Volkswagen Touran interior
The Volkswagen Touran’s interior is inoffensive looking – it’s solidly built, logically laid out and has easy-to-operate infotainment systems, but it’s all just a bit drab and boring
Style
The Volkswagen Touran interior is well laid out – the controls for the stereo and ventilation system are exactly where you would expect them to be and they are logical to operate. It’s not got the quirky design of a Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer, though, so there’s no centre-mounted speedo and it looks a bit plain. The VW does feel better made, though.
Entry-level cars feel dark and unexciting inside – there are lots of black, admittedly good-quality, plastics with some light grey trim pieces to brighten things up. Chrome – used to surround the instruments, vents, heater controls and gearstick – adds to the Volkswagen Touran’s well-made feel. The dark fabric seats do nothing to lighten the mood but hide stains.
You can order SE cars with lighter interior fabrics for no extra cost, and they brighten up the interior significantly – but the £2,100 option to specify leather seats seems like an excessive luxury.
That’s certainly true when you realise you can upgrade to the SE Family car – the best-value version of the car – for just £1,500. It comes with a panoramic glass sunroof as standard, so the interior feels light and airy even if you choose the darker upholstery. You also get satellite navigation and Volkswagen’s online features that allow you and the family to plan your trips on the home PC and send them to the car’s sat-nav.
SE L models feel posher still because they have two-tone, suede-effect upholstery, but it will be harder to keep clean and the Piano Black trim pieces scratch easily. R Sport cars – with their sporty styling pack, 18-inch alloy wheels and Race Cloth interior – also seem a bit pointless in the stubbornly unsporty looking Volkswagen Touran.
You can hook a GoPro camera up to the Discover Navigation system to keep an eye on the kids... or to film your own version of Carpool Karaoke
- Cash
- £28,105
- Monthly
- £375*
- Used
- £20,000
Infotainment
Watch our Volkswagen Touran interior and infotainment review
S and SE versions of the Volkswagen Touran come with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display. It can be awkward to control when you’re driving down the road – unlike BMW’s iDrive system – but it is still one of the easiest touchscreen systems to use thanks to logically laid-out menus.
Satellite-navigation doesn’t come fitted as standard but, for £165, you can have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which allow you to use your phone’s navigation system via the centre screen. It’s a much better bet than paying £835 for the fully integrated Discovery Navigation system – if you’re going to do that then you’ll get better value buying a higher trim level.
SE Family models and above get the Discover Navigation sat-nav system fitted as standard. It’s also a touchscreen but you’ll find its eight-inch display easier to use on the move and it has clearer graphics. It comes with a three-year subscription to Car-Net, which gives you live information on local fuel prices, parking availability, the weather and news.
All but basic S cars can be upgraded to the top-of-the-range Discover Navigation Pro system, which has a detailed 9.2-inch touchscreen. It can recognise gesture commands – such as pinch and swipe – and also voice commands, and comes with a 64GB hard drive for storing music. It also allows you to stream footage from a GoPro to the car’s screen over wi-fi – ideal for keeping an eye on arguments among kids in the back seats. VW will charge £2,295 to fit Discover Navigation Pro to SE models and £1,485 as an upgrade to the rest of the range – and you’re better off saving your money.
- Cash
- £28,105
- Monthly
- £375*
- Used
- £20,000
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*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.