IF anyone had told me four years ago that I would soon be driving a 1.4-litre seven seat people carrier, I would have scoffed.

But when that 1.4 is the VW unit with added turbocharger and power of almost 150bhp, the whole thing looks much more feasible.

The latest Sharan has just that engine, and believe me, it lacks nothing, giving plenty of acceleration whenever it's needed in the first five of six gears.

It is smooth and quiet and yet sounds brilliant when revved to gain that extra bit of urge.

The Sharan now has sliding rear doors, but they can be awkward to close, because the handle must be pulled out to allow them to be moved forward.

It rides really well over all surfaces. My elderly mum and her even older friend were delighted when I took them out for a run and commented on the comfort of the seats and the ride.

But supple, well-controlled suspension means it also sticks well through the corners, with none of the wallow of other MPVs.

The seat layout is as before, with a two-three-two pattern from front to back. The middle row is individual seats which each have fore and after adjustment, and the two outer ones can include clever fold up child booster seats.

: SEAT Alhambra