Volkswagen TOURAN RANGE
Volkswagens Take On The
Mini-MPV Theme Has Been A Long Time Coming. Is It Worth The Wait? By Andy Enright
Theres a story, probably apocryphal, that Volkswagens designers were already well advanced in their assault on the mini-MPV market when
Vauxhall launched the seven
seat Zafira. Suddenly Volkswagens five seat offering looked a little inadequate and the designers went back to the drawing board. Fast forward five years later and
Volkswagen at last have an entrant in the lucrative mini-MPV sector in the rather generic shape of the Touran. Why the wait?
Surely it doesnt 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 is so late to the party. With an entirely new platform designed for the latest Volkswagen Golf, the top brass in Wolfsburg felt it wasnt 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.
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And available it is, as we have seen in the new
Audi A3. The Touran was the second car in the
Volkswagen Group to adopt the chassis that adopts 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. 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? Priced from £14,495, the Touran campaigns in the upper sector of the mini-MPV market, unsurprising given its evidently superior fit and finish. 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.
"Slip inside and the Touran has the same quiet feel good factor of all contemporary Volkswagen products"
Six 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 slips below the 2.0 FSi petrol unit that represents the rather modest pinnacle of the petrol powered bunch although many buyers will be tempted by the diesel alternatives. Offering a decent slug of mid range power, 159g/km CO2 emissions and fuel economy that nudges 48mpg, the TDI 100 unit is likely to be the favourite of private and corporate buyers alike. Although, the less powerful TDI 90 offers similar economy and emissions, it should also 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 an all-new TDI 136 2.0-litre turbodiesel. Its 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 £18,705.
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. The Touran looks 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. 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 cant 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 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. The Touran slides in towards the top of the mini-MPV tree, an area that has traditionally yielded slim pickings. With a state of the art chassis, some decent, if unspectacular, engines and the usual Volkswagen build quality its a welcome contender.
One cant help but wonder if Volkswagen has underplayed its hand a little too much. Yes, the Touran features an attractive and clever interior, but is that enough to make buyers dig deep in their pockets? Only time will tell.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Touran range
PRICES: £14,495-£20,155 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 6-9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 162-198g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6 FSI] Max Speed 115mph / 0-60mph 11.7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.9 TDI 100] 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
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