UPDATE 1: We included the official press release below the break (1/16).

When he’s not waving to the crowds atop the white, open-air jeepney, His Holiness Pope Francis will be using the Volkswagen Touran as his official car in Manila when he attends private meetings and functions. You could say therefore that it’s the alternative Popemobile during his visit here.

Photos by Ulysses Ang

The Touran is a seven-seater?! This is the all-too common reaction when you show them Volkswagen Philippines’s entry in the MPV market. And who could blame them? At just 4,397-mm in length, it’s about the same size as a compact sedan, not an MPV. But before they could pass further judgment, they open the door and step inside. Then it makes them realize: the size is just right. Truly, an MPV shouldn’t be judged by its exterior, but by what it does with the interior. In that regard, the Volkwagen Touran comes out as a perfectly-proportioned MPV; a great choice to ferry the family around Manila’s small roads.