VOLKSWAGEN'S latest Touran is now on sale in the UK and the versatile seven seater has been tweaked and updated.

Building on the fact that more than 1.13 million have been sold across Europe, VW's designers introduced a new front end with horizontal details that bring it into line with Golf, Polo and the equally new Touareg.

At the same time, whilst acknowledging the appeal of the established model, they added redesigned light clusters with LED's and increased the load space from 695 to 1,913 litres by getting the third row of seats and the second row to fold away.

Added to this, there are 35 different storage compartments around the vehicle, whilst two petrol and four diesel units give buyers a wide choice of power options.

The petrol engines are the 1.2 TSI 105ps with either standard or BlueMotion efficiency measures, and a 1.4 140ps unit married to a six-speed manual or seven speed DSG automatic system. The diesel line-up includes a 1.6 (90 or 105ps) or a 2.0-litre, 140 or 170ps.

I drove the 2.0-litre diesel and not only do I think it is powerful enough to haul seven people plus their luggage, it is also frugal on the use of fuel with 61.4mpg being claimed at best.

Around town it is claimed to return is 42.8mpg and overall VW is saying 53.3mpg is attainable with the CO2 emission rating at 140g/km - good news for cash conscious family motorists.

In November VW's eco BlueMotion technology will be offered with the diesel line-up.

BlueMotion is a remarkable VW designed system that comes complete with the assistance of low rolling resistance tyres, battery regeneration and a computer programme which optimises fuel consumption, it will make the new Touran even more economic, a lot greener and the most efficient MPV Volkswagen has ever produced.

The Touran started life looking like a van with windows but it has evolved into a curvy MPV without loosing any interior space.

As I settled inside I checked it out and was impressed by the  wide comfortable seats in 'Miu' cloth, the leather trimmed multifunctional steering wheel, the high quality trim that all VW products are noted for, and the standard equipment which includes air conditioning, alloy wheels, roof rails, CD stereo, ABS, ESP and six airbags on the front and second rows of seats.

Out on the roads I enjoyed the quietness of the cabin, the panoramic all round views (a must for any seven seater), the carefully weighted steering and the smooth six-speed gearchange.

I was delighted with the instant response to the accelerator. With a top speed of 125mph it handled  more like a sporty Golf than an MPV, yet it was stable under braking, sure footed around corners, and I was satisfied that this vehicle, even when fully laden, could cruise all day long without any engine strain or without any hint of slip or slide.

For such a bulky vehicle parking can be a problem for some people, but this new model comes complete with the latest generation of ParkAssist, a system that is capable of of guiding it into spaces at right angles as well as parallel. I tried it out and found it faultless.

I also explored the folding seats and discovered that this too was an easy option. The rear ones folded flat into the floor, and made  more than enough room for the weekly shopping.

With prices ranging from £17,585 to £25,535 (the 2.0-litre SE TDI 140ps I drove carried a price tag of £22,530, and fell into insurance group 19E) and with three trim levels as well as the differing engines to choose from, I feel VW has fine tuned this popular model with a great degree of success, and I imagine sales will continue their upward curve.