Volkswagen SHARAN TDI PD 130 RANGE
A More Powerful 130bhp Diesel Gives Volkswagens Sharan More Credibility In The Large MPV Sector. Jonathan Crouch Checks It Out
Volkswagen's Sharan People Carrier may share its design with
SEAT's Alhambra and
Ford's Galaxy but when it comes to technology, it always seems to get first stab at the best things on offer from the corporate parts bin.
Take the 130bhp TDI engine used in the variant featured here. The Sharan received this fully six months before equivalent SEATs and Fords. You could say so what of course to that, but it does mean that your VW dealer will have more experience with looking after the car. It also means that you might be able to opt for a late low mileage example, an option possibly less likely from SEAT or Ford retailers.
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The latest facelift reveals more evidence of this trend with the Sharan getting front and rear parking sensors as standard as well as a resculpted rear end. Anyway, leaving all that aside, why opt for the 130bhp TDI power unit rather than the continuing and more familiar 115bhp TDI diesel engine? Well, you need to drive the thing to answer that one. The Sharan TDI 130 sails off into the distance with an engine thats a second quicker to sixty on the way to 117mph. Curiously, its even more economical too, the official combined figure climbing from 42.
8 to 43.5mpg. That facilitates a realistic range of over 660 miles between fill-ups.
"Despite the lack of common rail technology, this is one of the most impressive diesels around ."
The latest engine comes with all the Sharan trim levels S, SE, Sport and Carat at prices between £19,530 and £24,045. Should engine output be of little consequence to you (a fair enough perspective given that this is after all not a performance saloon but a People Carrier), then youll want to know that the more familiar 115bhp TDI diesel-engined Sharan range remains as before. Strangely however, the old TDI 115bhp 4MOTION all-wheel drive variant has been deleted and not replaced by a version boasting the 130bhp unit. All of this means that only the thirsty petrol V6 now has four-wheel drive, a model unlikely to appeal to budget-minded tow-car enthusiasts in the same way that a TDI 130 4MOTION Sharan would have done.
Volkswagen product planners will point out that the combination of all-wheel drive traction and 130bhp diesel power is available with a Passat estate, but we still cant help thinking that theyve missed a trick here. The Volkswagens engine doesnt have common rail technology and one of the bi-products of this is that it isnt the quietest unit of its kind. Still, that doesnt stop this powerplant from being one of the most impressive diesels around. The figures say that sixty shows up from rest in 12.
8s, but it feels quicker than that, a legacy of ther impressive reserves of mid-range torque on offer. In practice, this means ready pulling power in almost any gear, something which is a real boon, both on the open road (where you often dont have to drop a gear to overtake) and around town (which you dont have to row the thing along with the gearstick). Like all current Sharans, this one comes complete with MPV basics like seven seats, air conditioning, ABS, remote central locking with alarm, four airbags, curtain airbags, alloy wheels and a multi-function computer. Then theres the parking sensors we mentioned earlier very useful for getting out of tight spots.
Sport versions add body-coloured door mirrors and handles, a 10-speaker stereo system with dash-mounted CD autochanger, leather trim for the steering wheel and gearknob, sports seats and sports suspension. The Carat tops all this with alcantara/leather trim, wood inserts around the cabin,
seat armrests, climate control and the ESP stability control system on V6 versions. Seven seats are standard as weve said. Owners of the first generation Sharan will find these chairs much more comfortable.
Sadly, they're no lighter, so lugging them in and out remains a job not to be undertaken by the weak or faint-hearted. The two front seats can be swivelled round completely to face the rear - which is great for picnics and business meetings if you're stationary and there's only four in the car. It's annoying however, that you still can't do the same with the middle set so that occupants behind the driver can face each other and talk on longer journeys. The Sharan's roadgoing behaviour has always been unsurpassed in its class and a series of suspension tweaks over recent years have improved things still further. The German engineers concentrated particularly on improving the ride over poor surfaces - the kind of thing you notice around town - and they've largely succeeded without compromising the higher speed handling that makes this car the surprisingly rewarding drive it is. The Sharan really needs more diesel firepower if it is to see off newer large MPV People Carrier rivals as comprehensively as it used to. This 130bhp TDI engine is a decent first step but the Volkswagen must still try harder. Renaults Espace, after all, has an impressive V6 turbo diesel at its disposal developing 180bhp, a figure that Wolfsburg could easily match with the 180bhp V6 turbo diesel recently installed into the Passat.
Until this unit arrives, the TDI 130 should be just enough to keep loyal Volkswagen customers happy. The thing is that Volkswagen didnt get to the position it is in today by doing just enough. Better watch this space.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Sharan TDI 130 range
PRICES: £19,525 -£24,045 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 13
CO2 EMISSIONS: 176g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 117mph / 0-60mph 12.8s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 43.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 182/84/69"
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