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TOUR OF DUTY

Models Covered: (5dr mini-MPV 1.4TSI, 1.6, 1.6 FSI, 2.0 FSI petrol, 1.9, 2.0 TDI diesel [S, SE, Sport])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Volkswagen took a long time bringing their Touran mini-MPV to market but when it arrived it was received as a job well done. Available in either five or seven-seat guises, the car was as well engineered as you’d expect from Volkswagen and was powered by a wide range of competent engines. If lacking a little in styling flair, the Touran certainly couldn’t be accused of skimping on space and versatility. It’s still probably the most competently screwed together and solid feeling of any mini-MPV and scores high on the sensible scale. Used examples are now starting to appear and they make a sound bet for the longer term buyer.

There’s a story, probably apocryphal, that Volkswagen’s designers were already well advanced in their assault on the mini-MPV market when Vauxhall launched the seven seat Zafira in 1999. Suddenly Volkswagen’s five seat offering looked a little inadequate and the designers went back to the drawing board. Fast forward to 2003 and Volkswagen at last had an entrant in the lucrative mini-MPV sector in the rather generic shape of the Touran. Why the wait? Surely it doesn’t take four years to bring a car from the design stage to production, even one as well thought out as the Touran? Those intervening years saw a huge growth in the mini-MPV sector, with Citroen, Vauxhall and Renault largely carving the spoils up between them, Volkswagen and, surprisingly, Ford having nothing to offer. There is, however, a sound technical reason why Volkswagen was so late to the party. With an entirely new platform designed for the 2004 model year Volkswagen Golf, the top brass in Wolfsburg felt it wasn’t cost effective to build a stopgap mini-MPV based on the ‘old’ Golf chassis. Instead, they reasoned, it was better to bide their time until this superior set of running gear was available. The Touran was the second car in the Volkswagen Group to adopt a chassis that adopts a sophisticated independent rear suspension system. This is said to offer superior comfort and better handling, minimising the lurching body roll that can afflict some mini-MPVs. An entry-level TDI 90 diesel engine was introduced in the winter of 2004 and a 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI followed in 2006. The next landmark in the Touran’s lifecycle was a big one. The 2006 facelift addressed criticism that VW’s MPV was a touch frumpy with a significant restyle to the front and rear. This made the car look lower and altogether more dynamic and the interior too was refreshed. At the same time, the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine was introduced with its turbocharged and supercharged technology. The 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre FSI units were ditched at this point.

Slip inside and it has the same quiet feel good factor of all contemporary Volkswagen products. The build quality is superb and the ergonomics first rate. Three trim levels are available, S, SE and Sport, and every version gets a six-speed gearbox with the option of a six-speed automatic. The diesels are also available with the revolutionary twin-clutch DSG gearbox, as seen in the Audi TT 3.2 V6. But what of the seats? You can’t bring a mini-MPV to market these days without having some sort of new seating stunt for shiny-suited salesmen to demonstrate. The Touran has more than one up its sleeve, offering the most practical interior seen since the launch of the groundbreaking Zafira. Available in standard five or seven seat guise, the Touran’s seating system is certainly flexible. The rearmost pair of seats, whilst only really suitable for kiddies, can fold flat into the floor which means that for most of the time you’ll have an easily accessible and spacious luggage bay. You can even fold the middle seat of the middle row, making a four seater that can transport long items like skis with supreme ease. All three of the middle seats slide backwards and forwards on separate runners. Quick release levers take care of seat removal and it’s good to see seats that don’t weigh a tonne. With 39 separate storage areas around the cabin, you may need to make a mental checklist of what you left where. Included in that number are under seat trays to keep valuables out of sight, three fold-down roof mounted cubbies, a rear under floor bin and more cup holders than the Real Madrid trophy room. Pockets in all four doors can accept a litre bottle and there are the usual MPV accoutrements such as seat backs that double as tables and aircraft –style fold down trays. Access to the rearmost set of seats is refreshingly easy due to the thoughtful way the middle row flips and slides forward.

Prices for the Touran start at £10,900 for a 1.6-ltre FSi S in seven-seat guise, on an 03 plate. If you’re prepared to trade seats for equipment, you’ll pay about the same for an SE with five seats. The 1.9-litre turbodiesel can be found from £11,500 for an 03 registered seven-seat S trim while the SE trim costs from £12,700 on the same plate. Insurance for the Touran reflects its mainly mature clientele and starts at Group 6 for the 1.6 S and tops out at a modest Group 9 for the 2.0-litre TDI.

Although Volkswagen’s reliability record has come under increasing scrutiny of late, the Touran seems to stand up very well. As with any mini-MPV, check the load area for damage and the rear seats for kiddie devastation but otherwise there’s little to look out for mechanically. Check that the front tyres show an even wear pattern and that the car hasn’t suffered any parking knocks and that the wheels haven’t been kerbed beyond salvation. The Touran has cultivated a mature image that deters leaden footed drivers but do look out for cars which have been used as ex-airport taxis or fleet motorway floggers. Pay close attention to odometer readings and look for the usual signs of intergalactic mileages. Otherwise a used Touran is a sound purchase.

(approx based on a 2004 Touran 1.6 ex Vat). A clutch assembly will be around £170 and a new alternator should be close to £130. Brake pads front and rear are about £45 and £40 respectively. A replacement headlamp is close to £145.

Four engines are available, three of them familiar fare. The first is the 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol unit that represents the entry-level option. A 115bhp direct-injection 1.6-litre FSI engine (from £15,630) represents the rather modest pinnacle of the petrol powered bunch although many buyers will be tempted by the broadly similarly priced TDi 100 diesel engine. Offering a decent slug of mid range power, 159g/km CO2 emissions and fuel economy that nudges 48mpg, this is likely to be the favourite of private and corporate buyers alike. Should you be tempted by a little more clout when you acquaint pedal with metal, Volkswagen can offer an all-new TDI 136 2.0-litre turbodiesel. It’s certainly a good deal quicker than the 100bhp engine, reaching 60mph in 10.4 seconds, but it retails at around £3,000 more which is a lot of money in this price sensitive market sector, the SE model opening at £18,410. The reason why budget mini-MPVs have sold so well and the more premium products such as the Honda Stream and the Chrysler PT Cruiser have struggled is that the mini-MPV is often viewed as a grudge purchase, one that has been forced upon the buyer by the onset of children, and one which is often viewed as an overhead rather than a covetable good.

If you want both quality and quantity and don’t mind paying the requisite premium, the Touran is a wise choice. Don’t expect any huge bargains as these cars are in big demand but choose wisely and you should land yourself a tough car which is future proofed for many years to come.

TOUR AND SIMPLE
Andy Enright asks whether the entry-level Volkswagen Touran is worth the price of admission.

Pay close attention to Volkswagen’s recent product development and a pattern emerges. Consider the Touareg luxury 4x4, the Eos coupe-cabriolet, Polo Dune faux by four, and this, the Touran. Each came to the market very late, Volkswagen sitting back and waiting for these niche markets to mature before developing their own highly-polished products, often at a premium price. The Touran team waited to see whether the compact MPV sector would shake down into five or seven seat dominance, hedging their bets for what seemed an age before launch.

When the Touran did first appear, it was greeted with relative apathy. Volkswagen had dropped a rare clanger, launching a very conservative car just as MPVs were becoming sufficiently self-confident from a style perspective to express themselves a little. The latest Touran looks a good deal sleeker and better groomed, even in the base 1.6-litre S form that we examine here. Many similarly priced rivals will be better than the Touran 1.6 S to drive. It’s a fact. A Vauxhall Zafira 1.6i, a Mazda5 1.8i or a Ford C-MAX 1.6 will all offer a more vivid driving experience. The Touran finds itself in midfield. It’s more entertaining than a Citroën Picasso or a Renault Scenic but this is emphatically not a vehicle to plump for if you resent having to lug the family about and just want to let off a bit of steam. Performance can best be described as leisurely, 60mph coming and going in 12.7 seconds on the way to 111mph. The 101bhp engine itself is a relatively sweet little unit but load the car up with kids, kit and caboodle and it’ll struggle to drag you up hills. The five-speed gearbox will see plenty of action as you are frequently forced to drop a cog or two to tap into some form of acceleration. Wind and tyre noise are well-suppressed, although those with any mechanical sympathy may well decide that a bigger engine is a better investment. Ride quality is old-school Germanic firm but the steering and brakes are both well above par.

"The residual values are so good that this is actually a more sensible buy than many more established rivals"

The mini-MPV market is one that once valued conservatism but Volkswagen seemed to explore a position with the Touran where conservatism lapsed into blandness. All that was required to nudge the vehicle back into the sweet spot of buyer focus were a few well-judged nips and tucks. So it is that the 2007 model year Touran has a more assertive front end, compliments of a revised radiator grille and headlights which are similar to those of the Eos coupe-cabriolet. With a distinct double curve to the underside of the lamp unit, it’s a welcome diversion from the anonymous blobs fitted to the old Touran. This 1.6 S model does without the big alloy wheels that fill the arches so purposefully on the upspec models but the 15-inch rims are, nevertheless, of an inoffensive design. Move round to the rear and you’ll spot even more strident alterations. Redesigned rear light clusters and a completely different bumper assembly give it a more aggressive, hunkered-down appearance. Indoors, there are new trims and stainless steel touches that lift the otherwise drab colour scheme. Where the Touran really scores is in terms of perceived quality. It just feels better screwed-together than anything remotely comparable, despite the fact that reliability surveys show that perception can outstrip reality. These days there are only two petrol engines offered in the Touran line-up, which just goes to show the swing towards diesel in vehicles of this type. Given that the 1.6-litre engine is earmarked only for this entry-level S model, and is included as much to give the Touran an eye-catching starter price as anything else, it’s small wonder that most buyers will walk straight past this car and fork out the extra £1,000 for the starter 1.9-litre diesel. Entry-level German cars used to have a reputation for coming with about as many flashy fitments as the Southampton FC trophy room but the Touran S doesn’t do too badly for gear. It’s fitted with a CD stereo, air-conditioning, remote central locking and cruise control. Mind you, forgo a little on the Volkswagen’s soft-feel plastics and you could buy a Korean mini-MPV so stacked with electronic gadgets it feels as if it’s just ram raided Currys. You shouldn’t read too much into the quoted fuel economy figures. Yes, the Touran 1.6 S will return 34.9mpg if driven as if you’re route finding for a funeral cortege but get the family in and 28mpg will probably be a more realistic target. Where the Volkswagen really claws back a lot of ground is in residual value. Three years down the road, this vehicle is still going to be worth a hefty 46 per cent of its original price. By contrast, an equivalent Vauxhall Zafira will keep just 37 per cent, a Mazda5 42 per cent and a Renault Scenic a mere 35 per cent. The insurance rating of the Touran 1.6 S reflects the fact that it’s not going to be the first port of call for lead-footed types, a Group 6 banding translating to modest premiums. This again compares very well with rivals and means that owning a more upmarket badge needn’t be financially punitive. Just don’t expect to have your cake and eat it when it comes to power and equipment. It would be easy to write the Volkswagen Touran 1.6 S off as a mini-MPV for the person who’s more interested in setting the neighbour’s curtains twitching than how it drives. While it must be said that a spell behind the wheel of the Touran remains a somewhat dull outing, this model has something to be said for it, especially if it’s going to cover relatively small mileages and be sold after three years or so. Here’s why. The residual values are so good that this is actually a more sensible buy than many more established rivals. As long as you’re not covering intergalactic mileages, it also works out as more cost-effective than any diesel Touran to boot. In order to choose this model you’ll need to be honest about what you want from a vehicle of this type. If the concept of ownership takes priority to driving, go right ahead.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volkswagen Touran 1.6 S PRICE: £14,925 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8 CO2 EMISSIONS: 194g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 110mph / 0-60mph 12.7s FUEL CONSUMPTION: 34.7mpg (combined) STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags / ABS / ESP / rollover protection WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4410/1790/1440

PUNCHING ABOVE ITS WEIGHT
A decently sized people carrier with a 1.4-litre petrol engine at first seems like a bad joke, but Volkswagen’s Touran TSI has both a supercharger and a turbocharger to help it on its way. Andy Enright reports

Ruining a perfectly decent MPV is really rather easy. All you need to do is to specify it with the smallest petrol engine available and you’ll be treated to a car that can’t pull its weight up hills, will leave you in cold sweats as you line up at a busy roundabout and which will consume juice at a rate that belies its modest engine capacity. That’s the received wisdom anyway. Unfortunately nobody chose to tell Volkswagen have a 1.4-litre Touran on their books that’s well worth your attention. Equipped with both a supercharger and a turbocharger, the Touran TSI is good for 140bhp yet returns excellent economy and low emissions. It’s almost too clever for its own good.

I’m guessing you’re a little cynical about this engine. I was before I drove it. My line of reasoning was that it sounded a good idea on paper but couldn’t possibly live up to Volkswagen’s hype. After driving it, I have to admit it’s something very special, albeit with the slight reservation that this is a very good idea looking for a market. The reason is that the supercharger and turbocharger double act doesn’t provide the efficiency advantages on engines much larger than 1.4-litres when so-called parasitic losses increase markedly. It’s also difficult to justify the expense of fitting them to smaller engines destined for budget cars as well, so the scope of TSI technology is, for the time being at least, somewhat limited. Perhaps that’s why other companies in the Volkswagen empire such as Skoda, SEAT and Audi have passed on using it. Although it’s not a solution that will suit all cars, it does a very good job in the Touran. A 170bhp version of this engine is fitted to the Golf GT and may eventually find its way into Volkswagen’s efficient midsize people carrier, but even with 140bhp on tap, the figures are impressive. With a top speed of 111mph and a sprint to 60mph of 9.5 seconds, the Touran TSI isn’t about to detach anybody’s retinas but that’s pretty brisk for a mini MPV, with peak power chiming in at a heady 5,600rpm with a redline way up at 7,500rpm. What’s more, the engine pulls all the way to the rev limiter. Accelerate hard from a standing start and you’ll hear the moment the supercharger gives way to the turbo at around 4,500rpm but there’s precious little change in the linearity of the acceleration.

"Small, powerful and inexpensive are three very solid foundations for any engine and the Touran’s TSI unit ticks all three boxes"

Volkswagen has worked hard to tune the sound of the Touran’s two forced induction systems so that the acoustic signature isn’t too strident and the Roots supercharger is housed in an insulated jacket to reduce the trademark whining sound. A good deal quicker than the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol engine, the 1.4 TSI also returns far better fuel figures. Around town it’ll manage around 29.1mpg while on a run that figure will extend to over 48mpg. A realistic average is around 38mpg. On a variety of test routes, I managed 35mpg, although that did include one section where the road opened beautifully and pedal was acquainted with metal rather frequently. Although the 1,478kg Touran is quite a mission to haul about, virtually all of the 220Nm of torque chimes in from as low as 1,750rpm so it never feels slow off the mark. The effervescent feel of the engine at the upper reaches is infectious and the smooth six-speed box is an able companion for getting the best out of it. Offered in SE trim at £18,445, the Touran TSI might at first seem rather expensive but judge it on its capabilities rather than its engine capacity. It looks set to be a success for business users who’ll appreciate the downsizing possibilities as well as the modest 180g/km carbon dioxide emissions. If you do chop in a Passat to get a Touran, it hardly feels as if you’re roughing it. The SE trim level includes standard safety features such as driver and front passenger airbags, side impact airbags and curtain airbags. Volkswagen’s Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) and ABS brakes keep the Touran on the straight and narrow and 16-inch alloy wheels enhance the exterior. The SE package is completed with electric windows and a radio/CD player with eight speakers. The latest Touran also benefits from a far racier look than the original. A facelift restyled the front and rear lowering the car visually and creating a more dynamic appearance. Inside, the trim materials have been refreshed with a stainless steel finish for the dials being particularly fetching. The Touran’s seating system is certainly flexible. The rearmost pair of seats, whilst only really suitable for kiddies, can fold flat into the floor which means that for most of the time, you’ll have an easily accessible and spacious luggage bay. You can even fold the middle seat of the middle row, making a four seater that can transport long items like skis with supreme ease. All three of the middle seats slide backwards and forwards on separate runners. Quick release levers take care of seat removal and it’s good to see seats that don’t weigh a tonne. With 39 separate storage areas around the cabin, you may need to make a mental checklist of what you left where. Included in that number are under seat trays to keep valuables out of sight, three fold-down roof mounted cubbies, a rear under floor bin and more cup holders than the Barcelona FC trophy room. For many customers, a diesel Volkswagen Touran will always be a better bet but if you enjoy the character of a very good petrol engine but don’t like the accompanying bills, the 1.4-litre TSI unit is a decent alternative. The trouble is, how many such customers buy Volkswagen Tourans? A slight oddity but nonetheless very interesting, the Touran TSI could be the answer to a question you never thought to ask.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI PRICES: £18,445 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 180g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 111mph / 0-60mph 9.5s FUEL CONSUMPTION: 29.1mpg (Urban) 48.1mpg (Extra Urban) 38.1mpg (Combined) STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags / ABS with brake assist / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4390/1790/1650mm

TOURAN TORQUE’S NOT CHEAP
Looking for the best money-no-object mini-MPV? This TDI 170 Touran might just be it. Andy Enright reports

By and large, the Volkswagen Touran doesn’t have a fanatical following. It’s not a car that generates enthusiast web rings or is slated to be a future classic. Little of what the Touran does is novel and even this latest facelifted version is never going to be the most exciting mini-MPV contender out there. Let the others hog the headlines with cheap gimmicks and inappropriate engineering. The Touran has developed into a very finely honed but effortlessly discreet car which, in TDI 170 guise, features one of the very best engines ever to be bolted under the stubby bonnet of a people carrier.

The mere knowledge that this engine is tucked away up front is enough to endow this Touran with some charisma. Just as Wayne Rooney may not be Noel Coward in terms of wit and repartee but has a certain something due to his skills on the field, the Touran TDI 170 has that same confidence, an athletic swagger that suggests it doesn’t have to try too hard to win your friendship. Like Mr Rooney, the Touran might not be GQ-cover material but it’s neatly tailored. It’s also not what you’d call inexpensive to purchase. The six-speed manual version opens at £22,490, while the desirable twin-clutch DSG gearbox option will add around £1,100 to that price. It’s also surprisingly agile for something so well built, has a great change of pace and leaves the opposition bamboozled. The 170 braked horsepower is just the start of it. More important when considering a vehicle that’s often loaded to the gunwales is the torque figure and the Touran TDI 170 does not disappoint. The 258lb/ft it generates is more than something like an Audi TT 3.2 quattro and means that this Touran is possessed of a pair of jet heels. It’ll rattle through 60mph in 8.7 seconds and will hit 133mph if you’re determined, yet will still return 42.8mpg and sits in a lowly insurance group 12.

"The Touran TDI 170 is the mini-MPV elevated to a higher plane"

Even at this premium end of the mini-MPV market, conservatism rules but Volkswagen used to inhabit a position with the Touran where conservatism lapsed into blandness. All that was required to nudge the vehicle back into the sweet spot of buyer focus were a few well-judged nips and tucks. So it is that the 2007 model year Touran has a more assertive front end, compliments of a revised radiator grille and headlights which are similar to those of the Eos coupe-cabriolet. With a distinct double curve to the underside of the lamp unit, it’s a welcome diversion from the anonymous blobs fitted to the old Touran. Move round to the rear and you’ll spot even more strident alterations. Redesigned rear light clusters and a completely different bumper assembly give it a more aggressive, hunkered-down appearance. Indoors, there are new trims and stainless steel trim that lifts the otherwise drab colour scheme. An MP3 compatible radio/CD player has also been released, so you had better get onto iTunes and start organising your playlists. This generation Touran is the first Volkswagen available with ParkAssist, an optional parking guidance system developed by Volkswagen engineers. ParkAssist enables automatic parking, using front and rear ultrasonic sensors to detect available parking space and a control unit to calculate the ideal manoeuvring path. Acoustic and visual displays guide the driver to the correct parking start position, then once reverse gear is selected, the car parks itself in less than 15 seconds. All the driver has to do in this time is accelerate and brake – the Touran does all the steering. Say goodbye to dinged bumpers and kerbed alloys. The reason why budget mini-MPVs have sold so well (and more premium products in this sector like the Honda FR-V and the Chrysler PT Cruiser have struggled) is that the mini-MPV is often viewed as a grudge purchase, one that has been forced upon the buyer by the onset of children. It’s something that is often viewed as an overhead rather than something you would covet. The Touran has tried to change all that. Slip inside and it has the same quiet feel good factor of all contemporary Volkswagen products. The build quality is superb and the ergonomics first rate. Three trim levels are available, S, SE and Sport, and every version gets a six-speed gearbox with the option of a six-speed automatic. But what of the seats? Well, the Touran’s seating system is certainly flexible. The rearmost pair of seats, whilst only really suitable for kiddies, can fold flat into the floor, which means that for most of the time you’ll have an easily accessible and spacious luggage bay. You can even fold the middle seat of the middle row, making a four seater that can transport long items like skis with supreme ease. All three of the middle seats slide backwards and forwards on separate runners. Quick release levers take care of seat removal and it’s good to see seats that don’t weigh a tonne. With 39 separate storage areas around the cabin, you may need to make a mental checklist of what you left where. Included in that number are under seat trays to keep valuables out of sight, three fold-down roof mounted cubbies, a rear under floor bin and more cup holders than the Chelsea trophy room. Pockets in all four doors can accept a litre bottle and there are the usual MPV accoutrements such as seat backs that double as tables and aircraft-style fold down trays. Access to the rearmost set of seats is refreshingly easy due to the thoughtful way the middle row flips and slides forward. The Touran TDI 170 could be described as the mini-MPV elevated to a higher plane. Whether many customers are on the plane remains to be seen.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volkswagen Touran TDI 170 PRICES: £22,490 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 12 CO2 EMISSIONS: 174g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 133mph / 0-60mph 8.7s FUEL CONSUMPTION: 42.8mpg (overall) STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags / ABS / Side airbags / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4202/2010/1470mm

TAKING THE SCENIC TOUR
Volkswagen’s Diesel Mini-MPV May Not Be The Most Exciting Around But It Might Just Be The Best. By Andy Enright

If you wanted to design the ultimate mini-MPV, where would you start? In a notoriously conservative market, you’d best go for low key styling, unimpeachable build quality and probably a torquey, fuel efficient diesel engine well up to the task of hauling the family about. Factor in a choice of either a five or seven seat configuration and a whole bunch of state of the art MPV-style packaging tricks and you’ve pretty much described Volkswagen’s Touran TDI.

So why isn’t everybody beating a path to their local Volkswagen dealer? Well, as in most Volkswagen products, the Touran TDI is priced in the premium range of the market. Families still a little cash-strapped as a result of constant demands for Beyblades, Disney DVDs, mobile phones and Nike Shox trainers will still probably defer to the usual Picasso/Zafira/Scenic choices, many still seeing a mini-MPV as what marketing analysts refer to as a ‘distress purchase’ rather than a personal treat. The Touran demonstrates that mini-MPV ownership needn’t be a lowest common-denominator choice. With a quartet of punchy TDI engines to choose from, the Touran feels like a quality product. The first two engines will seem familiar to those au fait with the Volkswagen line up. The more powerful one is based on the 1.9-litre 8-valve unit that has seen service in cars like the Golf and the Polo but has been subtly updated to comply with stringent Euro4 emissions regulations. Although the Touran probably won’t be a tempting target for company car drivers, it will in fact be exempt from the three per cent diesel tax levy as a direct result of its cleanliness. The 105PS Touran TDI returns over 47mpg on the combined cycle and thanks to its generous 60-litre fuel tank, the theoretical range is in excess of 620 miles, making it a great car for long distance cruising. Prices kick off at £16,440 for the S version with the SE trim pitched from £18,165. If that sounds expensive, there’s also the 90PS TDI which provides similar levels of cleanliness and fuel economy without some of the performance. Go for this option and it’ll come in basic S trim for a reasonable £15,890. If you fancy a little extra power and have £19,490 to spare, the 140PS Touran 2.0 TDI may well be the solution. That buys the SE trim while you’ll need over £21,290 for the Sport version. Go that far however, and you might as well go the whole hog and get the superb 170PS version of this unit, offering outstanding mid-range punch for £22,490.

"The Touran TDI range demonstrates that mini-MPV ownership needn’t be a lowest common-denominator choice"

The 2.0-litre TDI engine has quickly spread across the Volkswagen line up, being a 2.0-litre 16-valve powerplant that still utilises the company’s Pump-Duse architecture. Not only is it the most powerful turbodiesel in the sector, but it also marks the first time Volkswagen have combined their unit-injector fuel supply system with a multivalve cylinder head. With its maximum quota of torque – some 236lb/ft in the case of the 140PS unit – coming on stream at a very low 1,750rpm, even the TDI 140 engine feels as muscular as a decent 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. You won’t incur those sorts of running costs however, this powerplant returning an average of over 46mpg on the combined cycle. It also of course complies with Euro4 emissions standards. Plus the engine features an instant start system that does away with the old diesel car practice of waiting for glow plugs to pre-heat. You can’t really talk about the Touran without talking about seven seats. The designs for this car were, after all, dragged off the drawing board at the end of the Nineties when Vauxhall launched the seven seat Zafira. Why? Because at that stage, the Touran was only scheduled to have five seats and the market wanted more. Unfortunately, the lesson wasn’t completely learnt. When the final version was at last introduced here in 2004, initial sales were slow because Volkswagen only offered seven seats as an option. The result was that the car became perceived as a five-seater. These days, all of that is sorted out. You can only have a seven-seat Touran and many more people know it. The latest Touran also benefits from a far racier look than the original. A facelift restyled the front and rear lowering the car visually and creating a more dynamic appearance. Inside, the trim materials have been refreshed with a stainless steel finish for the dials being particularly fetching. The Touran was the second car in the Volkswagen Group, after Audi’s A3, to adopt the chassis that features a sophisticated independent rear suspension system that is said to offer superior comfort and better handling, minimising the lurching body roll that can afflict some mini-MPVs. Slip inside and it has the same quiet feel good factor of all contemporary Volkswagen products. The build quality is superb and the ergonomics first rate. Both S and SE versions get a six-speed gearbox with the option of a six-speed automatic. Both 2.0 TDI models are also available with the revolutionary twin-clutch DSG gearbox, as debuted in the Audi TT 3.2 V6. The Touran’s seating system is certainly flexible. The rearmost pair of seats, whilst only really suitable for kiddies, can fold flat into the floor which means that for most of the time you’ll have an easily accessible and spacious luggage bay. You can even fold the middle seat of the middle row, making a four seater that can transport long items like skis with supreme ease. All three of the middle seats slide backwards and forwards on separate runners. Quick release levers take care of seat removal and it’s good to see seats that don’t weigh a tonne. With 39 separate storage areas around the cabin, you may need to make a mental checklist of what you left where. Included in that number are under seat trays to keep valuables out of sight, three fold-down roof mounted cubbies, a rear under floor bin and more cup holders than the Real Madrid trophy room. Pockets in all four doors can accept a litre bottle and there are the usual MPV accoutrements such as seat backs that double as tables and aircraft –style fold down trays. Access to the rearmost set of seats is refreshingly easy due to the thoughtful way the middle row flips and slides forward. The Touran TDI models are difficult to fault in any legitimate way. No, they’re not particularly exciting to look at nor are they the most engaging driver’s choice available but in aiming the car at what most mini-MPV drivers want, Volkswagen have chosen wisely. If you want the best mini-MPV around and don’t mind paying for the privilege, here’s where we’d shop.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volkswagen Touran TDI range PRICES: £15,890-£22,490 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 6-9 CO2 EMISSIONS: 162-165g/km PERFORMANCE: [2.0TDI 140PS] Max Speed 122mph / 0-60mph 10.4s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.9 TDI 105PS 47.8mpg (overall) STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags / ABS with brake assist / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4390/1790/1650mm

TOUR GUIDE
Volkswagen has refreshed the Touran in recent times to give it a little more personality. Andy Enright reports

It’s hard to think of a much more buttoned-down sensible shoes car than Volkswagen’s original Touran. It did a job of transporting a family and their gear around effectively but without any injection of pizzazz or personality. Even the styling seemed to have been cut and pasted from the generic MPV file. Don’t get me wrong – it always has been a very good vehicle but it badly needed a small dose of charisma. The latest model aims to add a little of the missing x-factor.

The mini-MPV market is one that values conservatism but Volkswagen seemed to explore a position with the Touran where conservatism lapsed into blandness. All that was required to nudge the vehicle back into the sweet spot of buyer focus were a few well-judged nips and tucks. So it is that the current Touran has a more assertive front end, compliments of a revised radiator grille and headlights which are similar to those of the Eos coupe-cabriolet. With a distinct double curve to the underside of the lamp unit, it’s a welcome diversion from the anonymous blobs fitted to the old Touran. Move round to the rear and you’ll spot even more strident alterations. Redesigned rear light clusters and a completely different bumper assembly give it a more aggressive, hunkered-down appearance. Indoors, there are new trims and stainless steel trim that lifts the otherwise drab colour scheme. An MP3 compatible radio/CD player has also been released, so you had better get onto iTunes and start organising your playlists. This generation Touran is the first Volkswagen available with ParkAssist, an optional parking guidance system developed by Volkswagen engineers. ParkAssist enables automatic parking, using front and rear ultrasonic sensors to detect available parking space and a control unit to calculate the ideal manoeuvring path. Acoustic and visual displays guide the driver to the correct parking start position, then once reverse gear is selected the car parks itself in less than 15 seconds. All the driver has to do in this time is accelerate and brake – the Touran does all the steering. Say goodbye to dinged bumpers and kerbed alloys.

"Slip inside and the Touran has the same quiet feel good factor of all contemporary Volkswagen products"

Once, no fewer than eight engines were available in the Touran line-up, which seemed like overkill in a car that sold around 10,000 units per year. Volkswagen has sensibly rationalised the powerplant selection with the current Touran and has more accurately reflected buyer preferences. Out go the 115PS 1.6 FSI and the 150bhp 2.0-litre FSI petrol engines, the green pump line-up now comprising the entry-level 101bhp 1.6-litre and the 140bhp TSI ‘Twincharge’ engine. Prices start at £14,925. Turbocharged cars have been around for decades and supercharged models even longer: the 140bhp 1.4-litre FSI Twincharge engine fitted to this Touran uses both. The supercharger operates at a maximum of 1.8 bar pressure, boosting the low end torque response where turbo cars can often feel lethargic. Once the supercharger has done its bit, the turbo kicks in for high-end power. Experts will realise that this makes a flexible and inherently driveable engine. The old cliché that this is a small capacity engine that drinks like one but drives like a bigger unit is, in this instance, bang on the money. That said, most Touran drivers want an engine that drinks like a desert scorpion and they rightly look to the diesel models to supply that sort of parsimony. Offering a decent slug of mid range power, 162g/km CO2 emissions and fuel economy that nudges 48mpg, the 105PS 1.9-litre TDI unit is likely to be the favourite of private and corporate buyers alike. This engine also comes in 90PS form where it should win friends with its low price tag. Should you be tempted by a little more clout when you acquaint pedal with metal, Volkswagen can offer the impressive 140PS 2.0-litre TDI. It’s certainly a good deal quicker than the 100bhp engine, reaching 60mph in 10.4 seconds, but it retails at around £3,000 more which is a lot of money in this price sensitive market sector. If you can stretch up towards £22,000 for this class of car, it’s also worth considering the impressive 170PS version of the 2.0 TDI engine. The reason why budget mini-MPVs have sold so well (and more premium products in this sector like the Honda FR-V and the Chrysler PT Cruiser have struggled) is that the mini-MPV is often viewed as a grudge purchase, one that has been forced upon the buyer by the onset of children. It’s something that is often viewed as an overhead rather than something you would covet. The Touran has tried to change all that. Slip inside and it has the same quiet feel good factor of all contemporary Volkswagen products. The build quality is superb and the ergonomics first rate. Three trim levels are available, S, SE and Sport, and every version gets a six-speed gearbox with the option of a six-speed automatic. But what of the seats? Well, the Touran’s seating system is certainly flexible. The rearmost pair of seats, whilst only really suitable for kiddies, can fold flat into the floor which means that for most of the time you’ll have an easily accessible and spacious luggage bay. You can even fold the middle seat of the middle row, making a four seater that can transport long items like skis with supreme ease. All three of the middle seats slide backwards and forwards on separate runners. Quick release levers take care of seat removal and it’s good to see seats that don’t weigh a tonne. With 39 separate storage areas around the cabin, you may need to make a mental checklist of what you left where. Included in that number are under seat trays to keep valuables out of sight, three fold-down roof mounted cubbies, a rear under floor bin and more cup holders than the Real Madrid trophy room. Pockets in all four doors can accept a litre bottle and there are the usual MPV accoutrements such as seat backs that double as tables and aircraft –style fold down trays. Access to the rearmost set of seats is refreshingly easy due to the thoughtful way the middle row flips and slides forward. The Touran didn’t need many changes to enliven it a little and the current car does just about enough. It’ll never be the most exciting mini-MPV you can buy but it’s tough to find one that feels better built. Making the sensible choice has just been lightened of a burden of tedium.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Volkswagen Touran range PRICES: £14,935-£22,500 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 6-12 CO2 EMISSIONS: 156-194g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.6 FSI] Max Speed 115mph / 0-60mph 11.7s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.9 TDI 105PS] (urban) 37.7mpg / (extra urban) 53.3mpg / (combined) 47.1mpg (overall) STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags / ABS with brake assist / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4390/1790/1650mm