New Seat Alhambra MPV: VW Sharan's Twin Brother Officially Revealed

Today, Seat lifted the wraps off its all-new Alhambra people carrier that will go on sale across Europe this summer. If you've seen the latest generation Volkswagen Sharan that was unveiled at last month's Geneva Motor Show, then the Alhambra will come to no surprise.

In fact, aside from the Alhambra's unique fascia and tail lamp designs, the two MPVs are identical. Same goes for the interior as the only difference between the Alhambra and Sharan concerns the steering wheel hub.

Measuring 4.85 meters in length, the new Alhambra is 220 mm longer than its predecessor, while it is also wider by a full 90mm.

It features large sliding doors with optional electric operation and can seat up to seven passengers in three rows of seats.

When configured as a five-seater the Mediterranean-flavored Sharan has 885 lt of load space available, which grows to a cavernous maximum of 2,297 liters if only the front two seats are in use.

Unlike its predecessor if more storage room is called for the second and third-row seats need no longer be removed as they can be sunk into the vehicle floor using the "Easy-Fold" system.

In addition, the middle row seats can also be arranged longitudinally, with integrated child seats available as an option.

Underneath the skin, there's a new engine line-up with TSI petrol and TDI diesel units, all equipped with fuel injection and turbocharging as well as Start-Stop system and brake energy recovery technology.

There are two TSI units producing 150- and 200-horsepower, and two 2.0-liter TDI engines delivering 140HP and 170HP.

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2011 Volkswagen Sharan: First Photos of Next Generation 7-Seater MPV

[Updated with High-res photos and additional details ] We weren't supposed to see the all-new VW Sharan before the opening of the Geneva Motor Show tomorrow, but the first official pictures of the German firm's seven-seater MPV were leaked onto the internet today.

On the outside, the new Sharan adopts Volkswagen's new design language with crisper lines and a wide, horizontal front grille.

The interior has been thoroughly updated and looks far more upscale and modern that the outgoing model, but that shouldn't come as a surprise as the first-generation of the Sharan (redesigned in 2000) was introduced way back in 1995...

Volkswagen has expanded the Sharan by a whopping 220 mm in length (now 4,850 mm) and 92 mm in width (now 1,902 mm) while the wheelbase has also grown by 75mm to 2,920mm improving interior space, both for passengers and luggage.

In the new model, access to the rear seats is granted through a pair of large sliding doors that can, along with the tailgate, be specified with electric motors to operate automatically.

The center row features three individual seats that can be moved by up to 160 mm back and forth if required and, when not in use, can be folded to create a flat loadspace.

The automaker said that as a result of the longer wheelbase, the third row of seats is large enough to accommodate adults as well as children. As with the second row of seats, they can also be folded flat into the floor when not required.

The boot is said to offer a minimum capacity of to 711 liters and a maximum of 2,297 liters with the last two rows of seats folded.

The engine range has been completely overhauled and now includes the firm's latest turbocharged gasoline and petrol units including the 1.4-liter and 2.0-liter TSI petrols with 140HP and 200HP as well as the 2.0-liter TDI with 140 and 170 HP.

Via: Autoblog.nl

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