VOLKSWAGEN has a well-proven record for producing vehicles to suit customer demand and the latest Touran is another fine example of that theory.

With its clean lines and versatility in abundance, the five-door Touran is the ideal compact multi-purpose vehicle.

Admittedly, there are bigger MPVs available and some have a more eye-catching design, but the new Touran is an excellent all-round package with plenty of top notch features all at an affordable price.

One function that has to be praised is the ease in which the seating patterns can be altered.

Oh too often, manufacturers supply an MPV and claim that seats can easily and quickly be removed, folded flat etc. And, oh too often seats end up half folded with fingers trapped and lots of burbling to send the air blue.

That's not the case with the Touran. VW claims the three rows of seats offer maximum flexibility and that the second row of three individual seats can, in a few easy movements, slide forwards or backwards, move sideways, fold down or even be removed completely. And to be fair to VW, they can.

In addition, the third row of seats - which are ideal for children - can also be folded away when not required.

The test model was certainly easy on the eye with roof rails, body-coloured bumpers and door handles, smart alloys, heat insulated tinted glass, snazzy light clusters plus plenty more.

And once inside, there are plenty of creature comforts to be admired. The interior boasts what can only be described as a relatively simplistic design and this adds to its appeal because all dials and controls are very easy to operate without being distracted from the road ahead by fiddly little buttons tucked way in awkward positions.

On board features include an efficient air conditioning system, rain sensors, a leather multi-function steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity, an automatic dimming rearview mirror, a touchscreen sat nav system with integrated voice control, a 30GB hard drive and an audio system that is compatible with all modern day music devices.

The comfort levels within the Touran are good and there is a pleasantly light and spacious atmosphere.

The driver benefits from excellent all-round visibility and the rearview camera (optional extra at £220) is an added bonus when reversing or squeezing into tight parking spaces.

In and around town, the Touran proved nimble and easy to manoeuvre. And then out on the faster motorways, the 2.0-litre diesel-driven engine provided sufficient power.

Admittedly, the Touran is not the fastest out of the starting blocks, but it can easily hold its own with faster moving motorway traffic and acceleration through the six-speed manual transmission was responsive and smooth.

Storage options are plentiful thanks mainly to the flexible seating plan, although with all seats in an upright position there is only really enough boot space for a few shopping bags.

Elsewhere, there are numerous smaller compartments throughout the cabin including two useful overhead bins.

The Touran boasts a comprehensive list of safety specifications, including anti-lock brakes, electronic stabilisation programme, numerous airbags, hydraulic brake assist and an effective alarm to keep away any uninvited attention.

All in all, the Touran is super compact MPV which is affordable and comes with all the trimmings.