It was on a small road that runs out of the town of Ballinrobe, in Co Mayo, far out in the west of Ireland, that Volkswagen's versatile Touran gave up the technological ghost.

The DVD satellite navigation system, which had guided us unerringly for close to 450 miles, via Stena Line's Holyhead ferry and along moderately recent additions to the UK and Irish networks like the Midland Expressway and Dublin's M4 toll road, now simply read: Off road'.

Admittedly, the lane to Hall's Angling Centre, at Cahir Bay, on the eastern shore of Lough Mask, has its share of grass growing up the middle, but off-road still seemed a little harsh.

The German-built Touran itself is anything but harsh, and the 2007 model now wears the distinctive Volkswagen face', with new lights similar to those on the Eos coupe-cabriolet, as well as a new bumper and grille section.

At the rear, the lights and bumper have also been modified and updated to give a modern look. Inside, the Touran gains new trim and materials, including a stainless steel finish to the dials and upgraded standard equipment.

Seven seats are standard, with the rearmost two folding flat into the floor when not required and with up to 35 storage areas inside, you can virtually guarantee putting something away and never being able to find it again.

The model line-up for the Touran, which competes against the Renault Scenic and Vauxhall Zafira, remains as before with S, SE and Sport trim levels.

All models have 15-inch alloy wheels, a CD player, air conditioning, remote control central locking and cruise control; the SE adds 16-inch alloy wheels, an alarm and body-coloured trims; Sport gains a CD autochanger, tinted glass from the B-pillar back, aluminium interior trim and rear parking sensors as standard.

The test model carried the most powerful engine in the six-engine range - a 2.0-litre turbodiesel, which despite having a meaty 170 horsepower on tap still reeled off well over 40mpg.

The attention to detail evident throughout the car is neatly demonstrated by the design of the windscreen wipers. Every time the wipers are switched off, the mechanism moves them slightly upwards to reverse the angle at which the rubber blades are parked, helping to prolong their working life. And every time the Touran comes to a halt in traffic, the wiper speed is automatically reduced to the next-lower setting and as soon as the vehicle is moving again, the original wiper speed is restored.

Wipers are something motorists in the west of Ireland take seriously, as they get more than their fair share of use.

But, as it happens, our trip coincided with a rare string of sunny, rain-free days, and it suits me just fine if this out-of-the-way haven never makes it on to the display screen of any navigation system.