VOLKSWAGEN Sharan 1996-2000 Photos, engines & full specs

Volkswagen joined forces with Ford to fight on the European MPV market against the Franco-Italian dominance in the segment.

While Renault was the leading carmaker in the segment, PSA (Peugeot-Citroen) and Fiat joined to build the so-called Eurovans (Peugeot 806, Citroen Evasion, Fiat Ulysse, and Lancia Zetta). Ford and Volkswagen allied and produced the Ford Galaxy, Volkswagen Sharan, and Seat Alhambra on the opposing corner. But the Europeans didn't have a big taste for MPVs, and soon they started to shift their preferences towards the SUV segment.

The Sharan featured a sloped front end, with the raked windshield that followed the same line as the hood. Its narrow, raked headlights were swept-back on the sides with corner-mounted turn signals. Between them, the carmaker installed a black-slatted grille, which sported the chromed VW badge in the middle. A small, triangular window was mounted between the A-pillar and the door opening.

Inside, the Sharan featured standard with five seats on the base trim level but was available with seating for up to seven in a 2-3-2 configuration. Despite being slightly longer than a regular compact-segment station wagon, it offered plenty of room for them. The remaining trunk was big enough for seven Subway sandwiches with all seats in place in the seven-passenger option.

The Sharan offered a choice of four engines built by Volkswagen. There were two gasoline versions and two turbo-diesel. The latter was the preferred one on the European market.