It’s a family affair for Touran
WHEN you have a daughter living just 40 miles away the journey can get rather repetitive.
So I tend to vary it with alternative routes and like to keep moving.
Whenever I come up behind what looks like a large jam for instance – and it’s not on the motorway – I take the first left or right, or even turn round and go back to the last turning.
Out comes the map, and within a few minutes I have an alternative route that’s usually much more interesting than staying on the main road.
Heading down to said daughter’s new home recently in the all-singing, all-dancing Volkswagen Touran R-Line, I headed straight across country instead of taking the usual dual carriageway.
What a cracking drive – and the car wasn’t bad either.
R-Line is the range-topping Touran and the car came with the most powerful engine in the range – the 187bhp 2.0-litre diesel – driving the front wheels through an excellent DSG automatic gearbox.
My Sunday morning trip was one to be savoured in every way. Not only does the Touran have great performance, but it’s comfortable and refined too, soaking up country lanes and B roads in its stride.
It also had very accomplished handling and road holding, with good agility and a positive feel through the corners, helped by excellent power steering.
Standard kit in this range topper is excellent as you would expect. It comes with stability control, an automatic differential lock for improved traction and handling, automatic braking in the event of an accident, loads of airbags, alarm, pre-crash occupant protection, adaptive cruise, battery regeneration under braking, climate control and a trip computer.
This Touran is a superb family car in every way that can also be huge fun for an enthusiastic driver.
The Volkswagen Touran 2.0 TDI R-Line costs £31,800.