Key facts:
Model tested: Volkswagen Touran 1.4 TSI 103bhp manual
Price: £17,585
Date tested: November 2010
Road tester: Martin Gurdon

The Volkswagen Touran is one of those quietly successful cars which gets on with the job of being sensible and practical in an unobtrusive way.

The latest version represents a comprehensive design makeover, with a broad range of physical and mechanical upgrades designed to keep the car competitive in a busy market.

The front wings have been re-profiled, and new door mirrors fitted. The bonnet and bumpers have been changed too, as have the tail lamps. The result is understated and harmonious, and fits in well with the Touran's square-cut profile.

Inside, the changes are more subtle. Instrument dials have been re-styled, controls for the entertainment and climate functions revised, and a three-spoke steering wheel fitted for the first time. There have also been changes to some trim materials and finishes.

Volkswagen has been fitting a lot of its petrol models with smaller capacity, turbocharged petrol engines that go as well as their bigger predecessors, but are cleaner and more frugal. This can now be applied to the Touran, which for the first time is available with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine developing 103bhp and 129lb ft of pulling power.

This is a smooth, free-revving engine, although it sounds busy when worked hard. It's more than capable in the Touran, and Volkswagen claims 11.9 seconds from 0-60mph and a 115 mph top speed.

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At motorway speeds it's quiet and relaxed, and although there isn't a huge amount of urge in sixth gear, it's never flaccid, and changing down to fifth pepped things up for overtaking. There are also 1.6 and 2-litre diesel engines available.

The steering is light but direct, and the car handles with unobtrusive precision, cornering without a huge amount of roll, sticking to its line and letting the driver know in plenty of time when it's running out of grip.

The Touran rides pliantly, quietly and comfortably, even when not weighted down with people and their luggage.

Once installed, two children would be perfectly comfortable in the rearmost seats, and a pair of adults would fit without wrapping their knees around their ears, and there's plenty of head and shoulder room. With the third row of seats up, luggage space is limited. Everyone else has plenty of space.

The seat folding mechanisms, which see the rearmost seats fold flat into the floor, and the trio of middle seats tip and collapse out of the way, are painless to use.

There are three trim levels, but even the cheapest S gets air conditioning, alloy wheels, roof rails, a CD stereo, anti-lock brakes (ABS), and electronic stability programme (ESP) and six airbags.

User friendly is a good description for the Touran. It isn't flashy, but it is robust, well thought out, classy and nice to use.