat, A4, A6, Alhambra, Outlander, Grandis, Lancer, Golf 2.0 TDI

Volkswagen Group's 2.0 TDI with Pumpe-Duese unit injectors (2003-2011): Golf 5, Touran, Passat B6, A...

1.4L TSI Twincharger I4

Golf, Alhambra, Tiguan, Ibiza, Fabia, Polo, A1, Passat

Turbo plus clutched supercharger: brilliant on paper, fragile in practice. The timing chain tensione...

V10 TDI 5.0 (AYH/BLE/BWF)

Touareg

5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 diesel with pump-injector (PD) injection and gear-driven camshafts, fitted ...