The world has turned, rather dramatically, away from the ‘traditional’ monobox MPV (if you can call something traditional when its tradition only stretches back as far as 1984). While once such cars seemed ubiquitous, now they’re falling by the wayside.
The Opel Zafira and Meriva are already gone, as too is Ford's C-Max and B-Max, and the Mazda 5. The Renault Espace is no longer made in right hand drive, alas, and there are question marks over the future of the Ford S-Max and Galaxy.
Thankfully, the Volkswagen Touran still exists, and we say thankfully because it’s actually a rather refreshing vehicle. No allusions to being a 4x4 adventurer, no silly stick-on plastic wheelarch protectors nor underbody ‘bash plates’.
No, just a straightforwardly roomy car that’s nice to drive (if perhaps a touch un-thrilling) with seats for seven, a capacious boot, and tolerable running costs. There’s an art to making useful, unpretentious cars such as these, and it’s one that car makers forget at their peril.
Best model: Touran Highline 1.5 TSI for €39,250
Price range: €36,450 to €41,795 Finance from €379 per month.
Co2 emissions: 111 to 138g/km
Sum up: Sense and, yes, sensibility.