The re-worked 2011 VW Touran was introduced at the Leipzig Auto show this week and is creating quite a stir.
People immediately compare these to the Routan, exclaiming that VW would have done much better to have imported the Touran or Sharan to America rather than commission the Routan.
The Touran and Sharan are smaller than the Routan. One of the criticisms of the Routan is that it doesn’t have as much hauling space as the Toyota or Honda. Do you think the mainstream minivan buying public would accept less space?
When you read Routan reviews written by “Minivan Moms,” the one feature they routinely praise is the power side doors and power lift gate. (I really appreciate these features on my Routan—I wish the driver door would power open for me.) The Touran and Sharan don’t offer a power lift gate. I don’t believe the Touran can offer power side doors.
The rear seat of the Routan is reachable without moving either of the two middle seats. A rear seat passenger can enter or leave without another passenger having to get out of the vehicle. On the Touran and Sharan, however, one of the middle seat passengers has to move for a rear passenger to enter or exit. I see this as a major inconvenience—one of the reasons why I rejected 7-seat SUVs in my vehicle search.
The U.S. minivan market has changed considerably since 2003 when VW stopped importing the EuroVan. It would have been a market-demand mistake to clear the Touran or Sharan for the U.S.—they aren’t big enough or convenient enough. (As a case in point, Toyota stopped importing the Previa—about the same size as the Sharan—and created the Sienna to meet U.S. market demand.)
The one thing the Touran and Sharan have that I wish the Routan had was the TDI Diesel. Volkswagen, among others, has demonstrated that the new-generation diesels are cleaner and more economical than gas, and no longer make the sounds of your father’s diesel.
The European vehicles also come standard with a manual transmission. I would like that option for the Routan. However, many U.S. “Minivan Moms” don’t know how to drive a manual transmission—hence no minivan sold in America has one.
Volkswagen had the option of trying to convert the U.S. minivan market to be more European, or introduce a minivan that was more American but had some VW touches. While critics claim that the Routan isn’t “VW” enough (they don’t know the subtleties of the Routan over the T&C), it is American enough to be accepted with VW embellishments. Trying to change the U.S. taste is why Saab has remained a niche player.
