2021 Volkswagen Sharan - INTERIOR | Great small Minivan

2021 Volkswagen Sharan - INTERIOR

Volkswagen is unveiling the 2010 Sharan, its third-gen small minivan, at the Geneva auto show. The revised VeeDub bolsters the compact vanlet segment in Europe following the recent debuts of the new Ford Grand C-Max, Mazda 5, and Opel Meriva.

Serving as an authentic VW people mover—rather than a tarted-up Chrysler Town & Country—the 2010 Sharan grows in almost every dimension, while also gaining a dose or two of refinement and practicality. To give an idea of the extent of the revisions, VW says the only components carried over from the previous model are the sun visors. Riding on a 115.0-inch wheelbase, the new Sharan is 8.7 inches longer at 190.9, 3.6 inches wider at 74.8, and 0.5 inch lower at 67.7.

While the added size allows for the Sharan’s first-time fitment of sliding rear doors, it also necessitates a more-powerful menu of gasoline and diesel engines. A pair of direct-injected turbo fours running on gas offer outputs of 150 and 200 hp, while the 2.0-liter TDI turbo-diesel comes in 140- and 170-hp strengths. All-wheel drive is available, as are dual-clutch DSG automated manual gearboxes; six-speed manual transmissions are standard, save for the top-of-the-line TDI variant, which comes standard with the DSG. Engine start/stop technology and an energy-recuperation system that captures wasted kinetic energy to help power the vehicle’s electrical system contribute to fuel economy as high as 43 mpg in the combined European cycle. VW claims a maximum range of up to 805 miles with the low-power diesel model, thanks to the Sharan’s 18.5-gallon tank.

While MPVs rarely generate much buzz curbside, the Sharan wears its new VW corporate sheetmetal well, like a big Golf hatchback that got stretched in a centrifuge. It’s not in-your-face like the Meriva with its rear-hinged “suicide” doors, but more of a clean, understated look that nicely incorporates the brand’s latest design cues, as seen on the 2010 Golf and Jetta SportWagen, as well as the 2011 Touareg.

With up to 81 cubic feet of cargo room behind the first row, VW’s vanlet offers vast potential inside. Five-passenger seating is standard, with options to increase that to six or seven occupants. Unlike the previous model, in which the second and third rows had to be removed for additional space, all of the rear seats in the new Sharan can be folded flat into the floor to create a level load surface—a system VW calls EasyFold. The second row also reclines and can slide fore and aft up to 6.3 inches.