Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI (DSG) Review: People Power

What we like:

Affordable price tag

above average performance

decent ride and handling

well-built

looks better than before

What we dislike:

Boxy styling

only the short adults or kids will feel comfortable in the third row

gruff engine not at high revs

The Touran's interior is all Germanic efficiency and no nonsense functionality. The driving environment is very VW, with the dash design derived from the Mk V Golf and the switchgear and instruments all logical and a cinch to use. The ambience is very drab and somber too, thanks to the use of dark coloured materials even though the seats feature brown coloured inserts. The Touran's catalogue of storage spaces extends to the roof headlining - there are various small compartments above to store odds and ends.

New to the updated model here are the switches for the climate control and a revised instrument panel with the dials backlit in white instead of blue in the old car. In addition, there's a new three-spoke steering wheel from the Golf as well as a redesigned DSG gearlever that we first saw in the DSG Tiguan.

Passengers will enjoy generous amounts of room in the middle row. The seats slide fore or aft to adjust for more legroom for the rearmost row. The Touran might not offer as much space at the rearmost row when compared to larger MPVs but smaller sized adults or children can at least feel comfortable enough when seated at the back on short to medium journeys.

As expected, the rear seats in the Touran can easily be folded away modularly to convert it into a load carrier. The seats are simple enough and straightforward to operate as well so you won't break a sweat along the way. With all the rear seats up though, cargo space can be limited even though there is an additional underfloor storage compartment, where you can store the third row seats' head rests when they are folded down.

As expected, the base Touran here is not as well-equipped as the Touran Sport model. It lacks the latter's RNS 510 radio navigation system, the foldaway tables behind the front seats, paddle shifters, front fog lamps, cruise control and so on. But the Touran is still better equipped than most of its Japanese rivals thanks to standard rain and light sensors, factory fitted stereo, trip computer and so on.

The Tiuran's entry-level price tag means it is priced pretty close to the usual suspects Japanese mid-sized MPVs which makes it a very good buy indeed considering that it will be cheaper to tax and fuel, is quite possibly a better drive and better equipped. If you've just started a family and need something that has the capacity to seat seven while being relatively affordable and offers strong performance then the Touran might just be the MPV that you can Wish for.

Credits: Story and Photos by Raymond Lai