VW Sharan 2015 to rival Ford Galaxy at £26,300

Volkswagen has announced full prices and specs for its facelifted Sharan MPV. The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso and Ford Galaxy rival will now kick off from £26,300, a rise of around £1,000 over the current model, and UK deliveries will begin in October.

Even dedicated Sharan enthusiasts will struggle to pick out the facelifted Sharan over the current car, as the only exterior changes listed are new LED tail-lamps. It's under the skin where things are properly changed, with new engines – which comply with EU6 emissions regulations – promising a 15 per cent gain in efficiency.

The headline £26,300 price gets you the base 'S' spec car with the familiar 148bhp 1.4-litre TSI turbo petrol engine, which now manages 43.5mpg combined (a 4mpg improvement) and produces 150g/km of CO2 (17g/km down on before). The tweaked six-speed DSG autobox, which now gets a fuel-saving coasting function, is a £1,405 option on all models. 

The car's 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine comes in three power outputs. The 114bhp model starts at £26,970, while the 148bhp unit is an extra £735 and the 181bhp unit (only in SE spec and above) is £31,360. All versions deliver between 56.5mpg and 53.3mpg.

Entry-level cars get an Automatic Post-Collision Braking System as standard, as well as Bluetooth, a colour touchscreen infotainment system and three-zone climate control. SE-spec (£2,185 extra) adds tinted rear glass, chrome roof rails, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control, while SE Nav adds sat-nav with a new 'Guide and Inform' feature (for £675).

Flagship SE-L trim adds adaptive cruise control, Front Assist autobraking and Alcantara upholstery, starting at £33,360. Optional kit includes City Emergency Braking and the next generation of Park Assist, while the 2015 Sharan is one of the first VW models to receive Apple's Carplay through the 'App Connect' smartphone connection. Android Auto (Google's rival) and MirrorLink are also available to download and use, meaning greater integration than ever before. 

Is the facelift enough to help the Sharan take on the best seven-seaters in the market? Let us know below...