Volkswagen Touran 1.6tdi SE

I had the 2.0 litre 140bhp version of the last model Touran and I liked it so much I passed it to my daughter and her husband and traded in their Golf which was too small for their growing family. Initially I wanted the exact equivalent of what I had before but I drove the 1.6 demonstrator and it was a lovely car, so I bought one, another demonstrator six months old.

The new version of the Touran is an improvement on the old. It is more refined, better soundproofed and a lot more economical. The 2.0tdi 140 got 47mpg; the 1.6tdi 105 is doing 55mpg. Enough said, though of course I'm not comparing exactly equivalent models.

The car is comfortable and quiet. The seats are adaptable, with the middle row coming out altogether and the back row folding flat into the floor. The front passenger seat back even folds flat if you want to carry something really long. It has lots of carrying space for all the nick nacks you could ever want, from the spaces in the floor to the central roof lockers.

The car is equipped with sophisticated electronics which keep accurate track of fuel consumption, park the car if you can't (I can, so I haven't tried this facility), and all sorts of other fancy tricks. They all seem to work, and I hope they continue to.

My last Touran was very quick by standards and I did wonder if I would be happy with the less powerful engine but to be honest I don't notice much difference, even when pulling out to overtake a lorry on the A9. Drop a gear or two, floor the pedal and away you go. With the cruise control set at sixty three (a true sixty according to my Tom Tom) I get places quickly and in relaxed fashion. The high driving position gives a superb view of the road and the car is very relaxed to drive.