Road test of the Volkswagen Sharan SE Nav TDI SCR 150PS

Really big people carriers are thin on the ground these days, but for some folk only the super-size variety will do.
Those with large families, or running a taxi business, understand the value of a versatile beast that can move up to seven people and still have some space for luggage.
One of these spacious Mr Shifters is the capable and comfortable Volkswagen Sharan, now marking its 21st anniversary and still selling well.
The Sharan is unashamedly a niche vehicle, designed to tick the boxes of a buyer with very particular needs.
There are a host of more compact, more streamlined and less bulky cars on offer, but if space is your number one requirement then the Sharan is one of very few vehicles that can deliver.
Available in four trim levels and priced from just over £26,000, the Sharan has been given a gentle technological and specification makeover, as well as being fitted with a range of engines that all meet EU6 emission standards and are up to 15 per cent more fuel efficient than those they replace.
The new model has the EasyFold seats that first appeared on the second generation 2010 model and also keeps the electrically-powered side sliding doors, a boon for tight supermarket car parking spaces.
All five rear seats can either be folded flat or stowed under the floor, providing a huge number of configurations and load volumes ranging from 300 litres up to a van-like 2,297 litres.
On the road, the Portuguese-built Sharan is a comfortable and quiet long-distance cruiser, a testament to the care put in to bolting such a large vehicle together. It is also surprisingly easy to manage around town and when parking thanks to front and rear sensors, and on the test car, a £310 rear-view camera.
And if you can’t face the bother of slipping into tight parking spots, Volkswagen’s automatic Park Assist system is available as an option.
Externally, the car now has new LED rear lights and inside there is new upholstery and a new design of steering wheel.
The most obvious change on the dashboard is the fitting of a colour touchscreen to control the hi-fi and Bluetooth telephone system.
The test model, in new SE Navigation trim, adds satellite navigation and allows owners of Apple and Android handsets to integrate their phones to the display system.
Other neat features include three-zone air conditioning that keeps everyone on board comfortable, and adaptive cruise control that maintains a pre-set distance with the vehicle in front, with city emergency braking available on certain models and as options.
Power comes from one petrol and three diesel engines with the choice of a six-speed automatic transmission on most models.
Power outputs range from 115 to 184 horsepower and all have both start/stop and brake energy recuperation systems as standard.
With more than 800,000 Sharan models sold since 1995, and just under 67,000 of those in the UK, the Sharan still fills a niche when nothing else will do.