Test drive Volkswagen Touran 2003 - 2006 Minivan

VW Touran- Seven "I"

After the recent Motorshow, there was only talk that about Porsche: they say, the exhibition really becomes prestigious if such cars are brought to it. They also recalled Lancia, talked a lot about Cadillac, did not forget to mention the magnificent SUV VW Touareg, which in the end received deserved-it was recognized as the best car of the exhibition. But the truly main premiere of the current motor show, a bright blue single-raised unit that appeared at the VW booth only on the second day of the exhibition, no one other than potential buyers. Meanwhile, it was Volkswagen Touran, a compact seven -seater Wen, and was the main premiere of this exhibition.
 
The unexpected appearance of the tourist on the 2003 motor show was just the same that this car was the hottest premiere of the Belarusian exhibition. We can say that the VW Touran got to Minsk literally immediately after the car dealership in Geneva, where his world presentation took place. The car had to quickly be pulled through all the customs between our countries, but they still did not have time to open the exhibition on the official opening of the exhibition.
 
Nevertheless, the VW Touran was still shown to us, and judging by how the work to adapt this car for our market promptly went, the buyer is on it. Although many, according to the stories of the VW managers themselves, getting acquainted with this car, immediately asked the question: how does it differ from Sharan? Also, after all, a single -collar, also a seven -seater ... Honestly, such a question would be at an impasse of anyone, because with the universally recognized leader of the Belarusian Minivan market, VW Sharan, the new single -collector Turan has nothing to do at all. More precisely, nothing but the common part in the name: the name of the novelty is formed from two words - Tour (tourism) and Sharan. Which, according to the development of the developers, was to hint - the new VW Touran took the initial position among the Volkswagen minivans: Touran, Shan, and Multivan.
 
But our buyer is not so simple, he specifically needs to know why there are seven passenger seats in Turan, why the manufacturer took a chance to personally withdraw the competitor to his bestseller Sharan, which can also be produced in the seven -seater version. Well, let's try to tell everything that we know about this car.
 
New production structure
 
For the production of Turan, not only new equipment was purchased - in fact, another new, completely new, called Auto 5000 GmbH was built inside the existing plant. The number 5000 in this case indicates the number of jobs - just so many workers and specialists are involved in the production of a new new crew. But the main know-how is not the conveyor and its equipment, but the very principle of production and production relations, designed to significantly improve the quality of the assembly without global investments in the re-equipment of production. Just imagine: all five thousand people working at the enterprise undergo compulsory training - three hours a week. This will allow employees to understand all the nuances of production. In addition, a new assembly quality control system has been introduced. Each worker bears individual responsibility for his work and in the event of a discovery of marriage made by him, eliminates it for free, at non -working hours. There is also a system of incentives: in the case of an enterprise’s profit growth, all employees will receive a bonus at the end of the year, the minimum size of which is 3000 Euro. All these measures will allow you to bring the quality of VW brand cars, and Turan in particular, to the level of Japanese models that are famous for their reliability.

Turan differs from all other models of the VW concern in that during its production it was decided to completely abandon the spot welding, giving preference to laser. The use of laser welding allows the body to make the body harder and stronger, the hardness of the body for twisting increases, which allows you to improve controllability. The new body is more hardy: now a trunk with a maximum load of 100 kilograms can be installed on the roof of the tour. The Touran body is made of high -strength, completely galvanized steel, and the total length of laser welding seams is 69.5 meters.
 
Structurally, Touran is very similar to a regular passenger car: it has independent pendants of all wheels (front - McPherson, the rear is a multi -leaf independent), disk brakes and a very low center of gravity. The full-wheel drive version of the 4MotIion, produced for each VW model, is not yet provided-its appearance is expected a year and a half after the start of production of the basic front-wheel drive version. The gamut of the engines consists of one gasoline (1.6 liter and 115 hp) FSI engine with direct fuel injection, based on layer -laying fuel supply to the cylinder, as well as two turbodies from the PD series. One of them has a working volume of 1.9 liters and develops a capacity of 100 hp, and the second with a volume of two liters also develops 100, but not L.S., but kW, which in terms of the horses familiar to us is exactly 136 L.S. Both diesel engines and a 1.6-liter gasoline will supply us with us. But not the FSI that is indicated in the catalog, but with the simpler engine. The version for the markets of Eastern Europe will be equipped with a regular 1.6 -liter motor, borrowed from the now produced golf. This engine is both structurally simpler and is less picky for fuel quality, and the service centers are already well familiar. In the basic version of the VW Touran 1.6, a six -speed manual gearbox is equipped, and an automatic transmission is also offered to the order, also six -speed.
 
Inner revolution
 
The possibilities of transforming the salon of the new VW Touran deserve a separate conversation, because it is according to these parameters that the model turned out to be how successful. And if in a passenger car, SUV or minibus options for crossing the salon most often remain unclaimed throughout the life of the car, then with universals of increased capacity, minivans and single -compulors the situation is completely different. We can say that they are bought in order to get both a comfortable and roomy and multifunctional car.
 
And the functionality in Touran, as they say, is more than enough. Imagine that about 500 (five hundred!) There are only options for transforming the cabin. Competitors definitely rest! VW Touran can be both five- and seven-seater. In the seven -seater version of the chair are located as follows: two in front, three in the middle row, two additional behind. Moreover, the middle row is three separate chairs that can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction, as well as change the angle of inclination of the back of each of them. Any of the three middle -row chairs easily folded or removed from the car. The middle chair can be transformed into a table.
 
If the fifth or seventh passenger in the Touran salon will occur infrequently, the middle armchair of the second row can be left in the garage, and the two remaining ones should be arranged in the long way in order to free the additional place for the legs of the third row passengers. The middle seats can be rearranged by varying the space of the cabin - for this, additional nests of fasteners are provided in the floor. The third row of seats, made in the form of a sofa consisting of two halves, can be folded, thus receiving a huge luggage compartment. If in the seven -seater version of the Touran also fold the seats of the second row, then the volume of the luggage compartment will be 1913 liters. In a five -seater version, the trunk accommodates 695 liters in the camping position and 1989 liters with folded medium chairs. The manufacturer claims that this is a record indicator among competitors and classmates.
 
Close acquaintance
 
Outside, the VW Touran looks like a typical son of his people. Even if you seal the emblem on the false radiator grille, nine out of ten people will probably be able to guess that this is Volkswagen - the corporate identity is simply evident. However, on the Sharan, with whom they are trying to compare it, Turan does not look like a bit. If there is a similarity, then only in those design elements that are common to all models of the concern: in the drawing of a false radiator lattice, in the design of caps on wheeled disk, in general body proportions. Otherwise, the design of Turan is original, how much it can be distinctive for a completely new model, previously not produced by this manufacturer. By the way, the aerodynamic resistance coefficient in a single -volume tourist turned out to be close to the record - it compiled SC \u003d 0.315.
 
Inside, with a small adjustment to architecture, Turan is a hundred percent VW, and this is expressed even in small details. Not only in the general pholkswagen dashboard, but also in many other little things. And as an assembly: of German manufacturers, only VW on relatively affordable models promotes such a reference and ordering quality of interior decoration. Buttons, door handles, gaps between the panels - everything is done so carefully that the distance between the details of the interior can be checked using a credit card - a favorite method of Ferdinand Pikha, the legendary VW manager.
 
We have already told you about the options for laying the cabin, but about various kinds of glove compartment and pockets in the cabin, it is worth mentioning separately. If only because their total number reaches ... 39! Wide pockets in the front doors with matched nests under a 1 -liter plastic plastic container, special niches under the feet of passengers of the second row, three reclining boxes of a solid volume on the ceiling console plus a traditional glove box in front of the front passenger. And this is only what can be seen at first glance. Add here still sliding boxes under the front seats, as well as the closed shelves under them, and you will understand that it is better not to get a mobile phone in this machine from your pocket - otherwise you will look for it all evening with a car operating instructions in your hands.
 
If outwardly Turan, mainly due to the vertical rear door and small windows in the front doors, is more like a solid minivan, then inside the resemblance to these bulky buses, he very successfully got rid of. The first thing you pay attention to is landing. It is not as vertical as in the same Renault Scenic, and the chair itself is much lower. And although it is adjusted in height, even in the highest possible position of similarity with the bus stool. The second feature of Turan is its compactness. Not internal, because seven passenger places are a lot, and the compactness of its external sizes. On Sharand in the city center at rush hour? No, fire ... but on Touran - please. In its outward sizes, it is almost like a compact Bora sedan, only due to a higher planting driver, visibility in the tourist is much better. This is especially noticeable in the city: you can look on top of the driven cars in front, planning all the restructuring and maneuvers in advance.
 
We will not talk about the motor yet. Not because there is nothing, but because that 1.6-liter FSI that is installed under the hood of the tested car will not be supplied to our market anyway-instead of it they will also be offered 1.6-liter, but slightly less powerful and not like that sophisticated. Therefore, all attention to the pendants, transmission, steering ...
 
By the way, about the steering and generally the controllability of the Turan. If you, carefully studying the architecture of this one -border guard, came to the conclusion that it will steer in about the same way as a sharan, then you are mistaken. Because in real rivals of Turan you need to set at least golf! He almost does not roll in a bend, he does not baptize him on braking, and he does not try to break into the skid with the steering and gas provocative actions. The back of the rear axle? Only with a handbrake! You can not even stutter about the demolition of the front axle and slip - the VW Touran has been raised just great. Yes, it is not from the category of lighters, and you will not get the pleasure of high -speed driving on it, but even in a completely atypical situation, Turan will never let you down and will not begin to throw the forte unexpectedly. His behavior can be called the reference for this type of car: no vibrations of the unsped masses, no cloves and rolls. At high speed in the bend, Turan simply crawls outwardly out of the trajectory with all four wheels, without making sudden movements. The ESP shutdown, which activates a lot of security systems, including selectively slows down the wheels in case of skidding, does not make changes to the behavior of the TURAN: it is still magnificent.
 
Of the rest that I remembered in the VW Touran, I would like to highlight the gearbox, with an unrealistically clear drive, which is rather characteristic of models such as Golf R32, and not for family single -combatants. The clarity of the inclusion is simply amazing, despite the fact that the levers themselves are reduced to a minimum: you can click the transfers only with a brush with a brush, conveniently leaning on the central armrest. And you can pull the programs in a bear, helping the engine on braking. In any case, the GPP drive works without comments. But with the suspension, everything is far from so unambiguous. Regarding her settings - yes, you understand that it would be impossible to make it better. But at the same time, it is necessary to state that the road joints of Turan passes harshly, as well as small pits. It is understandable: a harsh suspension was needed in order to avoid rolls in corners (the machine is still high), but for the mass consumer this is not an excuse - I would like to softer.
 
From the governing bodies I liked the gas pedal - more precisely, its location. She, as in the best Driver Car, is floor and at the same time lies almost horizontally, so it is very convenient to press it. There are no problems with other pedals either, but it is precisely on the convenience of using the right one that I would like to focus on - the driver uses it most. The sightseeing of the driver is also admirable: the mirrors are large, everything around is visible.
 
Perspective
 
The first deliveries of the VW Touran to the Belarusian market are scheduled for July-August of this year, although retail prices and levels of configuration are already known now, and numerous dealers of the VW concern are already collecting orders for this model. The basic version of the VW Touran, equipped with a 1.6-liter engine with a capacity of 102 hp, will cost from 14.667 Euro. There are three configuration options: Basic, Tredline and Higline. The list of basic equipment of the BASIC version includes a central locking castle (on the key), external rear-view mirrors with electric and heating, RDC 300 radio with a CD player, front electric windows, ABS and ESP electronic stabilization system, as well as a care system for emergency Brake Assist braking. In addition, already in the VW Touran base there are as many as six airbags: front, lateral and head for passengers of the first and second rows of seats. This also includes the driver's seat adjustable in height, three separate chairs of the second row with individual adjustments and thermotoned glass.
 
If we talk about the prospects of the VW Touran in our market, we can assume in advance that although this model is unlikely to compare with the Passat or golf, in her market sector it will surely achieve success. And the market for single -combatants, especially the seven -seater, it turns out, is relatively considerable: see how many Zafir and Statzikov drives along the streets of Minsk. But if earlier the potential buyer of the seven -seater compact Van had to choose between the available, but already old Opel Zafira and the new, but relatively expensive Honda Stream, now, with the advent of a worthy competitor in the person of the VW Touran, you can buy at the same time an inexpensive, compact and prestigious seven -seater car. And even if you don’t seem to be constantly needed by seven passenger seats, this is not a reason to give up Turan: it significantly exceeds many cars in terms of comfort and its functionality. The manufacturer himself, inspired by a successful example of competing models, is very optimistic. By the end of this year, Volkswagen intends to produce 130 thousand copies of Turan, and for the next, 2004 year, an increase in output to 200 thousand is planned.
 

Source: Auto -Gazeta / N 20 (412) dated 04.06.03