Stuttgart  - Volkswagen will apparently present at the Geneva Motor Show early next year a new Sharan van featuring sliding doors and a third row of seats that can be lowered into the floor area, according to spy pics revealed by Germany's auto-motor-sport magazine.

The disguised new model reveals a modified front with new skirts and headlights and a ridge between the bonnet and windscreen.

Technologically the Sharan is based on the VW Passat, closing the segment between the Touran and the VW Bus T5.

Among the engines planned are the 2-litre TDI in the range 140 to 170 hp and the 1.4-litre petrol TSI with the 150 hp unit serving as the entry model, the magazine reports. Volkswagen is also planning a fuel-saving BlueMotion and a natural gas (CNG) version.

The Sharan was first introduced in 1995 with the current version reaching the end of its run after four years, serving mainly the family market with children under the age of 18. (dpa)