VOLKSWAGEN Emergency Assistance, the branded roadside assistance scheme operated on behalf of the manufacturer by Mondial Assistance, is swapping its fleet of Passat estates for 60 Sharans to patrol the UK. It is understood to be the first time that an MPV has been used by an assistance organisation as a roadside vehicle.

Robert James, Mondial Assistance's network service manager, said: 'Although the Passat has served us well since the launch of Volkswagen Emergency Assistance, the Sharan brings with it greater roadside visibility and the added space and comfort that comes with an MPV.'

Volkswagen Emergency Assistance covers more than 266,000 vehicles across the UK. All the Sharans will be equipped with the latest diagnostic equipment, as well as automatic vehicle location system DataTrak.