Volkswagen Sharan (2010-2021) Review

The Volkswagen Sharan is an attractive proposition for anyone looking for either a seven-seat car or, specifically, a people carrier. Its styling may not be as appealing as more modern seven seat options, but the Sharan is very practical, very flexible and has been around long enough to suit almost every budget.

Its size will be off-putting to some, both in how cumbersome it can be to drive and the obvious knock-on effects with running costs (i.e fuel consumption, road tax and insurance). The smaller seven-seat alternatives from Volkswagen like the Touran and Tiguan Allspace are likely to be more appropriate if you only need seven seats very occasionally. But, if you need those seven seats almost all the time, then the Volkswagen Sharan is for you. 

Go for a Volkswagen Sharan that was registered after 2015 if you can - these cars benefited from a major facelift. 

If you’ve got a decent budget, then any Volkswagen Sharan after 2019 is preferable - this is when it received a series of upgrades and improved equipment. SE Nav and SEL are the two trims to go for. On older Volkswagen Sharans, look for the SE trim. This got chrome roof rails and tinted rear glass, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control among other items, which made driving a Volkswagen Sharan - especially if you’re not used to the size - much easier.

For engines, look for something that’s post-2015 if you can. This is when Petrol (TSI) and diesel (TDI) engines were redesigned. These turbocharged direct-injection engines were up to 15 per cent more fuel-efficient, and all conform to the Euro-6 emissions standard. TSI petrol engines are better if you’re covering lower mileages (less than 12,000 miles per year), go for a diesel if you're doing the miles to justify it.

There’s three different types of car that are similar to the Volkswagen Sharan. There’s smaller seven-seaters like the Volkswagen Touran, Vauxhall Zafira Tourer and Peugeot 5008, then there’s the cars that are similar in concept to the Sharan. 

These are the likes of the SEAT Alhambra, Ford S-MAX and, in years gone-by would have included the Renault Espace and Chrysler Voyager. Then there’s vans that have been converted into (quite often very plush) people carriers. These are the Ford Tourneo Custom and Volkswagen Caravelle.

Buying a Volkswagen usually brings with it an expectation of quality, and for the most part the Sharan scores pretty well here. Climb aboard and you definitely don't feel like you're trapped inside a glorified van - the design is typical Volkswagen-sensible but is still attractive, with everything clearly laid out and easy to understand.

The material quality is largely good too, with splashes of matte chrome and piano black here and there. It's otherwise uniformly dark plastic, so it's not exactly exciting, but it's built to last rather than thrill and given it's likely to be used to haul people and stuff around, this is no bad thing.

The infotainment that’s on offer to you as a Volkswagen Sharan buyer depends very much on its age. Cars made between 2010-2015 have a sat nav system that is very much feeling its age - the world just moves on too quickly - imagine using an iPhone from the early 2000s now… In addition, Bluetooth was not available across the board and the standard way to connect a phone was through aux-in. 

The facelift in 2015 brought things more up to date, with better connectivity, better sat nav and a larger screen. The infotainment system began to feel as though it was connecting you and your phone to the car - rather than being something to work around. It’s a simple system to use, with a mixture of side buttons and a clear screen. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth simply and - if you have a car with sat nav - it works well, with easy to understand directions. 

Sharans from 2019 get one of Vokswagen’s snazzier sat navs and a system that reads road signs to tell you of upcoming changes to speed limits.

This is the area where Volkswagen Sharan simply excels. If you’re looking for space, practicality and flexibility, then Volkswagen Sharan is pretty hard to beat. There’s plenty of space for five adults and their luggage or for seven adults to be seated. It’s roomy too. 

The shape naturally lends itself to good headroom, but there’s also plenty of leg and shoulder space too in the first and second rows, though the two seats in the back are best for kids - a couple of adults will be fine for shorter trips. Interior space is much better than the Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer or smaller Volkswagen Touran.

The Volkswagen Sharan’s seats split and fold in a 40/20/40 configuration and there’s plenty of space for luggage. With all seven seats up, there’s enough room for shopping or small cases. Drop down the two seats at the rear into the floor and the boot is huge, while folding the three in the middle row creates the kind of space you’d expect from a van. 

With all the rear seats folded, there's up to 2430 litres of space, which is more than enough for the needs of most. A particularly innovative feature is that child seats/boosters can be incorporated into the main seats in the third row (simply pull out the centre cushion of the seat to reveal child straps).

Other storage in the Volkswagen Sharan include cubbies beneath the front seats and in the floor beneath them, fold-down picnic tables on the back of the front seats and integrated sun blinds in the rear doors.

The driver gets a comfortable driving position, with a good amount of adjustment options for the seat and steering wheel. The pedals, steering wheel and driver’s seat are well aligned and not at an awkward angle and the switches and buttons are well situated and easy to use on the move.

Original engines from launch for the Volkswagen Sharan included a 1.4-litre TSI petrol, which sounds a bit on the small side for something this size. However, as it was turbocharged to deliver 150PS (around the same as a normally-aspirated 1.6-litre petrol), it had more than enough poke. The more popular option of the early engines was a 2.0-litre common rail diesel, producing 140PS or 170PS. 

It may not have been the most powerful, but it did offer a decent amount of pulling power and never appears to be over-whelmed by the car's size. The gears are spaced to aid efficiency, which means that you may find yourself in a lower gear than expected on occasions, but otherwise it's a fuss-free engine choice. The 170bhp version swaps efficiency for a little more power.

All of the original engines have the choice between a six-speed manual and smooth dual-clutch DSG gearboxes, with the exception of the 2.0-litre petrol with 200PS which has DSG only.

A 2015 revamp saw revisions to all of the diesels, bringing them up to Euro 6 standard. That means they are more powerful, more economical and emit less CO2. As a result the 2.0-litre TDI gets a 10PS power hike to 150PS, while emissions drop and fuel economy improves.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine is responsive and refined, with 340Nm of torque from 1750rpm, which means the you're never short of low-gear pull. The Volkswagen Sharan can be fitted with either a six-speed manual or DSG automatic gearbox, with both working well to distribute power evenly across the ratios.

In short, all of the engines feel well-suited to the Volkswagen Sharan, though the diesels offer more punch and better flexibility for different types of driving.

Volkswagen has done a decent job in suppressing wind and road noise - the cabin is very quiet on the move and the car is most at home on the motorway. Here, your passengers can be assured of smooth, pleasant and quiet journeys.

You get decent ride comfort, too. The suspension does an excellent job of soaking up all but the worst lumps and bumps on the road surface. DCC adaptive chassis control is also available as an option on the Volkswagen Sharan. This improves ride comfort further and allows you to soften or stiffen the suspension as you wish. 

The Volkswagen Sharan has always been packed with safety equipment - further cementing its family car reputation. There’s a comprehensive list of standard safety features, including curtain airbags, knee airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchor points (plus built-in child seats and booster seats on some versions),  and tyre pressure monitoring.

Auto-dipping headlights, lane-keeping assistance, parking assistance, automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically initiates braking after a collision. Options include an ambient traffic monitoring system, Front Assist with integrated City Emergency Braking, Lane Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), 3rd generation Park Assist (for assisted parking and exiting from parking spaces) and Blind Spot Monitor, which warns of vehicles in the blind spot when changing lanes.

The Volkswagen Sharan has been crash-tested by Euro NCAP twice, once when it was originally launched in 2010 and then again in 2019. First time around it scored five stars, but the goalposts had moved nine years later, with stricter criteria, and it was awarded only four stars. 

It’s worth noting that the second crash test generated a few headlines as the side door of the Volkswagen Sharan being tested fell off on impact. Euro NCAP docked the model one point for this flaw and said that although the overall performance of the vehicle was not compromised, there could be, in extreme circumstances, a risk of ejection.

No Volkswagen Sharan has either a full-size or spacesaver spare wheel. Instead, they come with a compressor and a repair kit. This is fine for smaller punctures, but could leave you stranded if there’s more substantial damage.

The Volkswagen Sharan didn't feature in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, but during its lifespan there have been a few problems reported for things such as electrical issues. It's also worth noting that DSG gearboxes have been known to cause problems particularly on early cars where maintenance has not been carried out correctly, so take a close look at the service history.

As a brand Volkswagen finished a solid 10th overall out of 30 manufacturers in the same survey.

There’s a narrow band of insurance groups for the Volkswagen Sharan, ranging from 19 for the least powerful to 25 for the cars with larger and more powerful engines. That compares well to similar models like the SEAT Alhambra and Ford Galaxy.

Sharans are available under both the older and newer VED road tax systems. 

Under the older system, which ran until April 2017, Sharan engines fell into bands D-J. It’s worth paying attention, as that’s a wide spread. At the cheaper end, you’ll be looking at just over £100 a year in road tax, but at the upper end it’s in excess of £300.

Under the newer system, almost all Sharans attract the flat rate of £165. But, there are some that sneak in above the £40,000 threshold and will be much more expensive to tax - £520 for the first five years after registration.

Trims from launch were S, SE and SEL. 

The Volkswagen Sharan S is the entry-level model and has an alarm with interior monitoring, parking brake with auto hold, electric child locks on the rear doors, front and rear electric windows, driver and front passenger airbags, driver's knee airbag, side airbag along all three rows of seats, driver's seat-height adjustment, front centre armrest, Climatronic air conditioning front and rear, a CD stereo with eight speakers, connectivity, DAB digital radio receiver and 16-inch alloy wheels. 

Volkswagen Sharan SE models benefit from a multi-function steering wheel, auto dimming rear-view mirror with rain sensor, under-seat drawers for the driver and passenger, height adjustment for both seats with electric back rest adjustment, ‘load-through' function for front passenger seat, front and rear parking sensors, Bluetooth, chrome trim and 16-inch ‘Memphis' alloy wheels. 

Volkswagen Sharan SEL is the range-topping model and adds sport comfort seats with Alcantara upholstery, heated front seats, tinted glass, heated windscreen washer jets, brushed aluminium inserts, cruise control, a CD autochanger, front fog lights, panoramic sunroof, chrome roof rails and 17-inch ‘Sydney' alloy wheels.

From 2015, Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, Bluetooth phone connection and three-zone Climatronic air conditioning became standard across the range, Volkswagen Sharan SE trim gained chrome roof rails and tinted rear glass, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control among other items, while the range-topping Volkswagen Sharan SEL trim got Front Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control, panoramic sunroof, Alcantara upholstery and Discover Navigation with CarNet Guide and Inform. 

The Volkswagen Sharan SE Navigation model joined the range. Based on the mid-range SE trim it added Discover Navigation with CarNet Guide and Inform for an additional £675.

A further refresh in 2019 brought Discover Navigation as standard across the range, plus a blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert including lane assist, and dynamic road sign display. Due to the standard fitment of Discover Navigation, SE trim was removed, meaning the Sharan range from this date begins with S and moves up to SE Nav then SEL.