VW's "tour" bus. (WIP).

First there was the Toureg, VW's first SUV, and cousin to Porsche's Cayenne. Now comes the Touran, a minivan built off the next generation Golf platform and built by a new company, Auto 5,000 GmbH. (The 2005 Microbus will be built by the same company in VW's plant in Hanover, Germany.) VW turned over Buildings 8,9 and 10 at its headquarters in Wolfsburg so that a "factory within a factory" could be established for production of the Touran. New employees will receive nine months of training before they qualify as "general automobile production workers." A voluntary program lets them train for an additional two years as "automobile construction workers," after which they receive a certificate from the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The program is part of an effort to reduce obstacles that prevent plants located in high-cost areas, like Germany, from building competitively priced vehicles. VW says its Auto 5,000 GmbH subsidiary will create 3,500 new jobs at its Wolfsburg facility, and a Further 1,500 a t its Hanover plant (hence the Auto 5,000 name) when the Microbus reaches full production.

The Touran comes standard with seating for five (it can be upgraded to seat seven], has storage compartments/bins/shelves, and 17 possible interior seating/stowage configurations. With four conventional doors, the Touran mimics Opel's similarly sized Zafira van, and like that European trend setter is unlikely to make the trip across the Atlantic, where it would have to compete with vehicles like Chrysler's PT Cruiser and VW's own Jetta wagon. North American van needs will be met by the Passat-based VW Microbus in 2005.

Initially, Touran buyers will be able to choose From one gasoline, and two diesel engines, each of which are mated to a six-speed transverse gearbox. A manual version is standard, with an automatic available for the gasoline engine. Diesel buyers will have to wait until the Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG)--a six-speed manual fitted with an automatic clutch and a fully automatic drive option--comes online later in the year. Not long after, it's expected that versions of the gasoline-powered 1.8-liter turbo-charged four-cylinder and VRG will join the lineup.

The Touran features electrically boosted power steering, three-point seatbelts at all seating positions, four-wheel disc brakes, vehicle stability control, ABS, and standard central locking. In addition, passengers in the first two rows have head-curtain airbags, while those in front also get front seat air bags and active head restraints. The second row seats can be removed, while the third row Folds into the floor.