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William Kimberley test drives the new VW Touran
Unveiled at last year's Geneva Show in March, the Touran is Volkswagen's compact MPV and, as such, is a rival to the Renault Scenic and Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. However, it is the only one in its class to offer either five or seven seats, with the two rearmost in the seven seater retracting neatly into the floor when not required. It is available with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines, all of which meet Euro 4 emissions regulations.

The Touran is Volkswagen's rival to the Renault Scenic and Opel/Vauxhall Zafira

These include – petrol: a 1,595 cc, four-cylinder in-line 6 engine developing a maximum power output of 102ps at 5,600 rpm and maximum torque of 148 Nm (109 lb ft) at 3,800 rpm, the direct injection 1598 cc FSI engine developing 115 ps at 5,800 rpm and a maximum torque of 154 Nm (114 lb ft) at 4,000 rpm and the 1,984 cc FSI engine producing 150 ps at 6,000 at 200 Nm ( 148 lb ft) of torque at 3,500 rpm.

The two diesel engines are the 8-valve 1,896 cc TDI developing 100 ps at 4,000 rpm and the 16-valve 1,968 cc developing 136 ps at 4,000 rpm and 319 Nm (236 lb ft) or torque from 1,750 rpm.

All FSI and TDI models feature a standard six-speed gearbox - a new departure in this market. This transmission has a magnesium shift housing, is cable operated and has short lever movements, with three-cone synchromesh for the lower gears ensuring a pleasant shift action.

With an overall length of 4,391mm, it is 6mm shorter than the Golf Estate although it has a longer wheelbase (2,677mm vs 2,515mm). However, at 1,635mm, it is much taller than the Golf Estate which stands at 1,473mm. In the five-seat configuration, the Touran also has better luggage capacity with 695 litres of space without the rear seats being folded compared to the 460 litres of the Golf Estate. Even with all seven seats in use, the Touran has 121 litres of luggage space available. With the rear seats folded, this space expands to 1,989 litres on the Touran compared to 1,470 litres on the Golf Estate. Altogether, there are up to 39 separate storage areas within the Touran's interior.

TheVW Touran can be either a 7-seater or can accommodate quite a large load if the rear seats are folded

The tailgate opens in two stages, the gas-filled dampers raising it to a height of 1,822mm initially, for the shorter driver, but it can reach a final height of 1,958mm. The load area sill is just 557mm from the ground.

The Touran is Volkswagen's rival to the Renault Scenic and Opel/Vauxhall Zafira

Notable styling elements include the short front and rear body overhangs, large, wide-opening doors and the external mirrors with integral indicator repeater lamps. It also has unusually large rear lights and a wide and deep rear window.

Bodyshell rigidity is one of the Touran's key features, and one of the ways it has been achieved is by the extensive use of laser welding. There is a total of 69.5m of laser-welded seams combining the body's steel elements into a strong, crash-optimised structure which additionally offers protection from unwanted body shake and noise transmission, as well as a firm platform for the suspension systems. Some 62 per cent of the body structure features high-strength steel, again improving rigidity and crash safety.

The Touran has been declared as one of the safest cars in its class, having achieved five stars in the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme). In addition to the usual front, side and head-level airbags, both front seats feature active head restraints.

The Touran's second seating row is made up of three separate seats units which can, with a few easy movements, slide forwards or backwards, move sideways, fold down or be removed completely. The two outer seats weigh just 15.9kg and the centre seat unit 15.7kg, making their removal an easy and quick operation. The middle seat can also be folded flat to form a table.

Running gear

The Touran heralded a new era in suspension design for Volkswagen. It featured a completely new four-link independent rear suspension system - a version of which was then developed for the fifth generation Golf - and a strut-type front suspension arrangement.

Front axle

The Touran's front wheels are located by spring struts and lower wishbones attached to the central subframe. A key element of the system, designed to optimise the acoustic and dynamic properties of the Touran, is an aluminium subframe which is attached to the body at six points. The lateral control arms, anti-roll bar and steering are pre-assembled on this subframe during production, so that precise steering and suspension geometry is achieved.

The lateral control arms pivot on rubber bushings with new settings that allow a controlled degree of lateral compliance at the wheel for supple ride quality.

Body roll is reduced - with no sacrifice in ride comfort - by attaching the front anti-roll bar directly to the suspension struts.

Rear axle

The Touran's four-link rear suspension is a completely new development aimed at achieving a combination of dynamism and ride comfort unmatched in this market segment.

The compact four-link layout features three lateral control arms - the spring mounting, the track rod and the upper control arm - and a trailing link at each wheel. Suspension assemblies are attached to the body by way of a rear-axle subframe and, as at the front, rubber-and-metal mountings that are soft in torsion but stiff radially are used to ensure that the anti-roll bar responds immediately and suppresses body roll effectively.

The spring and damper on each side are located separately; the spring bears directly on the trailing link and the damper unit is attached to the wheel hub assembly. The suspension geometry on the compression stroke generates a toe steering effect that maintains neutral behaviour or slight understeer in all driving and load-carrying situations.

One of the benefits of the wide spacing apart of the damper units is to permit maximum through-loading width in the load area.

Electro-mechanical power steering

The Touran was also the first Volkswagen and car in its class to benefit from electro-mechanical power steering. Unlike previous similar steering systems, the Touran is able to vary the feel of the steering wheel to suit the speed and driving situation: firm and direct when driving hard, effortless at parking speeds.

Other advantages of the system include its mild self-centring action, its ability to compensate for different driving hazards such as crosswinds and steep road cambers, and a beneficial effect on fuel economy.

Braking system

Disc brakes are employed on all four wheels. The front discs are ventilated and have a 288 mm diameter; the rear discs have a 260 mm diameter.

Standard equipment on all Tourans is the Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP), which includes an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic differential lock (EDL), traction control (ASR) and Hydraulic Brake Assist (HBA).

Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP)

Standard on every Touran is ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme), a sophisticated system that automatically senses any tendency for the car to slide. Should this situation occur, ESP reacts by applying the brakes to one, two, three or all four wheels and adjusts the engine's power. In this way, it is possible that a skid is corrected even before the driver is aware that one has started.

This can be useful if a tendency to understeer or oversteer develops in a bend. In such circumstances ESP can help prevent the car skidding or spinning off the road and is particularly helpful in wet or icy conditions. ESP uses the sensors and systems associated with the traction control system, the electronic differential lock (EDL) and the electronic brakeforce distribution system (EBD).

Hydraulic Brake Assist - HBA

Working in conjunction with the other elements of the braking system, this latest form of HBA recognises from the speed at which the brake pedal is depressed whether it is a 'normal' braking situation or an emergency stop. In the event of an emergency stop, HBA automatically increases braking pressure, activating ABS and ensuring the level of braking meets the needs of the conditions. The application of brake assist makes it possible even for unskilled drivers to reduce braking distances by around 25 per cent.