Volkswagen Touran
MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen Touran 16 TDI SE Family PRICE: £26,745 ENGINE: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 108bhp
MPV sales have suffered over recent years, as larger, more stylish crossovers have muscled in on people carrier territory. However, VW ’s Touran offers a premium image with thoughtful design and decent driving dynamics. In the £26,745 1.6 TDI SE Family spec we test here, it’s efficient, smart and spacious, but will it rise above the Citroen?
Styling 3.8/5
IT ’S obvious where the styling inspiration for the Touran has come from, as it bears a significant resemblance to the rest of the VW range.
The headlamps are connected by a wide grille, while creases run back from the light units along the curved bonnet to the base of the windscreen. The Touran’s roofline is much taller to help practicality, but it’s clear that the brand’s Passat saloon and Golf hatchback have influenced the design.
There aren’t as many stand-out details on the exterior as with the Citroen, but that contributes to the Touran’s sleek and solid look. To some it might seem a little plain, while other people might like the minimalist exterior styling. However, there are a few flourishes, including creases that run the length of the car’s doors, silver roof rails and a few more styling lines at the rear that break up the flat tailgate. SE Family trim gets 16-inch wheels as standard; these are smaller than the Citroen’s but still look at home next to the Touran’s square, solid proportions.
Similarities to other models in the VW range continue once you climb aboard, as the cabin’s a slick and spacious mix of soft-touch plastic and brushed silver inlays across the solid-looking dash and doors. There’s some gloss black plastic that contrasts with the silver trim, while the standard 6.5-inch touchscreen multimedia system is housed in the middle of the centre console.
Unlike the Grand C4 Picasso, you’ll have to pay an extra £445 for climate control, while leather is pricier at £2,075. Sat-nav, Bluetooth and DAB are all standard, but if you want Apple Carplay or Mirrorlink to match the Citroen, you’ll have to upgrade to the £1,450 eight-inch Discover Navigation Pro system. You’ll have to fork out an extra £170 for a reversing camera, too – although parking sensors are on the kit list.
Our Touran also features attractive options like LED headlights, and while these cost £1,000 they’ll deliver greater illumination than the Citroen’s £750 optional xenons. The Peugeot makes do with halogen lamps, as xenons or LEDS aren’t available as options.
Keyless go to match the Picasso’s is another £320, while heated seats will set you back £385. However, these aren’t even available on the Citroen. Adaptive cruise control as standard takes the VW even further ahead; the system will provide a safety benefit if you’ll be traveling with children on board.
Driving 3.9/5
LIKE the Golf and the Passat, the Touran is based on VW ’s versatile MQB platform, and it delivers the same solid body control you’d find in the firm’s hatchback and saloon models.
The Touran’s suspension isn’t set up as softly as the Citroen’s, so it doesn’t ride poor surfaces with quite as much cushioning, but the dampers do a great job of tying the body down through corners, filtering out the worst the road can throw at them but still giving a good connection to the car. Together with the fast, precise steering you can push this MPV harder than you might imagine. This isn’t how most MPV owners will drive, but it means that when you’re cruising along country roads the Touran corners with more composure than the Citroen, although it’s firmer on the motorway.
The 108bhp 1.6-litre TDI engine is lacking in power compared with its rivals, but despite this the Touran’s six-speed manual gearbox meant quicker changes than the Citroen’s auto, which is why it was only half a second slower in the sprint from 0-60mph. However, its in-gear times still lagged behind the Citroen’s and the 5008’s.
As the Citroen and Peugeot share the same engine they both deliver 300Nm of torque, whereas the VW can only muster 250Nm. On top of this, the Touran’s 1,539kg kerbweight makes it the heaviest car here, which meant it trailed the Citroen in all our performance tests. Even so, it was faster than the 5008 off the line and on to 60mph, as well as between 30mph and 70mph through the gears.
Ownership 3.8/5
A PREMIUM image didn’t help VW in our most recent satisfaction survey, as owners rated it only the 24th best manufacturer out of 32 in Driver Power 2016. Its dealers fared even worse, finishing 10 places below Citroen’s garages in 28th spot.
Like the Grand C4 Picasso, the Touran fares better when it comes to safety, as highlights on the equipment list include autonomous braking, adaptive cruise and seven airbags. Combine all this kit with advanced MQB underpinnings, and the car earned a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
Running costs 3.7/5
ONE of the Touran’s downsides compared with its rivals is that the 1.6 TDI emits slightly more CO2 at 116g/km. As a result, the VW ’s Benefit-in-kind rate is one per cent higher than the Peugeot and two greater than the Citroen at 23 per cent, which is why it’ll cost marginally more to run for business users. Higher-rate taxpayers will have to shell out £2,466 compared with £2,374 for the 5008 and £2,361 for the Grand C4 Picasso.
The VW’S £288 servicing deal covers the first two checks, so with variable intervals on the Touran, this could last up to four years. Three years’ maintenance on the 5008 will cost you £468, while the C4’s servicing bills come in at £400 for three years/35,000 miles.