Editor's Picks - When Family Matters - Volkswagen Golf SV and Sharan

There will come a time in many of our lives, that we might simply need to shelf ideas of buying a certain kind of car, that would suit that ideal lifestyle we would want to have. As reality bites down on us, and sometimes bites us a little harder than we expect, we learn to make adjustments. One of these adjustments we have to make is when a family comes along, and the other is, when those a generation older, become a little more impaired in their movement. While as the saying goes, “you cannot always have your cake and eat it”, we can still choose to enjoy things like a car that is well-thought through from the ground up. Packing in the troops can always be a little easier, and a drive can always be a little better. MPVs are ideal cars for those who have family duties. Here are two offerings from Volkswagen!

OneShift Editorial Team

24 Mar 2020

One of these adjustments we have to make is when a family comes along, and the other is, when those a generation older, become a little more impaired in their movement.

While as the saying goes, “you cannot always have your cake and eat it”, we can still choose to enjoy things like a car that is well-thought through from the ground up. Packing in the troops can always be a little easier, and a drive can always be a little better.

MPVs are ideal cars for those who have family duties. Here are two offerings from Volkswagen!

Volkswagen Golf SV

It is a Golf… It really is, but even more family-friendly, and more versatile! The Volkswagen Golf SV provides a roomy interior, packaged within a compact footprint. The Golf SV is more than just a car ideal for those who need ease-of-access. The SV is built upon Volkswagen’s widely utilised rigid MQB architecture, forms the base for many of the cars they build. Handling-wise, the SV is surprisingly nippy around the bends, as we learnt a while ago when we drove the Golf SV up to the North.

A proven 1.4 litre turbocharged engine, which delivers 125PS and 200Nm, provides the drive, via a quick-shifting seven-speed DSG gearbox; and delivers efficiently at 18.2km/l in combined cycle. A party trick which Volkswagen Golf SV has that helps to keep fuel consumption this low, is in its ability to decouple the transmission, when you lift off on the throttle, allowing you to simply coast down the road while the engine idles.

Little touches like its ‘Air Care Climatronic’ air-conditioning system which features a 2-zone temperature control and allergen filter, adds to passenger comfort. Rear passengers too, benefit from rear-facing blowers.

The infotainment system on the Comfortline trim Golf SV supports mobile devices via their App-Connect firmware, and also includes Bluetooth connectivity. The system is fronted by an 8” TFT touchscreen, and comes complete with a CD/DVD player. The higher-spec Highline trim car benefits from a larger 9.2” touchscreen.

We love how the Golf SV is designed for those who need that extra bit of space. Added headroom means that it will be easier for you to buckle your child into an ISOFIX-mounted child’s seat. Those who have difficulty in moving around will also find that exiting the SV is almost as easy as simply... stepping out. Its taller seating position reduces the course of transition from being fully-seated to standing up.

A generous 500 litre boot, which also features a height adjustable floor, makes it easy for you to load up on whatever the weekend throws at you. Additional room can be made by simply folding flat the rear 40:20:40 seatbacks, expanding luggage room to 1,520 litres. Need more room for more stuff, but you still need to haul passengers? The rear row of passenger seats are also able to slide forward, up to 180mm, and in 60:40 fashion, freeing up cargo room in the rear…. Set them up the way you want!

Versatile, economical and delivers a great driving experience, the Volkswagen Golf SV is great for young families! In-fact, it was even awarded the Oneshift Car of the Year 2019 award for best MINI MPV!

Volkswagen Sharan

What about if you need to carry more? The Volkswagen Sharan is built to answer that need!

The Sharan is a full seven-seater MPV, offered by the German brand, which offers families the space they need, together with superb flexibility, all thanks to a well-planned interior.

From ferrying the family around, doing the groceries, or even moving into your new home. The Volkswagen Sharan makes an ideal partner! The versatility offered from its five individual rear passenger seats, will mean that there is sufficient legroom for the family. Entry and exit is a breeze, thanks to the Sharan’s 1,746mm height, which is still carpark-friendly. Electric rear sliding rear doors on both sides ensure ease of operation, and you can remotely operate them from the driver’s seat.

With many adjustable seat combinations, and with the ability for all middle and rear seats to fold flat, the Sharan can easily switch from your daily family carrier, to a car with Estate-rivalling boot space. Drop the middle row, and you even have yourself a flatbed to transport that fully-assembled table you had just found at the IKEA As-Is corner… after all, it takes a keen eye to understand value...

And the Sharan does offer you value. An intelligently designed, removable and adjustable cargo-carrying net, suspended within the boot area, allows you to organise better and carry even more!

Has your child graduated from that ISOFIX child’s seat, but still needs a booster? Not to worry, the Sharan has got your back! In just two actions, a press of a button and push of the seat base, on either one of the side middle row seats, and your integrated booster seats can be deployed in an instant! Volkswagen has even included head supports, allowing your young ones to grow throughout your car ownership.

But value does not end with just providing for your family. The Volkswagen Sharan is powered by a 2.0 turbocharged engine, which delivers 220ps and 350Nm, from 1,500 to 4,400rpm. An expansive range of torque simply means that even under heavy loads, you have all the pulling capability you need, without the engine feeling flat.

Beyond its hauling capabilities, the Sharan is amazingly car-like in the way it drives; and its 6-speed DSG transmission ensures that gearchanges are seamless, and also ensures a driving experience that is never sluggish. In-fact, the Sharan is far from that, being able to clock 100km/h in only 7.8 seconds! Certainly an entertaining drive, even for its size!

But worry not about size when it comes to parking! Park Assist, which cleverly utilises the Sharan's sensors does all the guess work for you; be it a reverse or parallel parking space. Parking the Sharan SUV is as easy as operating just the accelerator and the brake!