Carbuyer Magazine – August 2019

SEVEN seats,apractical interior andarangeof efficient enginesmean

the VW Sharanis well preparedforfamily life.Aboxybody meansit’s

agreat solutionforactivefamilies, and it’s alsosurprisingly easyto

drive.Butbeforeyousign on the dotted line, beawarethatthe

Sharan’ssistercar,theSEATAlhambra,is just asversatile andhas

aboutasmuchequipment,butit’scheaperto buyin the first place.

Petrol powercomesfromanageing1.4 TSIengingproducing

148bhp,while the 2.0-litreTDI dieselhaseither 148 or 175bhp.

Foracar most likelyusedforhaulingafullcomplement of

passengersfrom timeto time, the dieselsare abetter bet.

Inside, thereare Isofixpoints on allthree second-rowseats, and

theyslide andfoldindependently ofeachother,too.Bootspace

rangesfrom 375 litresin seven-seat mode (still aboutasmuchspace

asaGolf),to amaximum of 2,297 litreswith allseats flatto the floor.

The Sharanis one of the best cars in itsclass;it’scomfortable, and

boasts an impressiveenginerange, good quality interior,spacefor

sevenpassengers,plusexcellent safety credentials. It’s not perfect

though; thetop-of-the-rangemodelsare ratherexpensiveand the

stylingisalittledull, so it’sworthconsideringrivalsliketheCitroen

Grand C4SpaceTourer,Renault Grand Scenic andFord S-MAX.

“The Sharan isasensible, practical

and capable seven-seat MPV,

but it’s expensive”

Refined, high-qualityinterior,

practical and versatile

Quiteexpensive, modern

rivals cheaper,plainstyling

Da

ta

Sheet

Engines:1.4petrol,2.0diesel

Trim levels:S, SE Nav,SEL

Economy:40-45mpg

Road tax:£145-£465

0-62:8.9-10.7sEuro NCAP:★★★★★★★★★★

Price £32,300-£40,110

Ourpick

2.0TDI 150PS

SE Nav

£34,945

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Volkswagen Sharan

Carbuyerrating

★★★★★★★★ 4.1/ 5

Owners’rating

★★★★★★ ★3.3/5