WOLFSBURG: Volkswagen has upgraded the popular compact Touran and further improved its technology .
The Touran celebrates its 20th birthday this year and continues to impress, thanks to a spacious and variable interior, efficient engines and agile handling.
In addition to a wide range of standard safety systems, the optional IQ.DRIVE incl. IQ.LIGHT assist package now also includes the Travel Assist and the Dynamic Light Assist main-beam control.
"More than a family car" was the claim for the Touran market launch on March 13, 2003.
The compact van is a multivariable family, leisure and business car with the best all-round characteristics. And, with more than 2.6 million units now sold, it is one of the most successful multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) in the world.
The second generation of the Touran was launched in 2015. It is VW's first van based on the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB). This basis now enables the Touran to undergo extensive technical upgrading and model updating.
Standard features include Active Cruise Control (ACC) with speed limiter, Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist, Lane Assist lane departure warning and Side Assist lane change assist. This range of assistance and infotainment systems is usually only found in higher vehicle classes – thanks to MQB, they are also used in the Touran.
The standard equipment now includes, among other things, PreCrash at the rear. The system uses the sensor technology of the Side Assist lane change assist.
Radar sensors detect the position and speed of cars behind the Touran.
If PreCrash at the rear detects an imminent rear-end collision due to the position of the following vehicle and the excessive speed difference between the two vehicles, the proactive occupant protection system is activated – not only while driving, but also while stationary with the engine running or in start/stop mode.
A multifunction camera is also now on board every Touran to identify objects or people as quickly as possible. The camera is thus one of the most important components in the car when it comes to assist and safety systems .
In addition, the optional "IQ.DRIVE incl. IQ.LIGHT" package now includes, among other things, the Travel Assist driver assist system in conjunction with the Lane Assist lane departure warning.
The system can assist in keeping the vehicle in lane, maintaining a distance from the vehicle in front and also ensuring that the vehicle keeps to a maximum speed set by the driver.
Among other things, it uses the adaptive lane guidance system for this. This system actively keeps the vehicle in the middle of its lane. Travel Assist adapts itself to the driving style and can also keep the vehicle further left or right in the lane instead of exactly in the centre.
In combination with the DSG dual-clutch gearbox, the driver can also stay relaxed when driving in traffic jams and stop-and-go traffic.
The Dynamic Light Assist main-beam control is also part of the new assist package and ensures better visibility at night. The system can detect oncoming vehicles as well as vehicles ahead and automatically fades out corresponding areas of the vehicle's main beam.
When driving in built-up areas, the system also automatically switches from main beam to dipped beam. This is a convenient feature that helps to better illuminate the road and detect obstacles earlier.
The family van has also received an upgrade in terms of comfort: with a latest-generation steering wheel including contact detection, the freely programmable Basic instrument cluster (8 inches) and the air conditioner control console with touch controls at the front and rear (both optional).
Other optional functions are Easy Open & Close (closing the trunk lid by foot movement) and Keyless Access (keyless locking and starting system).
Volkswagen has continued to develop its best-selling 1.5 TSI petrol engine and is now also using the latest generation in the Touran – the TSI evo2 with 148hp.
It enables consumption and CO2 savings and is also designed for fuels with renewable content. Furthermore, the latest version features Active Cylinder Management ACTplus, an emission control module close to the engine and the modern TSI-Evo combustion process.
The Touran can be set up with five to seven seats, depending on customer preference.
The interior width is particularly appealing to families, with enough space for three child seats fitted side by side in the rear.
Thanks to ISOFIX retaining rings in the second and third row of seats, a total of as many as five child seats can be securely attached to the Touran.
The interior can be used in a variety of ways thanks to the fold-flat seating system (flat surface in the luggage compartment with the seats folded down), which allows for a storage volume of up to 1,980 litres.
In addition, the 47 storage options and the drawers under the front seats fulfil most storage desire.
In terms of steering and running gear, the Touran is described by VW as having the handling of a Golf. It is said to be agile with a sensitive steering and a turning circle of only 11.6 metres.
The first-generation Touran of 2003.
