Volkswagen Touran SE 2.0 TDI 5dr Car Review - March 2012

This Volkswagen Touran’s ride is a little firm at lower speeds, but nicely refined when cruising on motorways and there is minimal road noise too. It maintains its composure surprisingly well for such a tall car and body roll is kept in check. The steering is suitably light at town speeds making manoeuvring simple, but it weights up nicely as you accelerate.

The driver’s seat has height adjustment and the steering can be adjusted so most drivers should be able to find a decent position. The dashboard is laid out clearly and the controls are straight forward, but overall it looks just a little uninspiring. It does feel hardwearing though. Forward visibility is good and the wide upright rear window makes reversing easy.

The 2.0 litre four cylinder turbocharged diesel engine produces maximum figures of 138 bhp at 4200 rpm and 236 lb-ft at 1750-2500 rpm, which is enough to make a car of this size feel surprisingly powerful. A 0-62 mph time of 9.9 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph are respectable figures and this Touran will cruise with ease at motorway speeds and overtake with little fuss.

The Volkswagen Touran SE 2.0 TDI 5dr is a smart and stylish people carrier and the smooth lines and deep windows help disguise its overall bulk. Inside you get air-conditioning, electric windows front and rear, cruise control, electrically heated and adjustable door mirrors, rear parking sensors, MP3 connectivity, Bluetooth and a CD player as standard. It also comes with alloy wheels, remote central locking and immobiliser and alarm.

Among the available options are metallic paint at £465, climate control for £380, leather seats for £1,855 and Satnav at £795.

This Volkswagen Touran comes with certain safety features including six airbags, ABS, Isofix child seat mountings and stability control.

Volkswagens have above average reliability but they aren’t without problems and this car comes with a three year 60,000 mile warranty.

Space is generous for those in the front two rows of seats, slightly less so in the third which would probably get uncomfortable for adults on longer journeys. Boot space is rather limited with all seats in use – just 121 litres – but the third row can be folded flat into the floor to create a larger load area. The middle row can be slid forwards or backwards too or removed altogether with minimum fuss to open up an enormous 1913 litres. There are numerous compartments around the cabin for handy stowage of smaller items as well.

At £23,445 the Volkswagen Touran SE 2.0 TDI 5dr is a competitively priced car. It has a spacious, comfortable cabin with a good spec and a cavernous luggage space, with the seats folded or removed. However, it’s not the most appealing people carrier out there and resale values are surprisingly weak.

It has a strong yet pleasingly frugal engine, which will keep running costs low with a combined cycle of 53.3 mpg and with a CO2 emissions figure of 140 g/km.