There are plenty of people carriers offering seven-seat capability, but inevitably most demand some compromise.

Those extra two seats in the rear often bear the tag ‘occasional’. In reality that means small seats that you would not want to sit in too often, and certainly not for any great distance, and that are usually used by small children.

Those rearmost seats in the Sharan are not like that. Rising up out of the flat rear loadspace, they are more than comfortable enough for adults to use.

In addition, the individual seats of the second and third seating rows no longer need to be removed from the vehicle when not needed; they can simply be stowed in the vehicle floor with an easy-to-use folding mechanism.

Getting into the third row of seats has been made much easier thanks not only to large sliding doors, but also an ‘easy entry’ function which enables the outer seats on the second row to be pushed forward and tilted.

The best seats in the house are undoubtedly those occupied by the driver and front seat passenger, and now those seat positions are a little sportier with a slightly lower seat height.

Sixteen years after the Sharan first went on sale, the new Sharan, which competes with the likes of the Ford Galaxy and Renault Espace, is longer, wider, lower and lighter than the model it replaces.

Volkswagen says every part on the new model is different from its predecessor, apart from the sun visors. The new instrumentation is logical and clear, and switchgear is easy to operate.

Sensible storage spaces sprout everywhere and everything from atlases to sunglasses, wallets to water bottles, vanishes into a multitude of hidey holes.

The new Portuguese-built model comes with side sliding doors, and a range of direct injection and economical petrol and diesel engines. Volkswagen has cleverly hedged its bets by offering a range of people carrier solutions.

For most family activities, the more compact Touran should be more than capable. But if you want to live life to the max, then it has to be the Sharan.

Auto facts Volkswagen Sharan SE 2.0 TDI

  • Price: £28,325
  • Insurance group: 21 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 48.7mpg
  • Top speed: 130mph
  • Length: 485.4cm/191.1in
  • Width: 190.4cm/74.9in
  • Luggage capacity: 13.2 cu ft (seven seats in place)
  • Fuel tank capacity: 15.4 gallons/70 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 152g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles