Volkswagen Touran review

All models have a front centre armrest, height-adjustable driver's seat and a steering wheel that has a good amount of in-and-out and up-and-down adjustment. In addition, if you go for SE trim or above you'll get adjustable lumbar support, too. 

The seat is reasonably firm, but it’s supportive and comfortable enough for long journeys. Full electric seat adjustment is available as a fairly pricey option on all but entry-level S models.

Meanwhile, the pedals are well positioned and the dashboard is as good as it gets for ease of use. The air-con controls are also straightforward and the instrument dials easy to read at a glance.

The high-set seat gives you a good view up the road and the fairly upright pillars – along with tall front and rear screens and side windows – ensure that you have a clear view when negotiating junctions.

The boxy shape of the Touran also makes it easy to judge the car's extremities, and if you choose SE trim or above you'll get front and rear parking sensors to make things easier still. A rear-view camera and an automatic parking system are also offered as relatively inexpensive options.

Heated, electrically adjustable wing mirrors are standard across the range and a heated windscreen is a well-priced option.

All Tourans have an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen as standard, complete with a DAB radio, Bluetooth and a USB socket. Upgrade to SE Family trim and you'll get VW’s ‘Discover Navigation’ system, which adds sat nav and a three-year subscription to the brand’s Car-Net service. The latter provides information such as traffic and fuel prices that could be handy on your journey.

SEL and R-line trims also add something called Car-Net App Connect, which allows you to integrate your smartphone with the Touran's infotainment system, using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

An upgrade to VW’s flagship ‘Discover Navigation Pro’ infotainment system gives you a larger 9.2in touchscreen. But whichever size screen you choose, you'll find the operating system easy to use and fairly quick to respond, although there is the odd small icon that can be hard to hit accurately while you're driving.

The Touran doesn't disappoint for interior quality. Most of its materials feel dense and there’s a decent mixture of textures and soft-touch plastics. The switches and stalks feel solidly damped and there’s an overall sense of solidity.

The interior materials begin to take on a slightly more utilitarian feel lower down, as well as in the rear seat area, but don’t detract from the Touran’s generally classy-feeling ambience. True, it doesn’t quite match the top-notch feel of its BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer rival, but that car is more expensive to buy and the Touran is easily the best of the rest.