Volkswagen joins the big MPV league with the Sharan

The Sharan comes with 7 airbags and 33 storage options, the most solid body in its class, sliding doors and an enormous panoramic sunroof. This is an MPV which has 200 bhp and accelerates from 0-100 km/h in only 8.3 seconds, yet consumes just 8.4 litres of fuel for every 100 km.

The Sharan has electrically powered sliding doors with a pinch protection function that ensures safety on entry and exit. Innovations run throughout the body area like a common thread. The Sharan sets the new benchmark in the segment for the static and dynamic torsional rigidity of its body, for example. Despite this, kerb weight is kept low.

Responsible for the Sharan’s styling are Walter de Silva (Head of Design for the Volkswagen Group) and Klaus Bischoff (Head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand). They designed the vehicle based on the latest Volkswagen ‘design-DNA’ matrix.

As a result, the vehicle’s body styling − both appealing and functional – is epitomised by clear, horizontal lines. It is fresh, yet certainly not dictated by any transient fashion. The Sharan was also designed to be one of the most aerodynamic MPVs on the market. Its Cd value: 0.299!

Thanks to the new EasyFold seating concept, the individual seats of the second row need not be removed to utilise the vehicle’s maximum cargo space, rather they are stowed in the vehicle floor with a very easy-to-use folding mechanism. Like the front seats, the rear seats also adjust longitudinally and can be reclined by up to 20 degrees.
Naturally, there are two individual seats in the third row as well. Standard equipment includes 3-zone climate control (Climatronic), the EasyEntry feature for easy access to the third row of seats, and acoustic and visual warning signals if the rear seatbelts are unbuckled.

The driving properties of the Sharan exhibit the same high levels of performance and comfort as the excellent Passat. Convenience is enhanced by the keyless locking and starting system (KESSY), electronic parking brake and the new Park Assist system.
This new-generation system, available as an option on the Sharan, provides automatic steering when parking in even smaller parallel parking spaces, and on cobbles, between trees or on street curves – and now offers automatic parking perpendicular to the driving direction as well.

The Sharan comes with safety features such as a reverse camera, mobility tyres (self-sealing in case of puncture), electrically operated child locks, 7 airbags and ESP. It’s a Volkswagen for a life in motion, and it’s now available in Singapore with a sticker price of $186,800. The official launch is on 10 September 2011.

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