Volkswagen Touran - Pictures

The Volkswagen Touran is the smaller sister to the Sharan.

With five and seven-seat versions available, the Touran is perfect for families.

The middle row is roomy and comfortable, and access is good even though the Touran doesn't get sliding doors.

Access to the third row is easy, but space back there is tight and best suited to smaller children.

Boot space is good in five-seat mode - but the middle row of seats don't fold flat like they do in the Citroen C4 Picasso.

As with most MPV's, you'll struggle to carry 7 people and their luggage.

The VW Touran's middle row of seats are removable, but they're bulky and heavy and once out of the car need to be stored somewhere.

The Touran is loaded with safety kit and achieved a full 5-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.

Volkswagen haven't performed too well as a brand in customer satisfaction surveys - the dealers achieved a lowly 31st place out of 33.

The Touran is more spacious than the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer.

Volkswagen offers a reasonably priced 3-year service plan, and a 3-year/60,000 mile warranty.

The ride isn't as comfortable as a Citroen C4 Picasso, and the Touran feels heavy to drive.