As imageless and uninteresting as a bread van, Volkswagen's new Touran MPV doesn't seem to have much going for it on first sighting. And for a tardy arriver, it hasn't brought with it much in the way of innovation or specification to a class that's already produced a mark two version of the originating species, Renault's versatile Scenic.
 

At this stage we'll possibly have cost Volkswagen a few car sales and lost a few' first-paragraph-only' readers but the manufacturers don't merit much in the way of praise for this dull design.
 

Nor do the readers who've departed deserve a car quite as good as this. Beyond all that uninspiring bodywork lies a vehicle that's technically accomplished, exceedingly user-friendly, amazingly flexible,  decidedly well-built, staggeringly comfortable and surprisingly manoeuvrable. And it poses a most serious threat indeed to sitting rivals - Opel's Zafira, the Renault Scenic 11 and the curvy Citroen' Picasso - especially in the 1.9 TDi powered form tested by yours truly last week.

Available here in 13 variants in total, Touran comes in three trim levels, Comfortline, Trendline and Highline, with a choice two 1.6-litre petrol engines (102/115bhp), two 1.9-litre  diesels putting out 100 bhp and 105bhp (Automatic) and a 2.0-litre mill that puts out 136bhp for the manual box and 140bhp for the automatic. A powerful 2.0-litre FSI engine will join the programme towards the end of the year. All versions have a six-speed manual gearbox. 1.9 and 2.0-litre TDi are offered with a clutchless DSG (direct shift gearbox) transmission and the 115bhp 1.6 FI comes with an Automatic Tiptronic set-up.
Prices start off at E26,455, ex works, for an entry level, five seating, 1.6L Comfortline model.
  
Carried on the same platform as the the Mark 5 Golf platform due to debut at the Frankfurt Show (also seen on the new Audi A3), Touran uses a new strut layout to the front with a triangular lower wishbone and wheel location strut and an aluminium subframe - attached to the body at six points. An anti-roll bar is attached directly to the struts. The four-link rear set-up, also new, uses three lateral control arms and a trailing link at each wheel.  A new electromechanical steering system - which will also be used on the new Golf - is  claimed to cut fuel consumption levels, reduce vibrations from the powertrain, and adapt the degree of assistance according to varying conditions - whether they be speed, road camber, load, crosswinds or direction travelled.
 
Six-speed transmission - and the new suspension - suggests Touran is geared towards autobahn cruising. Surprisingly, then, it handled normal Irish conditions - poorly surfaced roads with lots of twists, turns and reverse cambers - with amazing ease and possibly a mild touch of understeer. Ride comfort, response from four-pot 1.9TDi mill and the handling were all outstanding - and much better than this pilot expected - given the van-like body shape and a recent run in the Audi A3.
 

Already used with great success in other Volkswagen product, the gutsy 1.9 TDI develops 74 kW (100 bhp) at 4,000 rpm. Its maximum torque of 250 Newton-metres is reached at only 1,900 rpm - accelerating Touran  from 0 to 100 km/h in 13.5 seconds and giving it a top speed of 177 km/h. Fuel consumption is as low as would be expected from the Polo or Golf versions that use this engine: no more than 5.9 litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres according to the total EU-test figure or  5.2 litres per 100 km in the extra-urban test.

Thanks to a fuel tank that holds 60 litres, a theoretical journey of 1,000 kilometres before refuelling is possible.  Among its main technical components are a turbocharger with variable blade geometry, a charge-air intercooler, direct pump-injector high pressure fuel injection, a cooler for the exhaust gas recirculation system, an electrically operated regulating flap and injector nozzles of special conical pattern.
 
Model for model, specification levels are quite high. Standard fittings include driver, passenger and side airbags, head curtain airbags (1st and second row), ABS (with ESP and Brake Assist), remote central locking, CD player, head restraints (on all seats), roof rails, tilt and slide steering column, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors and luggage compartment covers. Brakes are disc all round, ventilated at the front.
 
Front electric windows on Comfortline models become front and rear on Trendline and Highline versions and 15 inch steel wheels with  -195/65R15 tyres become 16 inch steels on 205/55R16 treads on the Trendline - and 16 inch Hockenheim alloys on the Highline trim.
 
Trendline models also get height adjustable driver and passenger front seats, cruise control, folding table in the driver and passenger seat backrests, body coloured rear view mirrors and moldings, microtek dash inserts and chrome radiator grilles. High rolling  Highliners, pack climatic semi-automatic air conditioning, 8 speakers, darkened rear privacy glass, sport seats, leather steering wheel, handbrake and gear knob covers aluminium dash inserts front fog lamps, lockable glove box, and a chrome roof rail.
 

Volkswagen don't stress seat flexibility. But Touran does offer a choice of five or seven seats - though sales so far have been predominantly of the seven digit variety. The three separate seats each weigh less than 16 kilograms and can be individually slid forward and back, repositioned sideways, folded into a very small space or removed completely. The third row of seats, while not removable, fold flush into the floor to create flat cargo hold.
 
The load area is adaptable and extremely efficient in use. If the classic five-seat configuration is retained, the load area can hold up to 695 litres; the maximum payload, according to version, is in the region of 660 kilograms. Alternatively, if the second row of seats is removed completely and the third row retracted into the floor, the maximum load volume increases to a most impressive 1,913 litres. The figure for the 5-seat version of the Touran is actually an unbeatable 1,989 litres.
 
Having all seven seats in use, however, leaves little room for luggage - but then, sadly that's one flaw this genre has still to overcome. Another is that they'll never double as boy racers. So don't expect foot-perfect sports car handling.