The first generation Sharan was designed and built with its twin brothers, the Ford Galaxy and Seat Alhambra. The cars use mostly Volkswagen mechanics, including the most powerful engine - the 2.8-liter VR6, which is known from the most powerful versions of the VW Golf, and a diesel version with a VW 1.9-liter turbodiesel engine was also produced. The interior of the car is a mixture of Ford and VW components - although the devices are taken from the VW Golf, the design itself was designed by Ford and is very reminiscent of the Ford Mondeo dashboard.