Volkswagen TOURAN TDi RANGE
Volkswagens Diesel
Mini-MPV May Not Be The Most Exciting Around But It Might Just Be The Best. By Andy Enright
If you wanted to design the ultimate mini-MPV, where would you start? In a notoriously conservative market, youd best go for low key styling, unimpeachable build quality and probably a torquey, fuel efficient diesel engine well up to the task of hauling the family about. Factor in a choice of either a five or seven
seat configuration and a whole bunch of state of the art MPV-style packaging tricks and youve pretty much described Volkswagens Touran TDI.
So why isnt everybody beating a path to their local
Volkswagen dealer? Well, as in most Volkswagen products, the Touran TDI is priced in the premium range of the market. Families still a little cash-strapped as a result of constant demands for Beyblades, Disney DVDs, mobile phones and Nike Shox trainers will still probably defer to the usual Xsara Picasso/Zafira/Scenic choices, many still seeing a mini-MPV as what marketing analysts refer to as a distress purchase rather than a personal treat. The Touran demonstrates that mini-MPV ownership neednt be a lowest common-denominator choice. With a trio of punchy TDI engines to choose from, the Touran feels like a quality product.
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The first two engines will seem familiar to those au fait with the
Volkswagen line up. The more powerful one is based on the 1.9-litre 100bhp 8-valve unit that has seen service in cars like the Golf, the Polo and the Bora but has been subtly updated to comply with stringent Euro4 emissions regulations. Although the Touran probably wont be a tempting target for company car drivers, it will in fact be exempt from the three per cent diesel tax levy as a direct result of its cleanliness.
The Touran TDI100 returns over 47mpg on the combined cycle and thanks to its generous 60-litre fuel tank, the theoretical range is in excess of 620 miles, making it a great car for long distance cruising. Prices kick off at £15,830 for the S version with the SE trim pitched from £17,110. If that sounds expensive, theres also the TDI 90 which provides similar levels of cleanliness and fuel economy without some of the performance. Go for this option an itll come in basic S trim for a reasonably £15,545.
If you fancy a little extra power and have at least £18,705 to spare, the Touran TDI 136 may well be the solution. That buys the SE trim while youll need a full £20,155 for the Sport version. The engine is a newcomer to the Volkswagen line up, being a 2.0-litre 16-valve powerplant that still utilises the companys Pump-Duse architecture.
Not only is it the most powerful turbodiesel in the sector, but it also marks the first time Volkswagen have combines their unit-injector fuel supply system with a multivalve cylinder head. With its maximum quota of torque some 236lb/ft coming on stream at a very low 1,750rpm, the TDI 136 engine feels as muscular as a decent 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. You wont incur those sorts of running costs however, the TDI136 returning an average of over 46mpg on the combined cycle.
It too complies with Euro4 emissions standards. The engine also features an instant start system that does away with the old diesel car practice of waiting for glow plugs to pre-heat.
"The Touran TDI range demonstrates that
mini-MPV ownership neednt be a lowest common-denominator choice"
The Touran came late to the market but its obvious that Volkswagen have wisely refused to rush the car into production, preferring instead to develop a considered and competitive product. 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 four 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 2004 model year 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.
And available it is, as we have seen in the new
Audi A3. The Touran is 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. 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.
Both S and SE versions get a six-speed gearbox with the option of a six-speed automatic. Both TDI models 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 TDI models are difficult to fault in any legitimate way. No, theyre not particularly exciting to look at nor are they the most engaging drivers choice available but in aiming the car at what most mini-MPV drivers want, Volkswagen have chosen wisely.
Fiat went for a boldly adventurous design with the Multipla and
Honda created a mini-MPV that drove like a GTi with the Stream and they both bombed. One suspects the Touran will be a good deal more successful. If you want the best mini-MPV around and dont mind paying for the privilege, heres where wed shop.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Touran TDI range
PRICES: £15,545-£20,155 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 6-9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 162-165g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0TDI 136] Max Speed 122mph / 0-60mph 10.4s
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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