At the UK launch of the company's first-ever compact MPV, Volkswagen people said they'd expected the turbo diesels to be the big sellers, but were surprised that so many advance orders had been taken for the seven-seater versions rather than the standard five-seat jobs.Well, that places the test car right in the heart of Touran territory, because it's a seven-seater with the 98bhp 1.9-litre TDi engine rather than the much more powerful two-litre type, as well as being to the mid-range SE trim and equipment specification.There's a suggestion that first buyers may not necessarily need seven seats themselves, but feel that they'll be an advantage when it comes to eventual trade-in time, and who's to say they're wrong?The 1.9 doesn't offer anything like the performance levels of the 2.0 TDi with 36bhp extra and 236 rather than 185lb/ft of torque (as well as a £1300 price premium), but for a not-so-mini MPV the less powerful turbo diesel does fine, not just in normal running about and climbing hills, but also on motorway journeys with the engine revving low in sixth gear. At a motorway cruising speed, of course, the 1.9 is just as satisfactory as the two-litre.While the Touran is a much bulkier vehicle than the next-series Golf, it does use a version of the new Golf platform, and it handles pretty neatly, with an electronic stability programme to look after any over-enthusiastic chucking about - but, realistically, how many Touran owners will get to that point? - and electro-mechanical power steering which needs just a light touch at the wheel.The SE specification brings 16" steel wheels, body-coloured side strips and door mirrors (with built-in repeaters for the indicators), and chrome around the front grille so that you can tell it from the standard model.Inside, there's some carbonfibre-effect trim, a pleasant to handle leather-bound steering wheel and gearlever knob, climate control air-conditioning and a trip computer which showed that, for an MPV with more air resistance than a saloon or hatchback, the Touran is a frugal runner.While this version is technically a seven-seater, with the three individual seats in the middle row able to move fore-and-aft and, if required, be removed from the car altogether, I tend to think of it as a maximum five-seater with a colossal amount of luggage space. Removing whatever mid-row seats you don't need for any specific journey leaves the occupants of the remaining ones with more stretching room.I can see how the Touran would be very comfortable as a two-plus-two with the centre rear seat left at home, and the two outer seats slid inwards a little so that the people sitting in them have more outer elbow room.The rearmost seats, which are certainly handy to have for the rare occasions when most owners will need them, fold down Zafira-style to create a still completely flat load floor, and they're designed so that you don't have to remove the head rests. There are solid tie-down hooks, and spaces around the rear compartment where smaller items can be tucked away out of sight.The load space of a Touran with five seats in place isn't just long. It's also wide and unexpectedly high, under the security blind. A couple of us slung in half a dozen cases and bags of different sizes, and there was at least as much load volume left as our stuff occupied.There are three 12-volt sockets, and plenty of small stowage spaces in the front two-thirds of the car too. I'm not a great user of cupholders, but the ones in the let-down lid of the front passenger's glove locker are a lot more solidly based than many others of their kind.The Touran has three small lockers in a roof console, but they all seem to be designed specifically as sunglasses holders, which may be a little extreme. Unlike the standard model, the SE has a pull-out drawer under the front passenger seat.This car has been criticised in some quarters for being dull-looking outside and not much better inside. Like so many MPVs of this general size it does tend to look better in the round than in photographs, and anybody looking for whoopee cabin styling ought to get real and remember this is a Volkswagen.There may be (in fact, there is) nothing about the interior presentation to make the pulse rate increase, but if you're looking for good build quality, impressive passenger and luggage space, as well as mile-eating performance and 50mpg-plus extra urban fuel consumption, the Touran is right there.Second opinion: Over the past few weeks I've read - and indeed heard - several comments from journalists about how boring the Touran is. Some of the sources have been colleagues of whom I think highly, so my disagreement with them will have to be a respectful one. But I do disagree. Whether or not it sets the pulse racing (and let's leave aside the question of how much an MPV owner wants that), the Touran is brilliantly executed in every major respect. It feels very solidly built, it's roomy, it's obviously practical and it rides and handles exceptionally well. It's also reasonably quick when required; no ball of fire in a straight line, of course, but a useful tool for a cross-country dash. After a certain amount of this the test car's fuel level warning light came on at 499.8 miles. In more gentle conditions I reckon you could squeeze nearly 600 miles out of a tankful - just one more positive aspect of an appealing if undramatic car. David Finlay. Engine 1896cc, 4 cylinders Power 98bhp Transmission 6-speed manual Fuel/CO2 42.1mpg / 162g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 13.5 seconds Top speed 110mph Price £17,725 Details correct at publication date
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