Volkswagen has just launched the all-new Touran MPV here in Ireland.
The new Touran is redesigned from the ground up and built on Volkswagen’s advanced MQB platform. It is priced from €29,725 for the 1.2-litre TSI petrol and €31,970 for the 1.6-litre TDI. The new Touran is sharper and more elegant than the previous model, which in fairness would not be difficult. However, additional good news is that it will be cheaper to run and comes with many new features.
It is 13cm longer than the previous generation model, thanks to a longer wheelbase. This is important in that it makes the interior space more generous. The new model is also 36mm wider and there is more headroom, so Volkswagen claims that rear passengers will sit in much greater comfort.
The new layout also lends itself to slightly more more legroom. All Tourans for Ireland come with seven seats as standard and feature a new fold-flat system. The seats in the second and third rows can be folded flat in a matter of seconds, creating a continuous floor for easy loading, plus the front passenger seat backrest from Comfortline (middle-level spec. ) models upwards.
With the second and third row seats folded, the Touran has an impressive 1,857 litres of luggage capacity and VW says that is the largest luggage compartment in its class. There are also a total of 47 storage compartments in the new model to ensure that you can bring all of the family’s ever-expanding plethora of items.
For Ireland, the Touran comes with one petrol engine, a 1.2-litre TSI with 110bhp. It is also offered in a choice two diesel engines: a 1.6-litre TDI with 110bhp which is expected to make up the majority of sales, and at the top of the range a 2.0-litre TDI with 150bhp. The 1.2-litre TSI is available with a six-speed manual transmission, while the two diesels come with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG transmission option.
Thanks to weight reductions of up to 62kg and new fuel-saving technologies, the CO2 emissions are significantly lower in the new model compared to the previous generation, with the 1.6-litre TDI DSG emitting just 111g/km. The Touran uses the now familiar traditional Volkswagen specification grades for Ireland of Trendline, Comfortline, and Highline, with Comfortline expected to be the most popular grade (45 per cent ), followed by Highline (30 per cent ) and Trendline (25 per cent ).
This will see a significant forecasted jump in the Highline mix, which in previous years accounted for only 3 per cent of the mix and this is largely down to VW’s graded PCP offer: Trendline 5.9 per cent APR; Comfortline and Highline on a similar 3.9 per cent APR rate.
Starting from €29,725 Trendline models feature 16” steel wheels, 5” Composition Colour radio system, manual air conditioning, a connectivity package including bluetooth and media-in jack with USB charging. The Comfortline adds 16” alloy wheels, front fog lights, park distance control, 6.5” Composition Media radio system with CD player and eight speakers, cruise control, and a folding front passenger seat which can serve both as a table and load-through provision.
At the top of the range, the Highline model gets adaptive cruise control, 17” alloy wheels, sports suspension, Pure air three zone climatronic air conditioning, and a multifunction display in colour. As a special introductory offer, customers who opt for a Touran can upgrade to a technology pack worth €2,700 for just €161, which includes a panoramic sunroof, park assist and front fog lights (Trendline ) or light assist (Comfortline and Highline ).
There are a host of optional extras available too, including a rear view camera for €249, lane assist for €579, navigation system ‘Discover Media’ incorporating Car-Net is €811, and two integrated child seats in the second row of seats for €513.
