VW Volkswagen Sharan New Car Review - Car Reviews

Volkswagen Sharan

VERDICT:

What was once a state-of-the-art people carrier has got old. But the VW Volkswagen Sharan is still good enough. Just

Performance

Another range of cars that's based on one bodyshell. You've got the choice of the Seat Alhambra or the Volkswagen Sharan. There's a big choice of both petrol and diesel engines throughout all three models. The VW and Seat petrol ranges start with a 115bhp 2.0 which isn't big enough to power it comfortably while the Sharan has both a 150bhp 1.8-litre turbo and a 143bhp 2.3-litre petrol. There's Volkswagen's elderly 1.9- litre diesel with 90 and 115bhp while both the Seat and VW have the newer and very torquey 2.0 TDI with 138bhp. It's smooth, refined and makes the cars feel quite fast, having lots of useable torque throughout the power band.

Driving

A little bit too soft. Take a corner using too many horses and you're suddenly bobbing along to the sea-sickening sway of body roll. Now, this is partially unfair, because the nature of an MPV demands a particularly soft approach to suspension, but if the kids have motion sickness by the end of your street, it's not right.

Space

As a very large MPV, there's plenty of space for all seven occupants. Head and legroom is good, both in the middle and third row - and the second row is comfortably wide enough for three adults. Space behind the rear seats is small at just 259 litres, and the seats need to removed one by one (and not folded into the floor, making it a heavy job) to add luggage space. In total there's a huuuuuge 2,610 litres.

Build Quality

The interior has a very classy, well built, Volkswageny feel to it. The materials are all top notch and the switches have excellent damping. Plus, close the door and there's a solid thunk. Engines and running gear should be sound, but all three models attract complaint in our owner survey.

Equipment

You can expect every model to come with air-conditioning and a CD player, but only the more expensive models come equipped with alloy wheels. Leather and a sunroof are both options, as is an automatic gearbox, but only on the top trim level.

Safety

Six airbags come as standard, as well as anti-lock brakes. Traction and stability control are both standard on the top- end models, but are an option on the lower specifications.

Owning

The fuel economy is poor, except for the diesels, and insurance groups start at 11. Although the cars are still poular, they're a bit long in the tough and so their residuals won't be fantastic either.

Value

Pricing is actually quite reasonable, but not as cheap as some larger MPVs - such as the Citroen C8. You can expect some heavy discounting on the Sharan by VW's dealers, but don't forget the identical Seat Alhambra is already cheaper, with a similar spec.

Verdict