Family favourite: Grace, pace and space, the Touran has the lot to make it the ideal family vehicle

Volkswagen reckons its Touran Sport could be the answer for drivers who need the convenience of amultipurpose vehicle but really want a Golf Gti.

It has all the cup-holders and amazing seating permutations you could want but uses the new Golf chassis and is powered by a pokey 150 bhp 2.0-litre engine. The best of all worlds then?

Initially, at least, your hopes of an exciting drive take a bit of a battering.

It may be called a Sport in the brochure but, apart from the alloy wheels, there's nothing to mark the Touran out as anything special. It's nothing too fancy, just a clean design ready to get on with the job.

Climb aboard and it's pretty much the same story.

Everything looks and feels functional. The interior colours are black and grey.

The only visual relief to the coalbunker feel is a silver trim around the doors and fascia.

From the driver's seat, though, it all looks and feels rather good. The instruments are backlit in calming blues and reds, the instruments are straightforward and clear and the leather-trimmed steering adjusts for rake and reach, making it easy to achieve the perfect driving position.

Volkswagen has chosen quality materials throughout and everything feels as though it will last for a very long time.

With seven seats arranged in three rows, the Touran is very flexible. The middle row adjusts forwards, backwards and folds down. When you are sick of doing that, each chair can be removed. The rear bench folds into the floor to release more luggage space, which is among the best in class. VW reckons there are more than 500 seating permutations with this lot and I can believe them.

There are cubby holes and drinks holders everywhere.

Even the roof lining conceals two handy holders and a place to put your sunglasses.

The centre console was taken up by a six-CD autochanger on our test car but there's so much space elsewhere I doubt you'll be bothered.

It's the way the Touran drives, and not the wellexecuted interior, that will put a smile on your face.

All the controls operate with a well-damped feel, the sixspeed gearbox slots into each ratio with a precise motion, the clutch is easy to operate and even the brakes, sometimes a VW Achilles' heel, are firm without being fierce.

This quality operating environment is allied to beautifully matched suspension that gives the Touran the ride of a much larger - and far more expensive - car. On the move this car feels very sophisticated indeed.

Although the Sport has an electronic stability programme, I found it was still possible to spin the wheels away from a junction on greasy roads, nothing too dramatic but I had to be careful.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine is smooth and powerful. At a track the Touran wouldn't stand a chance pitched against a Vauxhall Zafira GSI Turbo but it has enough power to keep up with fastmoving traffic. Sixth gear is very much an overdrive for making the most of every precious drop of petrol. You'll need to work the box if you require swift acceleration.

The Touran offers a degree of maturity and control unmatched by any other car in this class. Grace, pace and space, the Touran has got the lot.

Costing £19,290 the difference between the Touran and a Zafira Sri or a 2.0-litre Grand Scenic is now negligible but both still lag behind the VW's classy feel and superior image. If it were my money I know where I'd be heading.

12/02/05