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With plenty of room, a superbly-equipped cabin, a quiet and stable drive and the added attraction of automated rear doors, the new Volkswagen Sharan is an ideal family carrier.

In the mid-90s, the Sharan was a product of a joint venture with Ford, resulting in the first-generation Ford Galaxy and the Seat Alhambra. They parted ways in 2006 and the resultant new Galaxy and S-Max shared Mondeo underpinnings, but Volkswagen continued with the existing Sharan.

Styling

The Sharan bears a strong resemblance to the Golf and the Polo as it has the usual Volkswagen family look with clear, horizontal lines as well as Touran-style taillights. The designers intended this new-generation Sharan to be one of the most aerodynamic MPVs in the market.

The rather unimaginative looks can be forgiven by the panoramic full-length sunroof, as well as the automated sliding doors, which open and close so easily.

Comfort and Roominess

With MPV buyers, looks are not top priority; rather, it is the comfort and the drive that matter and Volkswagen certainly has done quite a bit of improvement and innovation in the inside.

It has massive boot space and the five rear seats are easily folded completely flat, creating a roomy 2,297 litre luggage carrying area. The third row will seat two adults, albeit a little less comfortably if travelling on a long journey; but what is neat about it is that this row flips down smoothly simply with the tug of a single handle. The second row tilts forward and allows for easy access into the third row and this row, too, folds away just as swiftly.

Legroom in the second row is excellent when the seats are slid all the way back and decent when they are moved forward to accommodate passengers in the third row. With the seats up, the Sharan offers 375 litres of boot capacity. There is also available a cargo management system, which consists of two movable telescopic rails anchored at the sides to accommodate a net that is stretched across them for securing loose items.

Folding can be done with one hand, but putting the third row back into position through the back door requires a bit more effort and reach.

Electric sliding doors

The Sharan's electrically operated sliding doors and tailgate provide great convenience, particularly in tight places. They are appealing as the driver can open and close the rear doors using controls mounted on the dashboard or via the key fob. The doors and tailgate do however, take some time to slide or swing open.

Superbly equipped

The car is also very children-friendly, an important feature for a family MPV. There are fold-up tables at the back of the front seats giving kids a place to place their toys, pore over homework or take their meals. The automatic sliding doors and the rear windows have an anti-pinch safety mechanism, which tells the doors and windows to stop closing if they encounter stray limbs or other objects in their way.

Volkswagen has given the Sharan a practical yet versatile interior, loading up the car with impressive gadgets. Standard kit includes equipment like bi-Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights, panoramic sunroof, KESSY keyless operation, Sat Nav, electrically operated tailgate and sliding doors, three-zone climate control, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, leather seats, roof rails and seven airbags. A cost option which most Sharan owners should take up is the Park Assist system, which supports both parallel and perpendicular parking to help the Sharan park itself.

Performance and handling

For a very large car which is just short of five metres in length, the Sharan handles surprisingly well. It does not drive like a typical clumsy MPV. While it does not provide oodles of fun driving, it does at least make you feel like you are piloting a car that is smaller, thanks to its light steering and the Park Assist option.

The Sharan is powered by the familiar 2-litre TSI turbocharged inline-four engine, which churns out 200bhp and 280Nm of torque. For a car of Sharan?s girth, that is quite impressive, especially considering that the 1790kg Sharan accelerates from rest to 100km/h in 8.3 seconds and onto a top speed of 221km/h.

The Sharan rides well, in fact, so well and refined that it could be Volkswagen?s best riding model in its range here. The cabin is well insulated from outside noise even while cruising on expressways and long drives and feels stable and solid on the ground at higher speeds.

It comes with a standard automatic stop/start and an energy regeneration system to help keep fuel economy and emissions competitive