Volkswagen Touran Review 2023

The Volkswagen Touran is ultra-practical family transport that’s genuinely capable of carrying seven people (provided you don’t need much of a boot). It’s at its best with five seats in use, with three individual seats in the back and lots of useful stowage areas in the front. It’s more practical than most seven-seat SUVs, while its relatively compact dimensions make it easy to park.

It drives just like a Golf - with good visibility and responsive steering, although enthusiastic drivers will find the Ford S-MAX and BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer a little more fun to drive. It’s less bus-like than a Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer, though.

The Touran’s direct rivals are cars like the Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer, Renault Grand Scenic and Ford S-MAX. You could also look at bigger people carriers like the SEAT Alhambra and Ford Galaxy, as well as seven-seat SUVs like the Skoda Kodiaq and Hyundai Santa Fe.

As you’d expect from a Volkswagen, the Touran feels a bit posher inside than the likes of the Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer or Ford S-MAX if not quite as upmarket as the pricier BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer.

Everything you touch feels well-finished, provided you don’t go tapping your fingers low down on the dashboard (which feels well up to the job of deflecting kids’ feet). The Touran feels well up to the job of coping with years of family life.

The top-spec Volkswagen Touran R-Line feels the plushest, of course, with its leather-trimmed steering wheel with grey stitching and aluminium inserts, along with sporty seats featuring microfibre side bolsters. The R-Line also gets stainless steel pedals and, on DSG models, paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. 

The entry-level Volkswagen Touran SE comes with an eight-inch media system which doesn’t feature navigation as standard - but you can upgrade to it at a later date. It also features DAB radio, Bluetooth and an integrated SIM card.

The Touran SE Family adds sat-nav as standard, while SEL and R-Line models come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, allowing you to mirror apps from your phone onto the car’s display. This is a really useful feature if you want to use Google Maps navigation, for example, or access your audiobooks on the move.

Whichever model you buy, the infotainment is easy to use with logical menu layouts, clear graphics and fast responses. Unlike some cars which use a trackpad or rotary controller between the front seats, the Touran’s media system is mainly operated via the touchscreen display - some people get on well with these while others find them frustrating. There are some useful shortcuts on the steering wheel, though - to skip tracks, for example, or adjust the volume.

Measuring 4527mm long, 1829mm wide and 1674mm in height, the Volkswagen Touran isn't actually that huge on the outside, yet its interior is incredibly spacious and versatile.

Even the tallest of adults will be able to get comfortable up front, where there’s loads of headroom and a surprising amount of legroom. The doors open wide, which helps access plus you slide across (rather than down) into the seats. There’s loads of storage in the front, too, including large door bins, a generous glovebox and numerous cup holders.

The second row is easily accessed, too. There are three individual seats back there, each big enough to accommodate an adult. They’re all equally sized and a flat floor means there’s plenty of foot room, so there needn’t be any arguments about who sits where. 

It’s fair to say that the rear-most seats aren’t quite as spacious and you’ll have to be prepared for a clamber to reach them. That said, they’re more usable than those offered in rivals and even adults will find a surprising amount of space back there once in position.

If you’re looking to transport young children, the Touran offers no fewer than five Isofix points, which makes fitting a child seat easier.

With all seven seats in use, the Touran has quite a meagre boot. It’s able to accommodate just 137 litres of luggage, which is barely enough for a few shopping bags. The third row of seats can be dropped easily, though, leaving a flat floor and a much more generous 927 litres of space. Fold the second row of seats into the floor as well and you’ll find a completely flat floor and an almost van-like 1857 litres of luggage space.

As well as having a big boot (provided you’re not using all of the Touran’s seats), the luggage area is usefully square in shape and there isn’t too much of a lip for lifting heavy items over. An electric tailgate with handsfree opening (wave your foot about under the rear bumper) is a useful optional extra that’s worth looking out for.

When the second-generation Volkswagen Touran first went on sale in 2015, it was available with 1.2- and 1.4-litre petrol engines, as well as 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesels.

Although diesel Tourans are the most popular, we’d recommend a petrol if you don’t cover many miles. The 1.2-litre is quite rare and, with its relatively small capacity, it soon runs out of puff when fully-loaded at motorway speeds. It’s fine for bimbling around town, though.

The 1.4-litre and 1.5-litre petrols pack a bit more punch but the diesel engines require the least effort to drive. If your budget allows, we’d recommend the 2.0 TDI over the 1.6 TDI as its extra power and torque makes for a more relaxed drive. As you don’t need to work it as hard, it’s more refined and will be more frugal, too.

You’ll find Tourans available with manual or DSG automatic gearboxes. The DSG dual-clutch autos are good, with fast responses to the accelerator and near-seamless changes. That said, there are question marks over their longevity, so we’d recommend a manual if you’re concerned about running costs.

The Volkswagen Touran is a very quiet and relaxing people carrier, no matter which engine you choose. Sure, you’ll hear the typical clatter of a diesel motor on a cold morning with either of the TDI engines, while the 1.6-litre TDI grumbles a bit under hard acceleration, but neither of these things ought to ruin your day. Or put you off buying a Touran.

There’s a bit of wind noise, as you’d expect from a car as brick-shaped as the Touran, but it’s no worse than competitors and you’re unlikely to really notice it over the sound of the kids in the back.

There’s quite a comprehensive suite of safety systems available on the Volkswagen Touran, but not all of them are standard across the range.

The PreCrash preventive occupant protection system does things like tensioning the front seat belts, closing the electric windows and preparing the brakes if it detects an impending crash. This is standard across Volkswagen Touran SE Family, SEL and R-Line models, although it was a £145 option on the Touran SE.

On the motorway, the Side Scan system will use radar sensors to alert you to other vehicles in your blind spot, but it’s quite an expensive £525 option when new. This can be combined with Lane Assist, which alerts you when the car drifts from its lane, but that costs £1040 so it’s an option box rarely ticked.

All models come with Volkswagen’s Front Assist system, which uses radars to warn you when you get too close to the car in front. It can even apply the brakes if it detects an impending collision, which is quite useful. Other standard equipment includes seven airbags and Isofix child seat preparation points on all five rear seats.

When Euro NCAP crash tested the Volkswagen Touran in 2015, it was awarded a maximum five stars for safety. This included scores of 88% for adult occupants, 89% for children, 71% for pedestrians and 76% for its safety assist features.

Volkswagen cars are generally pretty dependable, with the brand appearing in the top 10 in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. The Volkswagen Touran is no exception, with only a few common issues. Early 1.5 TSI engines were known to 'kangaroo' when cold, although this was fixed by a software update in 2020.

No Volkswagen Touran should cost a fortune to insure, but it’ll be worth shopping around for quotes if you’re a young or inexperienced driver.

Look for one with the low-powered 115PS 2.0-litre TDI engine if you’re after cheap insurance as this falls into insurance group 14. The others - including the more powerful diesel and the 1.5 TSI petrol - are all categorised in insurance group 17.

Buy a Volkswagen Touran registered since 1 April 2017 and you’ll pay a flat rate of £150 a year in VED (car tax). That’s true for any car, hybrid and electric vehicles aside.

An earlier model will be taxed based on its CO2 emissions, so you could save money each year by buying an older car. As an example, a Touran with the 1.6-litre TDI engine officially emits 119g/km CO2, so you’ll pay just £30 a year in tax.

You won’t save a great deal of cash by buying an earlier petrol model, though. The 1.4 TSI with the manual gearbox emits 133g/km, meaning it falls into band E and will cost £150 a year in tax.

The cheapest Volkswagen Touran SE covers the basics with 16-inch steel wheels, front and rear parking sensors (useful in a car of this size) and silver roof rails. It gets electric windows (front and rear), manual air conditioning and an electronic parking brake with auto-hold function. Infotainment is provided by an eight-inch touchscreen display with Bluetooth connectivity and DAB radio.

The Touran SE Family adds the Discover Media Navigation system. There’s also a panoramic sunroof, rear side window blinds and electrically-activated rear door child locks. A PreCrash preventive occupant protection system is a desirable feature, too.

The Volkswagen Touran SEL looks a bit more upmarket with its 17-inch alloy wheels and various chrome exterior trim highlights. The interior is posher, too, with piano black trim inserts, ambient lighting, climate control, carpet mats and Arts Velours seats with Microfibre bolsters. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as well as Volkswagen’s We Connect Plus connectivity services.

Topping the range is the sporty Volkswagen Touran R-Line, which comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and bespoke exterior styling. Inside, you’ll find grey decorative inserts, black rooflining and grey stitching on the leather-trimmed steering wheel. The sporty seats proudly display R-Line logos, as do the door protectors. Stainless steel pedals complete the look.