Following on from the launch of the CrossPolo and CrossGolf earlier this year, Volkswagen is now completing (unless, that is, the company plans to jack up the Jetta...) its family of soft-roaders with the presentation of the new CrossTouran. In essence, the car is a plastic body kitted version of the standard Touran minivan blessed with an extra road clearance and a more rugged, off-road look.
Styling elements borrowed from SUV models include the cladded lower parts of the front and rear bumpers and the black grained protective strips on the doors, the chunky wheel arch extensions and the new side sills. The 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 215 tires up front and 235s at the back plus the matt aluminium roof rails complete the exterior package.
And while the CrossTouran may fool with its looks, the vehicle's off road ability hasn't really been enhanced, as the only difference with the standard Touran concerns the longer suspension springs which add 20mm of ground clearance over the standard model.
Inside, VW added some colorful seat cover patterns along with decorative trim in stainless steel look and a leather steering wheel plus leather trim on gearlever knob and handbrake lever.
The lifted Touran will be available in Europe with the same TDI diesel, TSI turbocharged gasoline and natural gas engine options as the standard model ranging in power from 105HP to 170HP. The new CrossTouran can be ordered in Germany now from a starting price of €27,700 (about US$36,000 at today's exchange rates).
