Volkswagen Touran TDI 170 Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Volkswagen Touran TDI 170
Prices: £22,490 – on the road
Insurance Group: 12
Emissions: 174g/km
Performance: Max Speed 133mph / 0-60mph 8.7s
Fuel Consumption: 42.8mpg (overall)
Safety: Twin airbags / ABS / Side airbags / ESP
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height 4202/2010/1470mm

TOURAN TORQUE’S NOT CHEAP

Our Rating: 7.1 / 10

Looking for the best money-no-object mini-MPV? This TDI 170 Touran might just be it. Andy Enright reports

By and large, the Volkswagen Touran doesn’t have a fanatical following. It’s not a car that generates enthusiast web rings or is slated to be a future classic. Little of what the Touran does is novel and even this latest facelifted version is never going to be the most exciting mini-MPV contender out there. Let the others hog the headlines with cheap gimmicks and inappropriate engineering. The Touran has developed into a very finely honed but effortlessly discreet car which, in TDI 170 guise, features one of the very best engines ever to be bolted under the stubby bonnet of a people carrier.

The mere knowledge that this engine is tucked away up front is enough to endow this Touran with some charisma. Just as Wayne Rooney may not be Noel Coward in terms of wit and repartee but has a certain something due to his skills on the field, the Touran TDI 170 has that same confidence, an athletic swagger that suggests it doesn’t have to try too hard to win your friendship.

Like Mr Rooney, the Touran might not be GQ-cover material but it’s neatly tailored. It’s also not what you’d call inexpensive to purchase. The six-speed manual version opens at £22,490, while the desirable twin-clutch DSG gearbox option will add around £1,100 to that price. It’s also surprisingly agile for something so well built, has a great change of pace and leaves the opposition bamboozled.

The 170 braked horsepower is just the start of it. More important when considering a vehicle that’s often loaded to the gunwales is the torque figure and the Touran TDI 170 does not disappoint. The 258lb/ft it generates is more than something like an Audi TT 3.2 quattro and means that this Touran is possessed of a pair of jet heels. It’ll rattle through 60mph in 8.7 seconds and will hit 133mph if you’re determined, yet will still return 42.8mpg and sits in a lowly insurance group 12.

Even at this premium end of the mini-MPV market, conservatism rules but Volkswagen used to inhabit a position with the Touran where conservatism lapsed into blandness. All that was required to nudge the vehicle back into the sweet spot of buyer focus were a few well-judged nips and tucks. So it is that the 2007 model year Touran has a more assertive front end, compliments of a revised radiator grille and headlights which are similar to those of the Eos coupe-cabriolet. With a distinct double curve to the underside of the lamp unit, it’s a welcome diversion from the anonymous blobs fitted to the old Touran.

Move round to the rear and you’ll spot even more strident alterations. Redesigned rear light clusters and a completely different bumper assembly give it a more aggressive, hunkered-down appearance. Indoors, there are new trims and stainless steel trim that lifts the otherwise drab colour scheme. An MP3 compatible radio/CD player has also been released, so you had better get onto iTunes and start organising your playlists.

This generation Touran is the first Volkswagen available with ParkAssist, an optional parking guidance system developed by Volkswagen engineers. ParkAssist enables automatic parking, using front and rear ultrasonic sensors to detect available parking space and a control unit to calculate the ideal manoeuvring path. Acoustic and visual displays guide the driver to the correct parking start position, then once reverse gear is selected, the car parks itself in less than 15 seconds. All the driver has to do in this time is accelerate and brake – the Touran does all the steering. Say goodbye to dinged bumpers and kerbed alloys.

The reason why budget mini-MPVs have sold so well (and more premium products in this sector like the Honda FR-V and the Chrysler PT Cruiser have struggled) is that the mini-MPV is often viewed as a grudge purchase, one that has been forced upon the buyer by the onset of children. It’s something that is often viewed as an ov