New Sharan edges out Galaxy in the battle of the executive MPVs
1 Volkswagen Sharan
2 Ford Galaxy
3 Mercedes-Benz Viano
4 Volkswagen Caravelle
5 Chevrolet Orlando
They used to be built side-by-side, sharing almost everything except their badges. But the Ford Galaxy and Volkswagen Sharan are now intense rivals in the large MPV sector – so this was always going to be a close battle.
For the past two years, Ford has had this market – and this award – to itself, reflecting the strong performance of the Galaxy in the private hire and executive chauffeuring market. But the arrival late last year of an all-new Sharan meant the Ford people-mover had a powerful new rival that threatened to steal its crown – and that’s just what happened.
The two cars were very close – but ultimately the Sharan’s slightly larger dimensions and lower running costs edged the day. The judges liked the Sharan’s electric sliding doors – always a good feature for chauffeuring – indeed, rear seat access and luggage space in seven-seat mode was superior to the Ford. The result will be a major fillip for VW, which couldn’t persuade market-leading Private Hire operatior Addison Lee to switch its 1,200-vehicle MPV order from Galaxy to Sharan.
The biggest challenge to this “big two” came from the two biggest vehicles that were up for consideration - the Mercedes Viano and the Volkswagen Caravelle. Both were presented in LWB guise, and their massive ability to carry seven passengers and their luggage won strong praise from the judges. The fact that the Viano is available on the Mercedes Chauffeur Programme helped it stay ahead of the Caravelle, which won praise for its roominess, comfort and build quality.
Completing the top five was an impressive debutant, the Chevrolet Orlando. Techically a compact MPV in the Scenic/Zafira class, it nevertheless impressed thanks to its extremely roomy rear and massive rear door access. It’s keenly priced too, and could prove to be a real success as a PHV.
