The Volkswagen Sharan met its end in 2022 after a 27-year run, with the retro-styled ID.Buzz effectively taking its place. The demand for minivans, or MPVs as they’re known in Europe, has waned in recent years, largely due to the overwhelming popularity of SUVs and crossovers.
However, independent designer Sucarchow has embarked on a mission to imagine how a modern incarnation of the Sharan could find its place in Volkswagen’s electric ID. lineup, even in a landscape dominated by high-riding models.
The fictional VW ID.Sharan borrows all of its design cues from the ID.7 sedan, incorporating features like slim LED headlights, T-shaped bumper intakes, and a curvy character line along the profile. This design direction is consistent with the previous generation of the Sharan, which essentially mirrored the styling of the Passat B7 as a minivan version.
More: What If Tesla Made A Sexy Model 3 Coupe To Fight BMW’s 4-Series?
Rendering: @SugarDesign_1 / Instagram
The electric minivan features a more aerodynamic silhouette, making it look sleeker and sportier compared to its bulkier predecessor. At the same time, the stretched wheelbase, sliding rear doors and large greenhouse are carried over, promising a spacious cabin in combination with the beneficial packaging of the EV-dedicated MEB architecture. If such a vehicle was to become reality, it would definitely come with a three-row 7-seater layout, honoring the legacy of VW’s largest Euro minivan.
The VW Sharan debuted in 1995, alongside its rebadged siblings, the Seat Alhambra and Ford Galaxy. A second generation followed in 2010 alongside the Seat Alhambra, but not the Galaxy as Ford parted ways using its own underpinnings for the S-Max and Galaxy minivans. Years passed and SUVs became the new norm, making large minivans feel like dinosaurs close to extinction – at least in Europe. As a result, Seat discontinued the Alhambra in 2020 and VW ended production of the Sharan in 2022, without any planned successors.
In the modern era, civilized commercial van-based offerings like the Caddy, Transporter T6.1, and Multivan T7 have successfully taken the role of large family haulers in Volkswagen’s range, alongside high-riding SUV models. Add the cool-looking fully electric VW ID.Buzz into the equation and you’ll understand why there is no room for an ID.Sharan to blossom. Still, traditional minivans are quite popular in markets like China, where VW offers the Viloran – the largest MQB-based model in the world. Could an electric successor look like Sugarchow’s render? Only time will tell.
Note: The renderings in this story are not related to nor endorsed by VW.