Kentish Express Ashford & District
There’s so much space!
It may not be small but the Volkswagen Touran is perfectly formed as discovered
The first all-new Touran for what seems like a lifetime has adopted the latest, sharp-edged Volkswagen styling and takes on the look of a Golf Plus... er, Plus. The new seven-seater is longer but still only about 4.5 metres from nose to tail. New engines make it more efficient, with well over 60mpg possible according to the official tests. But ultimately Volkswagen knows this is about as far from a sexy poster car as it gets, so steers clear of any misplaced claims of dynamism. From the front only the roof height would tell you this isn’t a Golf; everything else is so similar. It’s a good looking thing from the front angles and only really falls down at the frumpy rear. That’s MPVs for you. On the other hand it’s a Volkswagen and we Brits like our Volkswagens. It’s going up against some stiff competition in the likes of the Ford Grand C-Max but the badge appeal here will count for something.
Matt Kimberley With all seven seats up there’s nominal boot space, but lower the two individual perches on row three and van-like proportions are revealed. If you’ve got time to count them there are 47 storage areas in the cabin; almost seven per seat on average. Blimey. On the plus side the new Touran is noticeably more stable and composed, especially around corners. The buttersmooth Dutch test route revealed little about the ride quality but there is a much greater sense of oneness about the car. Avoid the wheezy and relatively clattery 1.6-litre diesel, which is fine for the low-speed school run but will struggle to haul a large family and their luggage along. The 2.0-litre diesel is a vast improvement and the smooth 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol has its merits too. More good news comes with the seats and the space around them. Three subsix-foot adults can just about sit in line down each flank of the car and the front two rows of seats are comfortable. While it’s true that you can get a very high-spec Golf for the price of a decent Touran, it does have practicality. Prices start just under the £20,000 mark even for the cheapest petrol version, but you get very little for your money other than the generous space. Think north of £27,000 for a top-spec 2.0litre diesel. Growing families looking to upgrade from a Golf or even a Golf Plus will find the Touran a natural step up.