Volkswagen Touran S 1.2 TSI 5dr Car Review - March 2012

This Volkswagen Touran’s ride is a little firm at lower speeds, but 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 well in check. The steering is suitably light at town speeds making manoeuvring simple, but it weights up nicely as your speed increases.

The 1.2 litre four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine produces maximum figures of 103 bhp at 5000 rpm and 129 lb-ft at 1550-4100 rpm which may not sound like a great deal but with peak torque arriving at such low revs, the power it generates feels perfectly adequate. A 0-62 mph time of 11.9 seconds and a top speed of 115 mph are hardly headline figures but this Touran will cruise quite happily at motorway speeds.

The driver’s seat has height adjustment and the steering can be adjusted for both rake and reach so most drivers should be able to find a decent position. The dashboard is clearly laid out and has easy to read instruments 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 Volkswagen Touran S 1.2 TSI 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, and a CD player as standard. It also comes with alloy wheels, remote central locking and immobiliser.

Among the available options are metallic paint at £465, rear parking sensors for £340, alarm at £310, MP3 connectivity for £305, Bluetooth for £545 and Satnav at £1090.

Volkswagens have above average reliability but they aren’t without problems. 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 of 121 litres is rather limited with all seats in use, 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.

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

At £18,175 the Volkswagen Touran S 1.2 TSI 5dr is an attractively priced family car. It has a spacious, comfortable cabin with an adequate spec and with the seats folded or removed, a cavernous luggage space. It feels sturdy and well bolted together but it’s not the most appealing people carrier out there and resale values are surprisingly weak.

A combined cycle of 44.1 mpg is quite respectable for a car of this size and with a CO2 emissions figure of 149 g/km the taxes and running costs will be fairly low.