TOUR GUIDE (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 98

Back in 2015, Volkswagen launched only the second completely new version of its Touran small MPV. This Typ 5T model aimed to offer customers in the compact seven-seat MPV segment a quality, state-of-the-art option that was a little larger, rather more efficient and a whole lot cleverer than before. It ended up selling for a decade. You'll choose one because you need it, rather than because you desire it but in doing so, you'll get the feeling of having bought into a car that's amongst the very best compact 7-seat People Carriers of its kind from this era.

Modelsword count: 19

5dr MPV (1.0 TSI, 1.2 TSI, 1.4 TSI, 1.5 TSI EVO, 1.6 TDI, 2.0 TDI 115PS, 2.0 TDI 190PS)

Historyword count: 451

If you've a family, it's likely that you ideally need a very flexible car, preferably one with up to seven seats. There's no need for a huge People Carrier, but one of those clever compact seven-seat MPVs would probably suit you just fine. If you're looking for a quality option in this segment from the 2015-2025 period, then this car should certainly be high on your wish list - the second generation post-2015-era Volkswagen Touran. Back in 2015, it was part of the largest range of MPVs that any brand could then offer, slotting into Volkswagen's line-up just above the boxy Caddy Life model and the five-seat Golf SV. And just below the brand's much larger Sharan and Caravelle People Carriers. This though, was the car that was most significant for dealers. The original Touran was first launched in 2003, then was facelifted in 2006 and again (more significantly) in 2010. By 2015, over 1.9 million Tourans had been sold worldwide by the time this Typ 5T generation model was launched late in that year, but this was easily the most advanced version yet, based on the Golf MK7, which meant it got the Wolfsburg brand's more advanced MQB platform. That was important as this allowed the car to be slightly longer and more spacious than before, as well as enabling Volkswagen to include all kinds of clever new technology. In this Touran, you can breathe Climatronically-filtered air and watch your children on the dash as you talk to them through the speaker system. As they stream music from their phones and tablets through the infotainment set-up, you can be checking the weather at your destination and asking for directions to the cheapest places to park and fuel up. In short, the idea was to provide buyers here with another kind of family MPV experience. Not the cheapest kind, for sure, but one that aimed to offer that warm feeling of quality that comes with any carefully considered investment. And all from a car that in its most frugal guise, can transport up to seven people yet in doing so, still return a more efficient set of running costs than you'd get from, say, a 1.2-litre Fiat 500 citycar. If that sounds appealing, then stay with us and we'll check this car out. This second generation model got a useful update in 2019. The 1.2 TSI and 1.4 TSI petrol engines were replaced by 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI EVO petrol units; while the 1.6 TDI diesel was deleted, with TDI sales restricted to the 115PS and 190PS versions of the 2.0-litre unit. Diesel sales finished in 2021, but the 1.5-litre petrol model continued until the end of sales in 2025.

What You Getword count: 787

Stylistic surprises are rarely forthcoming when Volkswagen unveils an MPV. To be fair, the increased length, extra width and slightly reduced height of this post-2015-era Touran do give it a slightly sportier look than earlier versions - at least from the perspective of previous model buyers. All these things are relative though: you don't buy a People Carrier to make a style statement but first and foremost for reasons of practicality, something this rejuvenated Typ 5T design was better placed to provide. That's thanks to the more advanced Golf-style MQB platform underpinnings that lay beneath the precise, carefully contoured lines. These allowed for the creation of this slightly bigger, significantly lighter and more sophisticated car that also used its interior space more efficiently. All very nice, but it's practicalities that we're primarily here to look at. Could this Touran really cut the mustard in the muddy dog, smelly gym kit and family holiday-friendly world of the compact-MPV? The hatch opens to reveal a cabin in which every inch of space has been maximised. True, there's not very much of that with all seven seats in place - just 137-litres, enough for a couple of carefully positioned small overnight bags. Much of the time of course, you're not going to need these two extra chairs. You'll want to to try the fold-flat seating system (redesigned for this model) that can ultimately create a perfectly level continuously flat floor in a matter of seconds. If you start by folding down the third row seats, you'll raise your boot space up to 917-litres. If though, you really need to super-size your space, then folding all three rear chairs creates that completely flat cargo area we were talking about, 1,857-litres in size. This space can be even further extended with the fold-flat front passenger seat - it's standard, provided you avoid entry-level trim. This will allow this MPV to swallow items up to 2.7m long - a kayak for example. Switch your focus from packages to people and, by and large, the space provided is equally class-competitive. Once inside the second row, there's decent space for a trio of fully-sized adults. As before with a Touran, the three individual seats you get will be a touch small for adults over-familiar with the offerings of Colonel Sanders, but otherwise you should be OK. This post-2015 generation Touran offers 40mm more of extra legroom than its predecessor thanks to its extra 113mm of wheelbase, but if that's not enough, the seats feature the kind of backwards and forwards sliding mechanism you'd expect from an MPV, adjustable here over a range of 200mm. As for practical touches, well you don't get the underfloor storage compartments you'd find on a Citroen or Renault MPV rival from this period but otherwise, most of the expected items are in evidence - plus a few others. Avoid entry-level trim and you get seatback tables, storage pockets and a 12v socket so the kids can charge up their media devices. Look for a car whose original owner specified a panoramic glass roof or what Volkswagen called its 'Family Pack' items - namely side window blinds, electrically-activated rear door child locks and a neat Electronic voice amplification system so that front seat folk can more easily talk to passengers behind. There was also an optional Car-Net 'Cam-Connect' app able to connect into a GoPro camera and transmit images from the back of the vehicle onto the centre dash infotainment screen, so parents can keep an eye on what's happening in the rear two rows without needing to turn round. What about up front? This is really is the area of this car that we think will particularly impress potential buyers. Avoid entry-level trim and you get supportive 'Comfort' seats with lumbar adjustment, these positioning you in front of a dashboard that's certainly a cut above what's provided by most rivals from this era. Its upper part is fashioned from soft slush-moulded material that feels as expensive to the touch as the smooth leather facings and chrome finishing provided for most of the primary controls you'll regularly be using. True, you could say that this cabin lacks the high-tech ambience of, say, a rival Citroen Grand C4 Picasso from this period, but that's not to say it doesn't have its sophisticated touches. Take the infotainment touchscreen, controlled from a 6.5-inch display that from new could be upgraded to 8.0-inches for those who paid extra for the top 'Discover Navigation Pro' system. As for practicality, well yes that's been well thought through, with a plethora of storage compartments. There are up to 47 of these apparently, with this tally also including more cupholders than you'd find in the Real Madrid trophy room.

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