>Subject: >The Sharan is a minivan type vehicle built in cooperation
with Ford of
>Europe and VW signed an agreement with Ford to never import the Sharan
to
>the US. Ford sells this van (not in the US) under a different name, it
>uses the VR6 engine and I understand it is quite popular in Europe.

>Now, I'm sure someone else will expound on this subject.

>Steve and Jo Ann Wacker
>San Marcos, Ca.
>90 Carat
>86 Syncro

Hey Steve,
VW Ford and Seat (a spain company belonging to VW) are selling nearly
the same
car over here. They are all built at the same production line in
Portugal.

VW names their cars Sharan (I call it charlatan (no bus, no station
wagon))
Ford's are named Galaxy, Seats Alhambra.

They differ in specifications, engines, trannys and prices.

VW has got the VR6 (if you want), a basic 2.0 4 cylinder 115 Hp version
or TDIs,
Ford has a 2.0 petrol or a 2.3 petrol or the TDI from now.
I've not looked at the Alhambras yet.

I drove the Sharlatan 2.0 last year and was badly disapointed about it,
slow,
loud, bad mpg, poor A/C.
I drove a Galaxy 2.3 last chritsmas from Wolfsburg to Rotterdam
(Holland)
and back and was impressed about the powerful quite engine, still bad
mpg
and heater, but at least very nice to drive.

I don't understand why, but the Sharlatan and Starship Galactica became
very
popular here within the last years.

Keep well
Michael
D-Braunschweig (20 mls from Wolfsburg)
58 split
77 westy
90 caravelle