Test drive Volkswagen Touran 2003 - 2006 Minivan

"Turan", the harbinger of "golf"

Compact wan from Volkswagen
On Volkswagen, it is customary to tell a fairy tale about a fisherman and a fish in your own, German way. Say, if you use several fishing rods instead of one, the catch will probably be more. Well - the financial successes of fishermen from Wolfsburg do not allow to doubt the correctness of the chosen strategy.
The next fishing rod for the buyer is Volkswagen-Turan, a compact mini-van on the latest fifth-generation platform Golf. Its main task is to fill the niche in the range of folk cars, because small and practical family cars in Europe from year to year are increasingly popular. Apparently, this made Volkswagen hurry with the model of this segment: it was even introduced before the aggregate donor - golf v.
Compact lump is not only a new body, a platform, an updated family of gasoline and diesel engines. This is also an original chassis equipped with an electromechanical steering wheel, a six -speed (in the basic version!) Gearbox, a four -leaf rear suspension and a lot of less noticeable innovations.
The list of basic equipment has expanded significantly. It has a complete set of electronic systems responsible for safety, and only cosmetic changes in appearance and interior remain for options. There are also a lot of them and there is something to experiment with the buyer. It is gratifying differently: manufacturers stop saving on safety elements, immediately saturating the car with everything necessary.
Almost certainly, for Russia, in addition to three traditional options for the Basic, Trendline and Highline, additional, additional, most fully corresponding to our operating conditions. Here Turan is no exception.
 
Almost two thousand liters
I think, looking at the string of tourists sparkling bright colors, none of the journalists' colleagues exclaimed!. The classic forms of a single -luminous body, even wrapped in the famous Volkswagen nameplate, are unlikely to make the heart of the groundhurman bend rapidly. From the appearance of the car, it makes more thoughtfulness and practicalism, and all emotions are reduced to one - outside Turan is unexpectedly large. In size, he is not much inferior to his older brother Sharan. However, a calm perception of the exterior is replaced by an unexpected interest, it is worth getting into the Salon of Turan. It seems to be a discreet, practical interior, already familiar devices and a noticeable emblem in the center of the lamb - it would seem that you can still come up with an unexpected one.
However, even being ready for a typically German rational approach to the design of the internal space, you suddenly involuntarily admire the surrounding freedom, huge ranges of moving seats and steering wheel, thoughtfulness in everything, even in the most insignificant details. For example, using the cup holder, you can make sure that a liter plastic bottle easily fits into it. And having set the goal of loading all the shelves and boxes available in the tour, you will not only get away from the account, but simply forget what you put in the first few: after all, they are 39. Pedantic developers were not too lazy - they counted 500 options for transforming the cabin. With only a reservation that this figure is fair for the seven -seater modification. Yes, do not be surprised. As additional equipment, a third row of seats is offered to a five -seater tour, if desired, easily transformed into the floor of the luggage compartment.
Honestly, the adult is inconvenient there, but the fact is a fact-the tour of the Turan is akin to the toy-designer, requiring a directly outstanding spatial thinking. It seems that in Wolfsburg a competition was announced for the most thoughtful passenger compartment, and then all ideas united and created a single whole.
The luggage compartment affects not only with an explanatory layout, but also in size. Agree, the full -fledged 695 liters of volume for the five -seater version are a lot. But even more impressive the figures obtained when dismantling the second row of seats - 1989 liters of useful volume and 660 kg of maximum carrying capacity. Of course, with the third series of seats, the trunk turns into a fiery glove compartment, but it is worth transforming it, as you get a lot of free space again.
 
Between Malaya and Gibraltar
Spanish roads are woven from contradictions. Closer to the coast is full of beautiful autobahns, laid far from the settlements. However, it is worth climbing into the mountains - and sensitive potholes or gentle excitement waves will make themselves felt, on which you sometimes jump quite a lot. Turan and I quickly master these features and try to benefit from the Spanish variety of roads.
The new gasoline engine 1.6 FSI (with direct fuel injection), I must admit, does not cause violent emotions. On high -speed highways, it is 115 liters. With. It seems to be enough for confident movement in space, although doubts already arise whether the sixth gear is needed. At the same time, even on gentle lifts, gasoline horses frankly weaken, refusing to disperse the car not only on the sixth, but also on IV, V transmissions. Turan turns into a lazy creature who wants to help all the time, pushing his shoulder, and after all, on board there are only three out of five possible people.
In the controllability settings, of course, the orientation on the autobahns prevails. Turan is very stable and reliable at high speed - from balance it cannot be removed even by provocations. But on mountain serpentines you are faced with some straightforwardness of responses that cooled the excitement of the driver. Hard suspensions are good on even highways: they allow you to feel the car to the subtleties. However, it is worth getting on irregularities, and the mini-van quite frankly lets them into the body, again recalling the love of creators to smooth coatings.
A similar situation on a gentle wave, where a compact van suddenly loses its entire density and balance, starting to swing from side to side. Let's hope that a certain adapted version will appear for Russia, more suitable for our conditions.
In the meantime, we, having appreciated the brakes and the intelligible operation of the steering wheel power steering, decide to change the sluggish gasoline motor and transfer to a car with a two -liter (136 hp) diesel engine. As expected, this can be guessed only on a other scale of the tachometer and characteristic sounds at the time of launch. The rest is a song! A frisky start, quick responses to move the electronic accelerator pedal. Turan instantly turns into a light and mobile car, which allows you to play the speedometer arrow on a two hundred -kilometer mark. Here and the sixth gear is very handy: it allows not only to save fuel, but also significantly reduces internal noise when moving with high speeds. And the settings of the pendants are different. Mini-wen reactions became even more integral and accurate, which, of course, added pleasure from driving along winding serpentines. In a word, with an increase in power and torque, Turan becomes convenient not only for passengers, but also for the driver.
 
Big and thought out
In Russia, Volkswagen-Turan will appear soon-in the spring and summer of this year. The estimated cost of the basic five -seater version is 20 thousand euros. Well, I think, this is a good alternative as a corporate car, an interesting offer for those who like to travel a lot and do not neglect an outdoor vacation.
At first, Turan is supposed to be sold with two 1.6 -liter gasoline engines - 101 and 115 liters. With. And already familiar to the consumer with a turbodiesel 1.9 TDI (100 l.). And it is very likely that in the diesel version, the younger brother of Sharan will be more frozen than his gasoline counterparts.
Brief data
Volkswagen Touran
The first compact wen Volkswagen is built on the fifth generation golf platform. The beginning of the issue is the first quarter of 2003 in Germany.
Planned sales in Russia - since May -June 2003. The domestic market will be delivered with two gasoline engines 1.6 liters, 74 kW/101 liters. With. and 1.6 FSI, 85 kW/115 l. With. and one diesel - 1.9 TDI, 74 kW/100 liters. With. All engines are planned to aggregate with a mechanical six -speed gearbox.
In the future, the latest development of Volkswagen is a box with electron -hydraulic switching (DSG), as well as a six -speed machine.
The starting price of the base version of the Volkswagen -Turan is 19 950 euros.
Everything seems to be familiar and familiar, but thought out to the smallest detail. We need a table - please, a box for things - it turns out that there are two as many as two.
The turan’s assets have not only the gamut of modern gasoline and diesel engines, but also a new chassis with McEferson pendants in front and multi-leaf behind, an electromechanical steering wheel, a whole family of six-speed gearboxes and a very complete set of basic equipment responsible for safety.
Typically, the new family debuts with the traditional body of hatchback or sedan. Mini-wen Turan violated the tradition, bringing the fifth generation new golf platform.
Europe refuses the spare. Today, instead of it, a compressor and a tire sealant. This is not only a fashion, but also a win in the mass and useful area.
 

Sergey Voskresensky. Photo: author and Volkswagen
 
 
 
 
  
 

A source: The magazine "Driving"