SEAT Alhambra MPV Bites The Dust, VW Sharan To Follow

After almost 10 years in production, SEAT will pull the plug on the Alhambra Mk2.

The Spanish MPV, which is closely related to the Volkswagen Sharan, will be discontinued at the end of the month. A rival to the likes of the Ford S-Max and Renault Espace, the Alhambra won’t be replaced by a new generation, reports Autocar, as demand for such vehicles has constantly dropped in favor of crossovers and SUVs.

Launched at the end of 2010, the Alhambra is still on sale across Europe. In the United Kingdom, it’s offered in three trim levels, the SE, SE L and XCellence, priced from £31,000 ($37,181/€33,899), £33,405 ($40,066/€36,528) and £36,045 ($43,232/€39,415), respectively.

Read More: VW Could Drop One Or More Minivans As Buyers Favor SUVs

The engine lineup includes the 150 PS (148 HP / 110 kW) 1.4-liter TSI petrol and 150 PS (148 HP / 110 kW) or 177 PS (175 HP / 130 kW) 2.0-liter TDI diesels. In the latter spec, it delivers a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration of 9.3 seconds and tops out at 210 km/h (130 mph).

Its Volkswagen-badged sibling, the second-generation Sharan that debuted at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, will stick around until the end of the year, the British publication reported. No successor is planned for the German people carrier either, which is also offered in three trim levels in the UK, with the same engine options as the Alhambra and prices starting at £33,450 ($40,120/€36,578).

Last year, SEAT sold 23,840 units of the Alhambra in Europe, according to CarSalesBase, more than the 22,134 units delivered in 2018, but less than the 31,646 and 31,695 shipped in 2017 and 2016, respectively. The VW Sharan posted roughly similar sales, with 22,665 units sold in 2019, 20,615 in 2018, 28,800 in 2017, and 32,429 in 2016.

Update 3/31/2020: A SEAT spokesperson told CarScoops the following:

“The European Commission Regulation (EC) 443/2009 states that a manufacturer’s fleet average CO2 is no more than 95g/km of CO2 emissions from 2021. To achieve this, SEAT, as part of the Volkswagen Group which has the aim to be CO2 neutral by 2050, is electrifying its range of vehicles, as well as reviewing the suitability of older models to ensure we’re fit and sustainable for the future. As part of this strategy we’re focusing on new and electric models such as the SEAT Leon plug-in hybrid and CUPRA Formentor plug-in hybrid crossover coupe and will be removing older vehicles from sale with newer, cleaner models to replace them in the future.”

Volkswagen also reached back, confirming that “production of the Sharan is planned to resume once the factories start up again after the Coronavirus temporary shutdown”. They did not say what the future holds for the German MPV though.