Volkswagen Sharan (2009-2015) Review and Prices

To keep running costs low, the Sharan is available with two 2.0-litre diesel engines and a smaller 1.4-litre petrol.

One of the diesel engines makes the most sense in the Sharan, because they cope better than the petrol engine when the large MPV is fully loaded. The less powerful 148hp version is expected to be the bestseller because it has enough power to get the car from 0-62mph in 10.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph – quick enough to mean it doesn’t need to work too hard on the motorway.

Fuel economy of 55mpg isn’t too bad in a car of the Sharan’s size and CO2 emissions of 132g/km.

The 182hp diesel can please the 0-62mph dash in 9.6 seconds and its extra power also translates into swifter motorway overtakes. It costs almost exactly the same as the cheaper 148hp diesel engine to run.

The only petrol engine available in the UK is an 148hp 1.4-litre unit that can return fuel economy of 44mpg. It sprints from 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds, but struggles a little when the car is fully loaded with people and a luggage and doesn’t have the mid-range grunt that makes the diesel models better suited to high-speed overtakes.

Buyers can choose to fit their Sharans with six-speed manual or six-speed DSG automatic gearboxes.

The only petrol engine available in the UK is an 148hp 1.4-litre unit that can return fuel economy of 44mpg. It sprints from 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds, but struggles a little when the car is fully loaded with people and a luggage and doesn’t have the mid-range grunt that makes the diesel models better suited to high-speed overtakes.

Buyers can choose to fit their Sharans with six-speed manual or six-speed DSG automatic gearboxes.

The steering has a nice weight to it and feels accurate making it easy to drive quickly through a series of corners. If you’re looking for a more engaging drive, combined with a practical interior, its worth taking a Ford S-Max for a spin. Its genuinely fun to drive, but isn’t quite as roomy as the Sharan.

The Sharan’s even more at home on the motorway, though, where its engines provide plenty of power and its interior remains very quiet – with little wind or road noise.