2016 Volkswagen Sharan
If you have a large family or you spend lots of time behind the wheel as part of your job then there’s few cars as useful as an MPV. However, of all the ones currently on sale only a few are full size 7-seaters. Not only is the Volkswagen Sharan one of them but it’s the closest you can get to an airliner on wheels!
The Volkswagen Sharan is functional, practical and has more storage cubbies than a branch of Ikea. It may take you a while to get your ideal driving position once you sit in but that’s because once you’re sat behind the steering wheel you realise that there’s still acres of head room. So, this really is the ideal MPV for people that are extremely tall and like dressing as wizards at the weekend. If you’ve got a propensity for hoarding then the Sharan is also perfect for you as there are so many cubbies dotted around the dash and even airline style overhead compartments. This is just the start, there are enough cup holders for everyone in the vehicle. There’s also draws under the front seats, which are perfect to hide your valuables and another huge storage cubby on top of the dashboard. Normally we find that people don’t tend to use these but this one’s so big that you can put things such as an iPad in there.
The dashboard looks smart and the SE Nav version gets a 6.5 inch infotainment system. You can also get the Sharan with a £125 app connect option which brings you Android Auto, Apple Car Play and Mirror Link. Unfortunately, the system is not all that intuitive and we struggled to get our mobiles to work with Android Auto.
A much better option to fit to this car are the electric sliding rear doors. For an extra £625 you get an extra couple of buttons slapped on the dashboard. The first time you roll to a stop, press them and the passengers doors nicely slide open to allow your passengers jump in. It’s then when you know it’s money well spent. In fact, the side doors are the Sharan’s best party trick because if you find yourself pulling into a tight parking space, like we have so many in the UK, then you can get really good access without worrying about bumping the car next to you.
The Sharan gives you so much flexibility in the back too. Each of the three middle seats can slide independently which can adjust either the amount of leg room for the third row or the amount of boot space if you have them folded down. If you want to get into the third row then you can simply tilt and push the seats forward on doing so it really makes it easy to climb in.
Even with all seven seats in place you’re able to fit a large amount of luggage into the 300 litre boot which is really impressive. Fold all the rear seats down and this space increases up to 2297 litres which is about as big as you can get without going for a van.
While some of the larger 7-seater MPVs are van based the Sharan has been built from the ground up. You can really tell that this is the case because there’s a sophistication to the way the chassis soaks up bumps and turns into corners which makes the drive very satisfying. While this may seem like a small point for an MPV it means that the driver and passengers really do get a more comfortable journey which can only be a good thing. If you opt for the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) then there are different settings for normal, comfort and sport modes. The DCC certainly makes the Sharan drive even better and allows you to firm up the drive should you want to. However, the standard set up is so good that we don’t really think people will need it.
Engines range from a 113 bhp diesel to either a petrol (or diesel) with 148 bhp and finally a range topping diesel with 181 bhp. All come as standard with a 6-speed manual but you can get an automatic DSG gearbox on all but the entry level models. We would say that it’s the mid-range diesel with automatic gearbox that’s the sweet spot in the range. This is because the manual is a little notchy and after a full day of driving it could get a little bit tiring.
In 2015 Volkswagen updated the Sharan with their latest Euro6 engines which boosted efficiency by around 15%. They claim that the Sharan can achieve 56 mpg which should be achievable as long as your journey takes into account motorway driving.
The VW Sharan starts from around £26k which slightly but cleverly undercuts the Ford Galaxy. Like a sports car which is designed to smash lap records it feels like the design team for the Sharan had a brief and have absolutely nailed it. If you simply need to transport lots of people and their equipment then there are few better tools for the job. Its easy-fold seating system, sliding rear doors and pleasant drive means it’s as good for passengers as it is for the driver. Feel free to search for new and used VW Sharan cars for sale on DesperateSeller.co.uk.
