In America, we like our people-movers in the shape of SUVs, because of all the off-roading we never do. In Europe, where heinously expensive gasoline precludes such silliness, family vehicles are chosen based on more practical considerations. Thus, VW's Touran, a small, minivan-ish, tall-wagon thing is a pretty big deal over there, and newly redesigned version is making its debut at the 2015 Geneva auto show, to an audience much more receptive to small people-movers than we are.
For the newest Touran, VW is utilizing—what else?—its rapidly proliferating, scalable MQB front-drive architecture, the same platform that underpins the current Golf and Audi A3. Predictably, the Touran's styling closely resembles that of the Golf, albeit stretched vertically to accommodate the former's taller roof. It's crisp and modern-looking, with the strong horizontal shoulder line doing a good job distracting from the vehicle's considerable height.
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European families will have a choice of up to three gasoline engines ranging from 109 horsepower to 177, or three diesel powerplants running the gamut from 109 horsepower all the way up to 188 ponies. Fuel efficiency is up by a claimed 19 percent, surely helped by the new Touran's 137-pound-lighter curb weight as well as the standard auto stop-start and brake-energy-recuperation. The interior is capacious, and VW says there are no fewer than 47 storage compartments scattered throughout. Optional equipment includes adaptive cruise control, a low-speed automatic-braking system, five audio/navigation choices, and phone-mirroring solutions such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink.
Would the Touran work here? While it is certianly makes more sense in the VW lineup than the oddball Routan, a rebadged-Chrysler full-size minivan that Volkswagen recently euthanized, the fact is that smaller minivans simply doesn't have much of a market in the States. Mazda is slowly letting go of its fun-to-drive, right-sized Mazda 5 mini-minivan, and the only other similar vehicle on sale here is the hybrid-only Ford C-Max. Volkswagen's Tiguan compact crossover neatly handles the needs of small families here while also conforming to Americans' obsession with a high seating position and the oh-so-importantappearance of off-road ability.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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