VW Sharan Bluemotion S

While the Nissan Qashqai +2 isn’t the roomiest seven-seater on the market, it’s a thoroughly modern choice. That’s not true of VW’s ageing Sharan – but will this eco-friendly Bluemotion version breathe fresh life into it? Changes to the grille claim to give a more aerodynamic profile, the transmission and engine are tweaked and there are low-friction tyres, too.

As a result, emissions fall from 175g/km to 159g/km, while economy improves from 42.8mpg to 47.1mpg. Better still, there is no performance sacrifice – the 0-60mph sprint still takes 11.9 seconds. You can’t question the Sharan’s versatility, either: seven adults get ample space, while the dated dashboard feels robust.

The same can’t be said for the dynamics. This car offers comfortable and reasonably refined MPV transport, but its steering and cornering abilities leave a lot to be desired.