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The Volkswagen Sharan was launched in 1995. It is a large MPV and due to strong sales, it is still in production. The name means 'Carrier of Kings' in Persian. It has been exclusively manufactured in Portugal at the AutoEuropa plant.
There has only been one generation of the car, although there are several variations of the basic model. There are six different engines to chose from, ranging from a 1.8-litre turbo engine up to a 2.8-litre VR6 engine.
The Volkswagen Sharan was rebadged by Volkswagen as the SEAT Alhambra. This was manufactured at the same plant along with the similar Ford Galaxy. Both Volkswagen and Ford jointly own the factory. This also explains why used or nearly new Volkswagen Sharan cars are not generally available for sale in the US, as Ford did not want a direct competitor to its MPV range in this market.
The car has been highly praised by many car magazines. In 1996, the first full year of production it received several awards, including the 'What Car Best People Carrier' award. Later in 1998, Top Gear Magazine gave the 'Best People Carrier' award to the car, and in the following year, Auto Express awarded it the 'Best MPV' in the new car section.
There was a significant facelift given to the Sharan in 2000, although Volkswagen styled it as a Mark 1A version rather than a completely updated model. The wheelbase was lengthened by around 6mm and new styling gave it a contemporary look that matched other cars in the VW range.
Steady Volkswagen Sharan sales has been the model's greatest achievement, with around 50,000 cars being produced each year for sale in Europe, South Africa, and a few other countries in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. In its lifetime, sales have reached around 670,000, which is why a used Volkswagen Sharan is not uncommon.