Volkswagen TOURAN 1.6-LITRE RANGE
Volkswagens Touran 1.6 Not Only Offers You A Choice Of Five Or Seven
Seat Configurations. You Even Get A Choice Of Engines. Andy Enright Reports
The debating society at my university was always great spectator sport. Sitting on the fence wasnt an option. Via the medium of incisive logic, witty repartee and withering put down, points were won or lost. Failing that there was always the trusty fallback of climbing across the chamber and taking your opponent out with a microphone stand.
Once in a while, however, a small flash of genius would fell the opposition utterly. The
Volkswagen Touran is such a revelation made metal.
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Whilst other manufacturers of
mini-MPVs were squabbling about whether five, six or seven seats was the way forward,
Volkswagen aced the lot of them. For years the
Vauxhall Zafira had been regarded as the sharpest tool in this particular box, with its neat Flex7 seating system where seats materialised out of the floor as if by magic. Despite this, the best seller in the mini-MPV sector was the humble
Citroen Xsara Picasso, a car that would only
seat five. The six-seater
Fiat Multipla won awards but its bizarre styling failed to win the hearts of British buyers while sales of Hondas seven-seat Stream dried to a trickle.
Ford decided to offer their Focus-based C-MAX mini-MPV with a mere quintet of seats, claiming that masses of market research indicated that buyers thought the provision of seven seats was, at best, of marginal benefit. The answer to this bickering was with hindsight almost childishly simple. Why not let the customers themselves decide whether they wanted five, six, or seven seats by building a car that was offered as standard with five seats into which an extra pair of seats could be fitted if the buyer so desired? This sort of logic appeals to customers in this most sensible of market sectors and the Touran looks set to figure strongly in the UK sales charts. The 1.
6-litre models will be responsible for the bulk of those sales. There are in fact two versions available to buyers. The 100bhp entry-level engine isnt unpleasant and will return an average of 34.9mpg making it a very cost effective way to buy into the Touran family.
Performance figures depend heavily on how many bodies you cram in and although the sprint to 60mph isnt what youd describe as vivid, it will cruise happily at typical UK motorway speeds and zip up to 111mph where conditions permit. There is a better option though.
"Why not let the customers themselves decide whether they wanted five, six, or seven seats?"
The Touran 1.6 FSI opens at £17,115 in SE trim, over £2,500 more than the standard 1.6 which is offered in S specification only. To many buyers, however, it will be worth the additional premium.
Although the marginally better fuel economy figure of 37.2mpg will mean youll need to be commuting to Istanbul and back on a daily basis to recoup the premium in petrol savings, the engine is a far more satisfying performer, developing a punchy 113bhp and nipping to 60mph in 11.7 seconds. Its also a good deal cleaner than the base 1.
6-litre lump, emitting 182g/km of carbon dioxide against 194g/km, saving a couple of per cent in taxable benefit for business users and a sliver of justification for those with an environmental conscience. A high-pressure fuel line mounted on the side of the cylinder head, often dubbed common rail, injects fuel straight into the combustion chamber. The shape of the pistons and the clever working of a set of valves make the air tumble, thus creating more efficient combustion. The styling isnt too much to get excited about, being exactly what youd imagine a Volkswagen mini-MPV to look like.
Its neat, understated, but ultimately a little safe. This is probably a good idea in a market where conservative design sells. Fiat Multipla, anyone? The 1.6-litre models are the entry-level cars although the range offers some very upmarket choices with the sophisticated diesel engines.
In fact, its an upmarket choice full stop, the Touran very definitely campaigning in the upper sector of the mini-MPV market. When Vauxhall and Citroen are putting a lick on everyone sales-wise, there has to be a niche for something with a decently screwed together interior. The Tourans 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 youll 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 its good to see seats that dont 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. Although you can pay up to £18,110 for the 1.
6-litre FSI SE automatic, most Touran buyers will be looking at cars which compete pricewise with upper specification 1.6-litre Citroen Xsara Picasso,
Renault Scenic and Vauxhall Zafira variants. For the buyer with an eye for quality, the choice isnt up for debate.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Touran 1.6 range
PRICES: £14,495-£17,115 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 6-7
CO2 EMISSIONS: 182-194g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6 FSI] Max Speed 115mph / 0-60mph 11.7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6 FSI] 37.2mpg (overall)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Six airbags / ABS with brake assist / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4390/1790/1650mm
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