Road test of the Volkswagen Touran SE Family 1.6 TDI 110

Anyone who faces the tricky task of cramming heaps of children, pets and luggage into a car will completely understand the concept of the ‘blessed box’.
It was a nickname first given to Chrysler’s cavernous people carrier, the Voyager, but it is an idea that applies equally to Volkswagen’s family-friendly Touran.
It is 13 years since the first Touran took to the roads and its latest incarnation is larger than the version it replaces with more interior space.
And it’s space that matters most with the Touran which, in the UK, comes as standard with seven seats. A new easy-to-use fold-flat seating system allows the two rearmost seats to be folded flat into the floor to maximise space in the boot and the middle row of seats also folds flat.
And there is a mass of storage compartments too. I didn’t count them all, but Volkswagen says that there are no fewer than 47 separate storage spaces around the cabin.
But do not get carried away with the idea that this is a bare-bones, stripped-back van of a vehicle, because it is not.
The front seats have both height and lumbar adjustment and under-seat drawers and, on the back, storage pockets and folding tables.
With a high driving position, excellent visibility and superb build quality, the German-built Touran is a very pleasant car to drive and is very well-equipped too.
The model tested here came in the new SE Family trim that brings everything from an extra-large panoramic sunroof with integrated lighting, to adaptive cruise control and satellite navigation.
Plenty of technology is available to make driving both more relaxed and safer, from a radar-controlled distance monitoring system, to city emergency braking and speed limiter.
There is a wide choice of engines, but the test car’s 1.6-litre turbodiesel is expected to be the most popular, offering plenty of power with the prospect of 60mpg fuel consumption, thanks to both a stop/start function and an energy recovery system during braking.
A touch of a button allows you to select various profiles to change how the engine responds, though why you would want to select a sports setting on a family car beats me.
Much more useful in day-to-day travel are features like the electronic parking brake with a hill-hold function; front and rear parking sensors and headlights and wipers that operate automatically.
The satellite navigation system with a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen is an advanced piece of kit with clever touches ranging from displaying the speed limit in force to offering three route options (fast, short and eco) and automatically diverting around traffic problems.
The system which also has a DAB digital radio and CD player, will also allow the front-seat passenger to read, compose and send text messages using a touchscreen display for compatible Android smartphones.
SE Family specification also gives three years’ online access to a range of information such as traffic, weather and news feeds.
Add in air conditioning, electric windows front and rear and rear side window sunblinds and Touran travellers can feel truly blessed.