Volkswagen Touran long-term test: report 2

The car Volkswagen Touran R-Line 1.5 TSI Evo 150 DSG Run by Will Williams, senior photographer 

Why it’s here The Touran is a practical MPV, but can it also show other talents for a young family on the move?

Needs to be comfortable and efficient, function as a mobile office and have plenty of space for camera kit and passengers

Mileage 1220 List price £34,210 Target Price £28,385 Price as tested £36,330 Official Economy 41.7mpg Test Economy 34.0mpg

19 May 2021 – Seats and style

Parenthood isn’t typically the most exciting time for owning a car. It’s rewarding, yes, but it certainly trims a few potential models from your previous automotive shopping lists. Gone are the motorbikes, the two-seater sports cars and slick coupés of my younger days, and instead I must look at something more practical.

That said, though, I reckon the Volkswagen Touran manages to appeal to both head and heart pretty well – certainly for an MPV. The R-line top trim level of my car comes with, admittedly, mostly style-oriented extras, but it looks distinctly different enough to the less sporty trims in the range to make me glad I chose it.

Those stylistic upgrades include an R-Line monogrammed flat-bottomed steering wheel which feels great in my hands and sportier front seats that are very comfortable and easily adjustable on the move.

In the middle row of seats, my son Callum enjoys his five-star surroundings with individual climate controls for the rear vents (they can also be controlled from up front), pop-up tray tables with drinks holders, and bi-level seat pockets to keep all manner of toddler-placating toys and snacks to hand.

He also loves the low window line and high seats, which mean he can get a great view of what’s whizzing by. Unsurprisingly, a happy boy in the back seat means relaxed parents up front. Isofix child seats can be pretty bulky these days, but in the Touran Callum has loads of legroom without his feet touching the front seat.  

One thing that has disturbed that air of calm recently, though, has been Callum discovering that even when they are properly adjusted, he can get an arm inside the straps of his current Maxi Cosy Micra seat. 

Cybex recently launched it’s Pallas G i-Size seat, which features an impact shield rather than a conventional harness and performs better in crash tests than seats with harnesses. The design means there are no straps for Callum to try to wriggle free from, so we’ve changed to one of those seats to see how we get on with it (the early signs are very good). I’ll let you know how we – and our Houdini-impersonating son – get on with it in a future report.

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