This is not an official release from Volkswagen of America.
Volkswagen had the greatest sales increase in April of all the auto companies selling in the U.S. The Routan did not show a percentage gain month-over-month or year-over-year. Nonetheless, Routan market share is holding its own.
The Routan is getting good exposure in the media. Deutch is placing the "Dad drives around the block twice" commercial on family oriented channels, where it airs frequently. Additionally, Apple uses a Routan to demonstrate the iPhone's ability to act as a car remote in the "My iPhone is the family's iPhone" commercial.
Prior to this, Volkswagen was not seen as particularly family-friendly in its current offerings, and iPhone-owning parents didn't think of VW as a supplier of minivans. To put the generations in perspective: current parents download songs instead of buying albums and drive a Honda or Toyota; their parents bought cds, cassettes, and 8-track tapes, rode Honda motorcycles and ran over Toyotas, and were possibly conceived in a VW; the current generation's grandparents are the ones who immortalized (and immoralized) the VW micro-bus, while stealing 45s, and were unfamiliar with Honda and Toyota.
Comments about the Routan remain positive on the blogs, and even the press is giving it kind coverage. (See “Made in Canada: 2010 Routan” in this blog.) Volkswagen and the dealers are offering strong incentives, such as 0% for 60 months, to help overcome the “Chrysler stigma.” If the publicity gets minivan/SUV buyers into a dealer to experience the Routan, and the dealer explains the lowest Total Cost of Ownership, we will see more Routans on the road.
On February 6, 2008, Associated Press reported, in part: "[Volkswagen of America President and CEO Stefan] Jacoby said the minivan market still is approaching 1 million vehicles a year, and Volkswagen would like to capture 3 to 5 per cent of that."
PRNewswire published the April and YTD sales figures of the auto-makers who sell in the U.S. From these reports, we glean the following data:
Brand YTD - 04/10
Chrysler 37,947
Dodge 31,872
Honda 33,613
Kia 5,971
Mazda 6,812
Nissan 154(discontinued)
Toyota 23,078
Volkswagen 4,700
Total 144,147
Volkswagen's market share of van sales is 3.26%, still in the range Volkswagen of America was aiming for.
