Volkswagen Touran review - Interior, design and technology

The Touran won't win any beauty contests. It’s always been about substance over style, but at least it has smartened up in its latest incarnation.

On the outside, the Touran has adopted more angular lines and an overall more sleek and sharp look than previous models, with more than a hint of ‘big Golf SV’ about it. New LED lights have also added to this modern image.

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The colour palette for the Touran is muted, although we’re not about to advocate bright yellow for an MPV. There are some glitzier colours in the mix, such as the two metallic blues, Caribbean (the lighter of the two shades) and Atlantic. Brave, also, of Volkswagen to offer Nutshell Brown metallic and Titanium Beige metallic; yes, beige.

Pure White and Urano Grey are the solids, the white costing around £260 and Urano being in effect the ‘standard’, solitary no-cost Touran colour. Another silver and another grey, both metallic finishes, join the solitary pearlescent (Deep Black) to give buyers nine options. The seven metallic and pearl finishes add about £600.

Although 16-inch ‘Trondheim’ and 17-inch ‘Stockholm’ alloy wheels are the regular fitment on the SE, SE Family and SEL models accordingly, there’s another optional design of 17-inch wheel called ‘Vallelunga’, while 18-inch ‘Marseille’ alloys that are standard on R-Line can be fitted for a fee on the SE, SE Family and SEL. The S model Tourans cannot be fitted with any wheel size larger than 16 inches. 

Inside, the Touran has received the same modernising treatment. The most noticeable styling update is the new dashboard. Everything is extremely accessible and laid out logically. The seats are plush and comfy, and lumbar support has been added to the Touran for the first time, which even has a massage function on some models.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

While we might bemoan the lack of equipment elsewhere on the S, the Composition Media system – with its 6.5-inch colour touchscreen in the centre console – has the audio game covered. For a basic set-up, it’s pretty powerful. It features eight speakers in total and has an 80-watt total output, as well as being capable of connecting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. That it also throws in Bluetooth, DAB, an SD card reader, a CD player and USB connectivity is all the more impressive. Moving up to SE Family adds Discover Navigation on an 8-inch screen.

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