The
Volkswagen Sharan is a large MPV produced by the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automakerThe automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
VolkswagenVolkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
since 1995.
First generation (1995-2010)
The name Sharan is derived from a
PersianPersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
word meaning "Carrier of Kings".
The
Volkswagen GroupVolkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
subsequently
rebadgedBadge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
the Sharan in 1996, and sold it as the
SEAT AlhambraThe SEAT Alhambra is a large 7-seat MPV by the Volkswagen Group, sold under the SEAT brand.The Alhambra already spans two generations since 1996, and both of them are built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal...
alongside the Sharan. All variants were produced at the joint venture plant
AutoEuropaAutoEuropa - Automóveis Lda. is a motor vehicle assembly plant, located in the city of Palmela, Portugal.-Foundation:After signature of a joint venture agreement between Volkswagen Group and Ford in July 1991, the 2million sqm plant was built in four years, including a surrounding industrial park...
in
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, alongside the closely related
Ford GalaxyThe first Galaxy was designed as a joint venture product between Ford and the Volkswagen Group. Produced at the joint-venture AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, the vehicle was badge-engineered to create three vehicles: the Ford Galaxy; by Volkswagen Passenger Cars as the Volkswagen Sharan;...
. Each of the three MPV models had its own subtle differences in exterior, and, for the Galaxy, in interior design. The first generation's initial design was completed under
Greg M GreesonGreg M. Greeson is an American automotive designer and entrepreneur.- Design work :Greeson graduated from the Art Center College of Design in 1977. He has worked as a designer for a number of automobile firms. His career began at General Motors' German subsidiary, Adam Opel AG, in 1977...
, an American designer employed in Volkswagen's Advanced Design Studio in Duesseldorf, Germany from 1989 to 1990.
As of 2007, the annual production for the Sharan is in the 50,000 unit range; it is sold in Europe, South Africa and some Asia-Pacific and Latin American countries. In
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
it was available with the 1.8
L
Turbo 4 cil 150 hp with 5 speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox in Comfortline trim only, while in
ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
it is available with the 1.8
L
Turbo and the 1.9
L
TDI 115 hp 4-cylinder engines, in both 5-speed
manualA manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
and 5-speed Tiptronic transmissions in Trendline trim only.
In total VW almost sold 670.000 units of its Sharan over 15 years of time.
The Sharan is not sold in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Originally this was due to an agreement between Ford and Volkswagen, leaving the market free from competition for Ford's
AerostarThe Ford Aerostar is a minivan produced by Ford Motor Company for the North American market; the first such design by Ford, it was sold from the 1986 to the 1997 model years. It was sold in both passenger van and cargo van configurations in two body lengths with both rear wheel drive and all wheel...
minivanMinivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
. More recently, Volkswagen decided not to introduce the Sharan in
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, ceased developing the
Microbus conceptThe Volkswagen Microbus Concept Car was a concept car recalling the original Volkswagen Microbus and first presented at the 2001 North American International Auto Show....
, and instead introduced a
badge-engineered variantBadge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
of the Chrysler minivans as the
RoutanThe Volkswagen Routan is a seven-seat minivan and rebadged variant of the Chrysler RT platform, with revised styling, content features, and suspension tuning from the fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country....
. This was launched in 2009, and replaced the Sharan in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the only
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n country in which it was sold.
The Sharan is currently offered with six different engine choices:
- 2.0L 85 kW – 4 cylinder petrol
- 2.0L 85 kW – 4 cylinder petrol with LPG
- 1.8L turbo 110 kW – 4 cylinder petrol
- 2.8L VR6 150 kW – 6 cylinder petrol
- 1.9L 85 kW TDI
- 2.0L 103 kW TDI
The 2.8 VR6 are offered with the option of
4Motion4motion is a registered trademark of Volkswagen AG, used exclusively on Volkswagen-branded automobiles which utilise four-wheel drive systems. Volkswagen has previously used the term "Syncro" for its 4WD models....
all-wheel drive.
Mark 1/Phase 1 (1995-2000)
The original Sharan was launched in 1995, and was available with five engine choices:
| Model |
Years |
Engine and code |
Displ. |
Power |
Torque |
| 1.8T |
1997–2000 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
20V |
AJH |
1781 cc |
110 kW @ 6000 rpm |
210 newton metre @ 1750–4600 rpm |
| 2.0 |
1995–2003 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
ADY |
1984 cc |
85 kW @ 5000 rpm |
170 newton metre @ 2400 rpm |
| 2.8 VR6 |
1995–2000 |
VR6 The VR6 engine is an internal combustion engine configuration, consisting of six cylinders. It was developed by the Volkswagen Group in the late 1980s, and evolutions of the original variant are still produced by them....
12V |
AAA/AMY |
2792 cc |
128 kW @ 5800 rpm |
235 newton metre @ 4200 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
1995–2003 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
1Z/AHU |
1896 cc |
66 kW @ 4000 rpm |
202 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
1996–2003 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
AFN/AVG |
1896 cc |
81 kW @ 4150 rpm |
235 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
The 2.8 VR6 model had the option of Syncro all-wheel drive.
The Sharan received a
EuroNCAPThe European New Car Assessment Programme is a European car safety performance assessment programme based in Brussels and founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport and backed by several European governments.-History and activities:Euro NCAP is a...
three-star safety rating when it was tested in 1999.
Awards
- 1999 Auto Express New Car Honours – Best MPV
- 1998 Top Gear
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
Magazine Top Cars – Best People Carrier (Joint Winner)
- 1996 What Car Awards – Best People Carrier (Joint Winner)
- 1996 Auto Express Awards – Best People Carrier (Joint Winner)
Mark 1A/Phase 1.5 (2000-2004)
The Sharan and its stablemates received a major facelift in 2000. At this time, VW also extended the wheelbase by 6 mm (0.236220472440945 in), increased the front and rear track, and gave it the "VW family" look of the time.
Awards
- 2000 Auto Express New Car Honours – Best MPV
Engine choices
| Model |
Years |
Engine and code |
Displ. |
Power |
Torque |
| 1.8T |
2000–2004 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
20V |
AWC |
1781 cc |
110 kW @ 5800 rpm |
220 newton metre @ 1800 rpm |
| 2.0 |
2000–2004 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
ATM |
1984 cc |
85 kW @ 5200 rpm |
170 newton metre @ 2600 rpm |
| 2.8 VR6 |
2000–2004 |
VR6 The VR6 engine is an internal combustion engine configuration, consisting of six cylinders. It was developed by the Volkswagen Group in the late 1980s, and evolutions of the original variant are still produced by them....
24V |
AYL |
2792 cc |
150 kW @ 6200 rpm |
265 newton metre @ 3400 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
2000–2003 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
ANU |
1896 cc |
66 kW @ 4000 rpm |
240 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
2000–2004 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
AUY |
1896 cc |
85 kW @ 4000 rpm |
310 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
2003–2004 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
ASZ |
1896 cc |
96 kW @ 4000 rpm |
310 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
Mark 1B/Phase 1.75 (2004-2010)
A further minor cosmetic facelift was also done for the 2004 model year, in September 2003. This updated primarily the grille and the noticeable round tail lights, and added some new standard equipment such as air conditioning and curtain side air bags. From 2006, an all-new Ford Galaxy model was introduced, built at a dedicated Ford plant in
LimburgGenk is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the city of Genk itself...
,
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
making the Sharan and Alhambra designs dedicated to the Volkswagen Group. With the production of the new Ford Galaxy moving to
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the final first-generation Ford Galaxy rolled off the AutoEuropa line at the end of 2005, while the first-generation Sharan and SEAT Alhambra continued in production at AutoEuropa, alongside the
Volkswagen EosThe Volkswagen Eos is a four-seat retractable hardtop coupe convertible, introduced in 2006 as the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet. The Eos is Volkswagen's first production coupe since the last Corrado in 1995....
and the new
SciroccoThe Scirocco is a 3-door Coupe manufactured by German automaker Volkswagen, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.-Etymology:...
until 2010.
Engine choices
| Model |
Years |
Engine and code |
Displ. |
Power |
Torque |
| 1.8T |
2004–2005 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
20V |
AWC |
1781 cc |
110 kW @ 5800 rpm |
220 newton metre @ 1800 rpm |
| 2.0 |
2004–2007 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
ATM |
1984 cc |
85 kW @ 5200 rpm |
170 newton metre @ 2600 rpm |
| 2.8 VR6 |
2004–2008 |
VR6 The VR6 engine is an internal combustion engine configuration, consisting of six cylinders. It was developed by the Volkswagen Group in the late 1980s, and evolutions of the original variant are still produced by them....
24V |
AYL |
2792 cc |
150 kW @ 6200 rpm |
265 newton metre @ 3400 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
2006–2010 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
BVK |
1896 cc |
85 kW @ 4000 rpm |
310 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
2004–2007 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
ASZ |
1896 cc |
96 kW @ 4000 rpm |
310 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
| 1.9 TDI |
2004–2009 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
BTB |
1896 cc |
110 kW @ 4000 rpm |
320 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
| 2.0 TDI |
2009–2010 |
I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
8V |
BRT |
1968 cc |
103 kW @ 4000 rpm |
310 newton metre @ 1900 rpm |
Second generation (Typ 7N) (2010-)
The second-generation Sharan was launched at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and a month later the second-generation of its sibling model, the
SEAT AlhambraThe SEAT Alhambra is a large 7-seat MPV by the Volkswagen Group, sold under the SEAT brand.The Alhambra already spans two generations since 1996, and both of them are built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal...
, was officially announced. Although still built at the
AutoEuropaAutoEuropa - Automóveis Lda. is a motor vehicle assembly plant, located in the city of Palmela, Portugal.-Foundation:After signature of a joint venture agreement between Volkswagen Group and Ford in July 1991, the 2million sqm plant was built in four years, including a surrounding industrial park...
factory in Portugal, the new model inherits only its name from the previous Sharan, compared to which it is 220 mm (8.7 in) longer, 92 mm (3.6 in) wider and 12 mm (0.47244094488189 in) lower, with the wheelbase lengthened by 75 mm (3 in). Weight has been reduced by 30 kg (66 lb). The initial engine range comprises 1.4 litre TSI (148 bhp) and 2.0-litre (197 bhp) petrol options, plus two 2.0 litre TDI
diesel engineA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s, rated at 138 and 168 bhp. The rear doors now slide open rather than being hinged.
LPG Sharan
In 2006 PrinceGas and VW launched the Sharan with a 2.0 L 85 kW flexible fuel engine, which could work with either petrol or
autogasAutogas is the common name for liquefied petroleum gas when it is used as a fuel in internal combustion engines in vehicles as well as in stationary applications such as generators. It is a mixture of propane and butane....
(liquified petroleum gas), providing an additional 450 km (279.6 mi) range over the regular 2.0L petrol engine. Both fuel tanks, the 70L (18 US gallon) petrol tank and the 60L liquid gas tank combined, give the Sharan enough fuel to cover 730 km (453.6 mi) between refuels at an average fuel consumption of 9.6 L/100 km.
The liquid gas tank is built into the spare wheel well so it does not compromise on passenger and loading space of the Sharan's interior, although it does eliminate the spare tire.
External links