Review
You'll struggle to find much originality in the Touran. Volkswagen's entry into the mid-sized people carrier segment is designed to take on the Vauxhall Zafira and Renault Scenic, but it lacks the design imagination that makes both its key rivals stand out.
Volkswagen has managed to fit seven seats into the Touran's relatively compact dimensions, although at the cost of very restricted third-row legroom and rather ungainly, van-like proportions. The cabin is well-finished and shares lots of switchgear from the Golf, with lots of room for front and middle-row passengers. The (optional) third-row seats fold into the boot floor when out of use, giving plenty of luggage space.
On the road the Touran uses its Golf-based chassis to good advantage, delivering a respectably agile driving experience. It steers and corners well, and motorway cruising refinement is impressively high.
Most Touran buyers opt for one of the diesel versions, so only two petrol powerplants are offered. The basic 1.6 litre motor can't offer much performance, and struggles with fuller loads, but it's still a sweeter-sounding engine than the coarse 1.4 litre TSI, which uses both a turbocharger and a supercharger to deliver more power.
The least powerful 1.9 litre TDI is the nicest of the diesel powerplants, with the 2.0 litre version (which is available in both 138 bhp and 168 bhp states of tune) being loud and crude by modern standards.