Volkswagen Touran SE 1.4 TSI DSG 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 a minimum of road noise too. Get onto a more interesting road and 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 7 speed DSG double-clutch gearbox works very well the majority of the time, delivering almost seamless shifts, although it can be unintuitive at certain times.

The 1.4 litre four cylinder turbocharged petrol engine produces maximum figures of 138 bhp at 5600 rpm and 162 lb-ft at 1500 rpm which is enough to make a car of this size feel surprisingly fast. A 0-62 mph time of 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph are respectable figures and this Touran will cruise with ease at motorway speeds.

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 very well with clear controls, but overall it looks just a little dull. It does feel hardwearing though.

Forward visibility is good and the wide upright rear window makes reversing easy.

The Volkswagen Touran SE 1.4 TSI DSG 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, leather seats for £1,855 and Satnav for £795.

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

Space is generous for those in the front two rows of seats, slightly less so in the third, which will get uncomfortable for adults on longer journeys. Boot space at 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 minimal fuss to open up an enormous 1913 litres of space. There are numerous compartments around the cabin for handy stowage of smaller items as well.

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

The Volkswagen Touran SE 1.4 TSI DSG 5dr is a competitively priced car at £23,265. It has a spacious, comfortable cabin with a good level of equipment and with the seats folded or removed, a cavernous luggage space. It has a fairly fast engine, is pleasingly economical to run, and its ride is generally capable. 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 42.8 mpg is respectable figure and with a CO2 emissions figure of 154 g/km the taxes and running costs should be quite manageable.