VW Routan cool enough for the gang

Minivan outdoes hippie-mobiles

Image via Wikipedia

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Wednesday, June 15, 2011
By Richard Williamson, Scripps Howard News Service
Some would argue that the first minivan was a Volkswagen Microbus.
The ubiquitous hippie-mobile that crisscrossed the country in various patterns of paint in the 1960s showed that baby boomers would bond with a car that looked and ran like a loaf of bread.
When it came time to raise a family, however, the boomers were looking for something with more status, safety and functionality….
Volkswagen never made much of a dent in the U.S. market with its Vanagon and Eurovan, minivans that sometimes seemed unnecessarily eccentric.

Image via Wikipedia

Other than its name, there's nothing eccentric about Volkswagen's current minivan, the Routan. That's because it is a rebadged version of the Dodge Grand Caravan built on Chrysler's Windsor, Ontario, assembly line. …

With its first minivan since it discontinued the Eurovan in 2003, Volkswagen aimed for 5 percent of the U.S. minivan market. But economic travail sidelined those goals.
Recalls also have caused some distress. The 2009 models were recalled along with their Chrysler platform mates last June for a fire hazard stemming from an improperly routed wire harness.
Those issues aside, the Routan, like its Chrysler cousins, is a terrific vehicle that deflects "soccer-mom" aspersions with a long, flat-roofed profile, brusque front end and blunt tail. In dark paint, this minivan could accommodate a crew of gangsters without hurting their rep. …
Designed to seat seven in three rows, the Routan comes with Chrysler's amazingly simple stow-and-go third-row seats that flip into a container to create a large, flat storage surface. The loops that you pull are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4. In a few seconds, the seats are gone and the floor is utterly flat.
All Routans are powered by a new 3.6-liter engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that deliver 283 horsepower and 260 lbs./ft. of torque to the front wheels.
With fuel economy of 17 city and 25 highway mpg, the estimated annual fuel cost is $2,250. And the Routan does not require premium unleaded.
Standard 12-volt power outlets are provided for cell phones, MP3 players and game consoles.
The comfortable seats are covered in leatherette with pillow-top armrests. The second row is a set of captain's chairs, while the third row is a split-folding bench.
All 2011 Routan models include an all-new leather-wrapped steering wheel with multifunction controls, a leather-wrapped shift knob and a full array of gauges.
Storage includes dual glove boxes, a floor console with cup holders, an optional highline console with a large storage compartment, ceiling storage, door sill and rear quarter storage bins, various cargo nets and a variety of coat and bag and purse hooks.
All three seating rows get LED reading lights, while sunshades filter harsh light.
A Garmin Navigation system is optional for the SE, while Sirius Travel Link and integrated iPod interface are added to Routan SEL with Navigation.
Dual power sliding doors with power windows are standard, along with a power lift gate.
Remote keyless entry can be upgraded to a remote vehicle start system.
The Routan's ride and handling are deft and comfortable, making the minivan an outstanding road car.
Passenger protection includes front, side and head-curtain air bags, along with a knee airbag for the driver.
Active safety features include anti-lock brakes and engine braking control, along with electronic stability control.

Related articles

• Minivan market is weirdly fierce: Putting 6 to the test (usatoday.com)
• 2011 Volkswagen Grand Caravan ... or is it the Chrysler Routan? (geardiary.com)

VW Has Bigger Share of U.S. Under-35 Market Thanks to Routan

Image via Wikipedia

The Michigan Business News Blog may be a venerable outlet, but I don’t know where they are getting their figures regarding the Routan. They miss the fact that it is doing what no other mini-van has been able to do—sell to the under-35 “I wouldn’t be caught dead driving a mini-van like my soccer Mom” crowd.

The Routan is holding it’s own. http://routanowner.blogspot.com/2010/10/routan-september-2010-ytd-sales.html In fact, Routan’s portion of the American mini-van market (3.51%) is more than 50% greater than VW’s share of the overall American market (2.2%).
Routan is selling into a younger mini-van market, which is in keeping with the younger market VW wants for the Jetta. 23.3% of Routan buyers are under the age of 35. The only vehicle with a higher percentage of under-35 owners is the Volkswagen GTI at 23.4%. http://routanowner.blogspot.com/2010/05/top-10-models-for-young-drivers.html

Image via WikipediaVW has the mini-van for the younger driver. Only the Mazda 5 shows up in the top-30 with 17.7% young ownership. All other mini-vans have under 35 owner percentages between 16.2% and 6%.

Volkswagen’s other models are positioned for the younger driver. Volkswagen has 5 of the top 30 cars for the under-35, matched only by Mazda.

Michigan Business News Blog

So far, VW has made some inroads. Through September, its U.S. car sales are up 20.6%, a growth rate outpaced only by Subaru and Ford Motor Co. among mass-market manufacturers. Market share for the VW brand has ticked up to 2.2% so far in 2010, up from 2% a year ago. (Counting in Audi sales, VW's U.S. share is 3.1%.)
Its biggest test comes next year with the launch of a larger sedan intended to replace the Passat. The new Chattanooga plant will have the capacity to build 150,000 of them, 11 times the Passat's current sales, and they'll compete in the auto market's toughest segment—against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
"Hyundai is extremely aggressive, and Toyota and Honda are going to spend lots of money to hold onto everything they've got," Mr. Ellis says.
VW's struggle with its Routan minivan, introduced two years ago, underscores the challenges the car maker has had in selling cars with more conventional American appeal under a brand that takes pride in German engineering.
After dropping plans for a modern version of its Microbus for fear it would be too niche and costly, it signed a deal with Chrysler to modify and rebrand the U.S. car maker's Town & Country minivan under the VW Routan name. VW tightened the minivan's suspension, gave it a sleeker front end and kept it in the same price range as the Chrysler. With an ad blitz featuring Brooke Shields, it aimed to capture 5%, or 45,000, of the 700,000 annual minivan market.
But the Routan's launch coincided with the auto industry's nose dive in late 2008. So many of them sat unsold on VW dealer lots last year that the auto maker asked Chrysler, which builds them at its Windsor, Ontario, plant, to temporarily halt production. While much of the rest of the minivan market has rebounded, Routan sales have slipped 0.8% to 12,539 vans so far this year, one-seventh of the number of Town & Country sales in the same period.
VW officials argue that the Routan has enabled them to sell to a key new customer segment. The company still expects the Routan's market share to grow as more consumers become aware of it as a minivan option.

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Hot minivans drive Christmas bonus in Windsor

Last Updated: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 | 10:41 AM ET

CBC News

Chrysler has asked workers at the Windsor assembly plant, shown here in 2008, to work through their usual Christmas shutdown this year to meet high demand for the Dodge Grand Caravan. (Dave Chidley/Canadian Press)
High demand for minivans may make for a merrier Christmas in Windsor, Ont., this year.
Chrysler has announced it wants to keep production of its minivans moving right through the Christmas period.

'It should be a little bit of a boost to the economy of Windsor at a time obviously I would suggest we critically need a boost in our economy.'— Rick Laporte, CAW Local 444

Image via WikipediaNormally, there is a one-week shutdown at the Windsor assembly plant, which produces the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler Town and Country and Volkswagen Routan.

Chrysler said it is anticipating high demand for its redesigned minivans.

Holiday pay plus double time

The company plans to run 12-hour days the week of Dec. 27, and the union doubts Chrysler will have trouble finding workers ready to cover the shifts.
"Those workers would be paid their holiday pay plus double time for being at work," said Rick Laporte, president of CAW Local 444, which represents the workers.
Laporte said the extra work is good news for all of Windsor.
"I would suggest to you it means more Christmas presents under the tree, more money spent in our economy, and it should be a little bit of a boost to the economy of Windsor at a time obviously I would suggest we critically need a boost in our economy."
Chrysler will start production of its new model minivans at the Windsor assembly plant later this fall.
It already has plans to build an additional 60,000 of the vehicles to meet expected demand.

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Chrysler dealers praise new, upgraded models, CEO

As said here many times before, the Routan is the Town & Country Chrysler should have built all along.

Image via Wikipedia

detnews.com | The Detroit News

Alisa Priddle / The Detroit News

Chrysler Group LLC's product renewal starts now, in a game of catch-up that coincides with the slow rebound of the industry.


Perhaps the biggest area of upgrades is in the passenger compartments, where hard plastic and cheap-looking interiors will be replaced by softer, higher-quality materials, visually appealing instrument panels and gauges, more-comfortable seats and steering wheels with integrated controls.

Image via WikipediaUpdated minivans also were shown Tuesday. The interior of the Town & Country is "so much better," said Hall. Some of the credit goes to the fact the Windsor, Ontario, plant also makes the VW Routan, and Chrysler "saw what VW was using and how to do it." The Dodge Grand Caravan was referred to as the "man van" to distinguish the two.

"I think the design changes will put the minivans back ahead of the competition," said Ken Lewenza, president of the Canadian Auto Workers. "For the last four or five years, we cheaped out. No more cheap plastic."

Image via Wikipedia

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Road Test: 2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline

Image via Wikipedia

National Post

By Brian Harper, July 30, 2010 10:58 AM

The Routan has different sheetmetal, but it is essentially the same as the Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country.

Photograph by: Brian Harper for National Post, National Post

When it comes to seven-seat (or more) people movers, one thing I know for sure: I am not, nor have I ever been, a minivan person. Of Volkswagen's Routan, one other thing I know for sure -- it isn't your hippie cousin's Microbus.

Now, I have nothing against minivans per se. I live in the suburbs. … In years to come, they will be remembered by the Gen-X and Millennial generations with the same fondness Baby Boomers have for the family station wagon. Almost all of our friends with two or more children had one parked in their driveways, when they weren't in use transporting the progeny to after-hours activity programs (hockey, soccer, dance, etc.). Equally, all of our friends with two or more children got rid of them as soon as the kids grew up. In short, discounting their use by those in the trades, minivans were/are highly pragmatic grudge purchases. But, let's face it, in terms of excitement, they border on somnolence.

As for the Routan, despite the Volkswagen logos affixed to its slab-sided body, it is as Canadian as maple syrup. That's because it is manufactured in Windsor, Ont. by the good folks at Chrysler. Oh, the sheetmetal has been tweaked slightly and there are certain specific VW cues inside, but the Routan is essentially the more familiar Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country. Why? Well, because Volkswagen didn't have a seven-passenger vehicle in its North American lineup for customers who wanted to move up to something larger. And, since the minivan market is in a decline, why go to the expense of building and/or certifying your own when you can have someone else do it for you?

So, the Routan comes with same 4.0-litre SOHC V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission as in the Town & Country …, churning out a solid 251 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque, which means the 2,096-kilogram minivan has more than enough juice to get out of its own way. Testing of the Chrysler by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada turned up numbers of 8.6 seconds to get from zero to 100 kilometres an hour and 7.6 seconds to accelerate to 120 km/h from 80, which is pretty quick for a two-ton brick. The V6 is also fairly quiet in operation and, considering the mass it's moving, it is not overly swinish at the pumps. I averaged 12.8 litres per 100 km for a week, combining highway and suburban commuting, on par or better than many of the smaller SUVs and crossovers that are replacing minivans in the driveways of suburbia.
VW says the Routan features a unique European-tuned suspension and steering "matched for handling and improved driving dynamics in the tradition of Volkswagen's German engineering heritage." Apparently, this is public relations bumph for stiffer springs, dampers and bushings to quell unwanted body motion and impart a measure of connectivity with the road. While the Routan won't tackle a highway on-ramp with the same aplomb as VW's GTI uber-hatch, neither does it wallow like a trawler in the North Sea. Stopping short of fun to drive, it is nonetheless competent enough to impress. Said suspension doesn't compromise ride quality, either, as bumps, potholes and other tarmac irregularities are equally dismissed.
The raison d'etre of all passenger minivans is to haul people and stuff. The Routan offers seating for seven in three rows with 32.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. For carrying more cargo, stow the third-row seats into the floor and the space increases to a cavernous 84.7 cu. ft. The seatbacks in the second row can be folded flat if even more room is required for longer items, with storage compartments and cup holders aplenty throughout the van.
Chrysler has to keep a few things proprietary, so the Routan doesn't get the cool second-row Stow 'n Go or optional Swivel 'n Go seats. In all but the base Trendline version (which gets a bench seat), the Routan counters with front and middle-row captain's chairs. Big and comfy, they sit high off the floor, providing a commanding view out. Legroom can be a mite tight for taller folk in the second row if those in the front are equally of the long-legged variety.
Along with the Trendline, there are three other trim levels--Comfortline, Highline and Execline, with increasingly more content. Standard features in all Routans include three-zone climate control, a CD player with six speakers, dual sliding side doors, front and side curtain air bags, tire pressure monitoring system and Electronic Stabilization Program. …bharper@nationalpost.com---------
THE SPECS:
Type of vehicle: Front-wheel-drive minivan
Engine: 4.0L SOHC V6
Power: 251 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 259 lb-ft of torque @ 4,100 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires: P225/65R17 (optional)
Price: base/as tested $40,575/$43,700
Destination charge: $1,580
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 12.2 city, 7.9 hwy.
Standard features: Automatic three-zone climate control, cruise control, dual power sliding doors, leather seats, heated front and second-row seats, second-row fold-flat captain's chairs, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, power windows and mirrors, power vent windows, power sunroof, power-adjustable floor pedals, power tailgate, AM/FM/six-CD audio system with satellite radio and six speakers, automatic headlights, front fog lights, trip computer, manual second-and third-row sunshades, rear overhead storage compartments, removable front centre floor console, UConnect hands-free phone system, tire pressure monitoring system
© Copyright (c) National Post

The Routan as Political Statement

On Volkswagen Automobile Information you can find a post, "Should Obama Get a Black Volkswagen Routan?" While I dislike it's ranting language, and I don't understand the purpose of the comment, I find it funny on so many levels:

1. The Volkswagen Routan is enough of an icon to become a political statement. Wouldn't it be funny if the upcoming election pins the "Tea Baggers" against the "Routanists"? Or, is it the "Routanistas"?
2. Image via Wikipedia
   
   The blogger ties the Volkswagen Routan to Hitler, yet all the critics exclaim that there is no German in it. It is a mini-van built in Windsor, Ontario by an American (purported) company that has a German automobile badge on it. Since Chrysler is now owned in part by Fiat, the blogger should have referenced Fascist Mussolini instead.
3. People complain about the commercial where people hit each other when they see a Routan. Now it is being used to bash Obama.
4. Since the Routan is bought from a company that Bush bailed out, and it creates jobs here in the United States, both parties could claim that it represents their ideals.
5. The "Tea Baggers" claim that the current administratrion's treatment of the Constitution is a travesty. Certain auto critics claim that the Volkswagen Routan is a badge-engineering travesty. In fact, didn't Chevrolet sell the "Travesty"? Oh, "Traverse".

I don't care what your views are of Obama and the current administration. I do know that more Routans are owned by the under 34-year-old crowd than any other minivan, and only the VW GTI has a higher percentage ownership by under 34-year-olds. It is hip, good looking, reliable, unique, and I got a great deal on mine.

Plenty of mileage left on Routan, officials say

Canada.com

By Grace Macaluso, The Windsor Star July 6, 2010

A Volkswagen Routan minivan is shown in this file photo. Photograph by: DAN JANISSE, The Windsor Star

The Volkswagen Routan isn’t headed for the scrapyard despite growing speculation that the German automaker will likely discontinue the vehicle, which is assembled at Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly Plant, a company spokesman said Monday.

“That’s news to me,” said Peter Viney, spokesman for Volkswagen Canada. “We are finalizing the next model year with Chrysler right now. We have a five-year contract with Chrysler so we are going to work within the terms and conditions of that contract so anything with respect to production ending in October is not what we understand.”

In an interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Jill Bratina, spokeswoman for Volkswagen Group of America, said the automaker was gearing up for a overhaul of its U.S. product lineup in an effort to turn around its North American operations and boost its presence there.

But the future of the Routan minivan was uncertain, she added. “No decisions have been made regarding the Routan,” Bratina, said, noting that the minivan segment was “significantly impacted by the economic downturn and has not fully recovered.”

Rick Laporte, president of CAW Local 444, said the plant is producing 40 Routans a day from a peak of 500 a week in 2008, when it was first launched.

“We were producing those numbers to fill their showrooms, to get them out there, but then the big economic crunch took place and it dwindled and dwindled and things only got worse,” LaPorte said.

In the U.S. the Routan makes up about four per cent of sales in the minivan segment, while in Canada it constitutes 1.4 per cent of sales. …

© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

In response to "Volkswagen Routan May Be Dropped From Line-up, Good Idea?"

Image via Wikipedia

Motortrend.com has an article entitled "Volkswagen Routan May Be Dropped From Lineup, Good Idea?" Below is the comment I left on that article.

The Routan has the youngest ownership of all minivans. In fact, there are only a relatively few vehicles that have younger average ownership. The youngest being the Jetta. Routan is positioned right for VW's market.

I suspect that the Phaeton will be positioned as the last car the Baby Boomers buy. We are dying off, and our profit contribution is decreasing for multiple reasons. But VW may be making a demographic play (provide a new luxury sedan that old guys can like because it doesn't look like the car all of their buddies drive.)

VW was smart to start with the best selling minivan in the US. The Routan has the features that Americans want. It is somewhat differentiated from the Honda and Toyota van that are viewed as practical (read, old fogey). It has an up-market feel compared to the Grand Caravan (GC is plebeian). Chrysler Town & Country is for the pre-boomer who can't get in and out of sedans anymore and who remember when Chrysler meant quality and engineering. (My 75-year old Dad drives a T&C--though he likes my Routan and he says that people who call it a T&C wannabe are idiots.)

The Sharan won't sell here in large quantities. The most mentioned feature by Routan owners is the power sliding side doors. The younger American buyers want power sliding side doors. The Sharan has conventional doors that don't convert well to sliding doors. Some complain that their isn't enough room in the Routan--so how will they feel about even less room of the Sharan.

I hope VW continues to target the younger minivan market. I hope Version 2 is built in Chattanooga on a VW chassis but in the same size configuration. They must add a TDI.

I wouldn't be surprised if Fiat drops the minivan or sells it off with the Ram family. That will end the comparison between the VW minivan and the Chrysler minivan.

Now here's a thought, VW should buy Ram and the mini-van, along with the Windsor plant. Then the Routan won't be like the T&C, but maybe VW will sell T&C units through Fiat/Chrysler. This move would also get VW into the US truck business.

I feel that VW should keep an American minivan that draws a younger market, I have mixed feelings about the Phaeton. While I'm a baby boomer (who started late with babies of his own) who is curious about the Phaeton, I wonder why I would buy one instead of an Audi (it's sister car)?

Test Drive: 2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline

{The model designations and prices are for the Canadian market. The U.S. models are referred to as the S, SE, SEL, and SEL Premium. SE up has RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment) standard or available as an option. U.W. pricing seems to be more favorable than Canadian pricing.}

CanadianDriver

Review and photos by Chris Chase

Photo Gallery:
2010 Volkswagen Routan

In my profession as a test driver, occasionally the right vehicle comes along at just the right time. My wife’s grandmother passed away at the beginning of April, and in the process of settling her estate, my mother-in-law had to find some way to move her mother’s belongings out of her apartment, … to someone who could use a bunch of old but well-cared-for furniture.

Enter this week’s Volkswagen Routan tester, which I picked up a couple of weeks after grandma’s passing. My mother-in-law … struck gold on a Friday, when she was put in touch with someone … who would be very grateful for … a queen-sized bed frame, mattress and box spring, a loveseat and wingback chair, two bedside tables, a six-drawer dresser, and a few other odds and ends.

2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline. Click image to enlarge

Great! We had a place to take the furniture and a way to get it there, but the question was whether it would all fit in one go; …

There was a brief moment of panic when I realized that the mattress, box spring and headboard wouldn’t fit inside the van. I was thankful, then, for the Routan’s roof rails and cross bars, which allowed us to tie the mattress and box spring to the roof, with the headboard sandwiched in between. The rest of the load was drama-free: the dresser fit crossways behind the front seats, with the loveseat, chair and tables in back, and a bunch of smaller odds and ends squeezed in wherever they would fit. One load, one trip and a lot of time saved.

… This van was added to VW’s line-up in late 2008 after the company’s research showed that 15 per cent of VW owners had left the brand to purchase a minivan when their needs dictated a larger vehicle. … [The] company … {knew} they wouldn’t sell Routans in the same numbers as Chrysler moves its Dodge Grand Caravan and Town & Country, so rather than design its own van from the ground up, VW partnered with Chrysler to base a van on the American platform.

2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline. Click image to enlarge

The Routan shares most of its makeup with the Chrysler and Dodge vans, but on the outside, only the roof and door panels are shared, to create a van distinctive enough to set it apart from its domestic siblings. Its powertrain choices are limited to one: a 4.0-litre V6 and six-speed automatic that also serves the Chrysler Town & Country and is the uplevel choice in the Dodge Grand Caravan.

Rated at 251 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque, it’s a strong motor, but not terribly refined. …

Acceleration is brisk, but the engine never sounds like it’s having a good time. This transmission is one I’ve noted before for how it bangs off great up-shifts in hard acceleration and downshifts readily for passing manoeuvres, yet often feels clumsy and unsophisticated in normal driving. The Routan’s fuel consumption ratings are 12.2/7.9 L/100 km (city/highway); I averaged 14 L/100 km in city driving.

2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline. Click image to enlarge

If Volkswagen has done a good job making the Routan stand apart from its Chrysler siblings looks-wise, the German brand’s suspension tuning makes a major difference in how the Routan goes over the road. Where the Town & Country wafts and wallows in response to rough roads, the Routan feels much more European, with a firmer ride and less body roll in corners. I’d hesitate to call it entertaining, but it certainly is more so than the Chrysler.

Volkswagen’s interior designers gave the Routan its own look and feel on the inside, with more soft-touch surfaces and a more attractive dash layout than in Chrysler’s vans. That said, the climate controls are still too low on the centre stack and there are a few cheap touches that remain, like the junky-feeling shifter and Chrysler’s electronic ignition switch, which never feels like it has a good grip on the key. I also wish Volkswagen had put its own steering wheel in the Routan. Instead, it makes do with the Chrysler wheel, which has stereo controls (on the backside), but doesn’t incorporate Bluetooth controls, which instead are located on the right-hand side of the navigation/stereo unit, far from the driver …

The Routan doesn’t offer Chrysler’s Stow ‘N Go second-row seats, which makes for more comfort, but less convenience, as these ones have to be removed from the van and stored somewhere when you need maximum carrying capacity. They’re pretty heavy, so lifting them out is a task, but they do have small wheels that allow them to be rolled across flat surfaces. The third row seats fold away into a well in the very back of the van, making for a flat load floor.

2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline. Click image to enlarge

Our tester was a Highline model, which is priced at $40,575 {Cdn}, part of the price that must be paid for niceties like power sliding side doors, power tailgate, alloy wheels, automatic climate control, eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, heated second-row captains chairs, power adjustable pedals, steering wheel audio controls and numerous other interior and exterior trim items. It’s worth noting, though, that many of the items included on my tester are also standard on the one-rung-down Comfortline model. My test vehicle also had the $2,425 {Cdn} Navigation Package, which adds navigation, a rear view camera and a USB connection for the stereo for a total MSRP of $44,580 {Cdn} including freight. For the record, the top-end Execline trim is worth $50,575 {Cdn} and includes navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system and flashier trim pieces, like 17-inch wheels (in place of sixteens) and chrome exterior mirrors and door handles.

The Routan is a more pleasant driver than its Chrysler and Dodge-badged siblings, … At that point, it’s a decent van for a Volks-phile, but otherwise, it might make more sense to spend similar money on a Japanese van and benefit from their superior reliability. …

Canadians, however, might appreciate being able to buy an import-branded van that’s built in Canada – the Routan is built alongside the Chrysler and Dodge versions in Windsor, Ontario. Honda and Toyota build their Odyssey and Sienna vans in the U.S.

If the Routan proved anything to me, it’s that among light-duty vehicles, there’s still nothing out there to compare to a minivan’s ability to carry seven or eight people in decent comfort, or move a small apartment’s worth of stuff in one shot. I know I was glad to be able to put this van to good use while I had it, and there’s a grateful family out there who’s probably pretty happy about it, too.

Pricing: 2010 Volkswagen Routan Highline

Base price: $40,575

Base price (Trendline): $28,075

Options: $2,425 (Navigation Package of navigation system, rearview camera, stereo USB port)

A/C tax: $100

Freight: $1,580

Price as tested: $44,580
Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives

Specifications

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Volkswagen Routan

Competitors

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Chrysler Town & Country

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Honda Odyssey

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Kia Sedona

Buyer’s Guide: 2010 Toyota Sienna

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

Chris Chase is an Ottawa-based automotive journalist. He is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

Where Are VWs Manufactured?

Golf Surge

As of May 2010:

1. Golf, GTI and Tiguan final assembly in Wolfsburg, Germany

2. Touareg 2 final assembly in Bratislava, Slovakia

3. All Jettas and Beetles final assembly in Puebla, Mexico and engines from Poland

4. All Passats and CCs final assembly in Emden, Germany

5. EOS final assembly in Palmela, Portugal

6. Routan (a rebadged Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country with better interior) final assembly in Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Chrysler van factory idled

Part shortage blamed in Windsor shutdown

Detroit Free Press
BY GREG GARDNER
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Chrysler will stop making minivans at its Windsor assembly plant for about a week, beginning Monday, because of an unspecified parts shortage the automaker expects to resolve in time to resume production Feb. 1.
The company would not identify the part or the supplier that is causing the disruption. A statement attributed the one-week shutdown to "continued stress in the automotive supply chain."
Rick Laporte, president of Canadian Auto Workers Local 444, said the plant will stop because of a shortage of a plastic part for the key fob. Production at the plant had resumed this past Monday after a four-week extended holiday shutdown. …
Chrysler dealers in the U.S. had more than a month's supply of Dodge Caravans and 55 days' worth of the Chrysler Town & Country. Most automakers regard 60-days' supply to be adequate.
Chrysler workers in Windsor also produce the Volkswagen Routan minivan.
"There should not be any lost sales, but the vehicles we don't build next week will have to be made up in coming weeks," Laporte said. …

Volkswagen committed to North American minivan market

canada.com

By Ellen van Wageningen, The Windsor StarJanuary 11, 2010

Chrysler Windsor Assembly plant validation line worker Ernie Renaud, right, checks out a Volkswagon Routan in this file photo.

Photograph by: Nick Brancaccio, The Windsor Star

DETROIT -- Volkswagen remains committed to producing and selling minivans in North America despite launching the Windsor-made Routan in the midst of a crippling recession.
Volkswagen America president and CEO Stefan Jacoby said Monday the company is already making plans for the future that could include extending its current five-year partnership with Chrysler to build the Routan in Windsor.
"We are investigating and we take into consideration a further extension of collaboration with our partner for the minivan, Chrysler, but we are also taking into consideration to develop this vehicle by ourselves," Jacoby said following the company's press conference at the North American International Auto Show.
Asked to elaborate on future minivan plans Jacoby would only say "stay tuned."…
By the end of the year the company had sold 17,309 Routans in North America, below expectations and only a sliver of the market. Chrysler, for example, sold 175,224 minivans in the United States in 2009, while Volkswagen sold 14,681. The Routan, which is built on a Chrysler minivan platform, is also sold in Canada and Mexico.
The German automaker, which is aiming to lead global vehicle sales by 2018, is prepared to be patient and still sees the minivan as a significant player in its strategy to double its sales in North American in the next couple of years, Jacoby said.
"We launched this car in the eye of the perfect storm, so to say. We see more and more acceptance for the Routan and we do believe Volkswagen should have a minivan in the future," he said.
"We believe we have reached the middle of the black tunnel in 2009 and we now see light at the end of the tunnel."…
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

You can find a lot of Volkswagen in the Routan

I had the opportunity to drive a 2009 Jetta as a loaner for a few days this week, and it struck me how many different things Volkswagen carried over. There are mostly small things, but they convey the "look and feel" of VW.

The first thing I noticed was the passing signal. Usually, you can operate the turn signal stalk to the detent, and the turn signal will flash. It stops signalling when you let go rather than waiting for the steering wheel to turn far enough to cancel it. In Volkswagens, you move the stalk to the detent and let go--the signal flashes 3 times. The Routan has that feature.

Volkswagen uses a ceiling console mounted red light to illuminate the front seat cupholders. The Routan has that as well.

The Jetta had a 6-speed automatic transmission. During mild acceleration, it shifted in a progressive pattern--each gear holding to a little higher RPM than the previous gear before shifting. Semi-tractor drivers often use this shifting pattern because it efficiently runs through the gears and saves fuel. The Routan does that as well. I know this is something Volkswagen can control on the Routan because its transmission is programmable. You can have the programming changed on the Routan if you need to. I believe VW spec'ed the Routan to have this shifting experience.

As a side note, a Canadian paper article talked about the construction of the Routan at Chrysler's Windsor plant. The article stated that Routans are final inspected by Volkswagen employees. I believe this is to ensure quality commensurate with the Volkswagen name.

The more I drive my Routan the more it reflects a bumper sticker I saw once talking about Christians--"not perfect, just forgiven."

CanadianDriver's New Car Buyer's Guide: Volkswagen Routan

Note:  The specs in this article apply to Routans sold in Canada. The U.S. models are S, SE, SEL, and SEL Premium. They generally correspond to the Canadian Trendline, Comfortline, Highline, and Execline. Pomegranate Red is still available in the U.S., and Tanzanite is added. U.S. models don't get the block heater. See http://www.vw.com/routan/en/us/ for U.S. specs.

CanadianDriver

CanadianDriver's New Car Buyer's Guide 2010:
Volkswagen Routan
NEW FOR 2010:
- Standard engine block heater, white-illuminated displays and gauges, fuel saver indicator, and first-row active head restraints
- Comfortline adds standard heated front seats, and optional auto-dimming rearview mirror, Multimedia Package and UConnect hands-free phone system
- Highline adds standard auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated front seats, power-adjustable pedals and UConnect hands-free phone system
- Execline adds standard chrome door handles, auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated front seats, UConnect hands-free phone system, and 60/40-split power-folding rear bench seat with tailgating function
- Roadside Assistance now 4-years/80,000 km instead of 4-years/unlimited mileage
- Exterior colours: Meteor Grey Metallic and Cocoa Bean Pearl added; Blonde Maple Metallic, Pomegranate Red Pearl and Atlantis Blue Pearl discontinued

An all-new model for 2009, the Volkswagen Routan adds new standard or optional features for 2010, including a block heater, new-look gauges, and active head restraints for the first row. Depending on the model, other new features include an auto-dimming rearview mirror, power-adjustable metals, a power-folding third-row seat, and hands-free phone operation.
Built in Canada by Chrysler, with final quality inspection by on-site Volkswagen employees, the Routan is based on the Chrysler Town & Country minivan. Only the roof, doors and driveline are shared; front and rear styling, interior design, and suspension tuning are unique to the Volkswagen version. Unlike the Chrysler, the Routan does not offer Stow 'n Go second-row seats that fold into the floor, but it does have the covered storage bins in the floor. Swivel 'n Go seating is also unavailable.

The Routan uses a 4.0-litre V6 engine, with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode. Trim lines are the Trendline, Comfortline, Highline and Execline.

Features on the Trendline include 16-inch steel wheels, manual three-zone climate control, black door handles and mirrors, privacy glass, chrome grille with black slats, heated mirrors, variable intermittent wipers, intermittent rear wiper, cruise control, front and rear floor mats, keyless entry, vanity mirrors, conversation mirror, CD/MP3 stereo with auxiliary jack, tire pressure monitoring system, four-way manually-adjustable front seats, second-row fold-flat bench seat, 60/40 split-folding third-row bench seat with tailgating function, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, covered second-row floor bins, dark rhodium trim accents, auto up/down front windows, and third-row power vent windows.

The Comfortline adds 16-inch alloy wheels, power-sliding doors, body-colour door handles and mirrors, chrome grille with chrome slats, black roof rails, anti-theft alarm, trip computer, illuminated vanity mirrors, six-CD/DVD/MP3 stereo, Sirius satellite radio, eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, fold-flat second-row captain's chairs, garage door opener, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and second- and third-row manual sunshades.

The Highline adds automatic three-zone climate control, automatic headlamps, fog lights, power sunroof, power tailgate, sliding and removable front centre console, second- and third-row LED reading lights, auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated second-row seats, power-adjustable pedals, UConnect hands-free phone system, brushed aluminum trim, and leather upholstery.

The Execline adds 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome door handles, xenon headlamps, heated chrome mirrors with integrated turn signals, silver roof rails, multifunction trip computer, 115-volt outlet, remote starter, navigation system, rear-seat DVD entertainment system with twin nine-inch LCD displays, eight-way power front seats, two-position driver's side memory, 60/40 split-folding power third-row seat with tailgating function, rearview camera, and leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel.

2010 Volkswagen Routan Specifications:
Type -4-door, 7-passenger full-size minivan
Layout -Front engine/front-wheel drive
Engine -4.0-litre V6, SOHC, 24 valves
Horsepower -251 @ 6000 rpm
Torque (lb-ft) -259 @ 4100 rpm
Transmission -6-speed automatic
Tires -P225/65R16 all-season
Tires Execline -P225/65R17 all-season
Curb weight -2096 kg (4620 lbs)
Wheelbase -3078 mm (121.2 in.)
Length -5143 mm (202.5 in.)
Width -1953 mm (76.9 in.)

Height -1750 mm (68.9 in.)

Ground clearance -154 mm (6.1 in.)

Cargo capacity -2350 litres (83.0 cu. ft.)(rear seat
folded)
Towing capacity -907 kg (2000 lbs)(base)
1633 kg (3600 lbs)(w/towing package)
Payload capacity -544 kg (1199 lbs)
Fuel consumption -City: 12.2 L/100 km (23 mpg Imp); Hwy: 7.9 L/100 km (36 mpg Imp)
Fuel type -Regular
Warranty -4 yrs/ 80,000 km
Powertrain warranty -5 yrs/100,000 km
Side airbags -N/A
Curtain airbags -Standard
Anti-lock brakes -Standard
Traction control -Standard
Stability control -Standard
Assembly location -Windsor, Ontario
*Specifications subject to change

Chrysler readies for hybrid, diesel minivans

This news story is over a year old, however it cites sources that indicate that Volkswagen has plans to put a diesel in the Routan.
Canwest News Service

Hybrid and diesel-powered minivans are just around the corner, starting with a Dodge Grand Caravan that will almost certainly be built in Windsor.

By Canwest News Service
July 15, 2008

Hybrid and diesel-powered minivans are just around the corner, starting with a Dodge Grand Caravan that will almost certainly be built in Windsor.
Chrysler could be the first minivan maker to bring a hybrid to market, but it won’t be last, says J.D. Power and Associates - Toyota also has plans to offer a hybrid Sierra by 2010.
And to meet the growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, Volkswagen and Honda are likely to offer diesel versions of their minivans. VW starts assembling its Routan van in Windsor next month, on contract in Chrysler’s van assembly plant. …
But some professional industry observers believe the decision has already been made. Mike Omotoso, director of powertrain forecasting for J.D. Power in Detroit, said Monday he is advising clients to count on a handful of new powertrains to be available in showrooms by 2010.
Based on information gleaned from suppliers and other sources, J.D. Power reports that Chrysler intends to put its two-mode hybrid system in the Grand Caravan starting next year. …
Both Honda and Volkswagen are likely to follow the hybrids to market with diesel-powered vans, he said. "There is some talk of Honda putting a diesel in the Odyssey in the next couple of years." Honda has a range of diesel engines available in almost everything it sells in Europe.
Volkswagen could go in two directions with its Routan - either by offering one of its own four-cylinder diesel engines, which would offer excellent fuel economy but be considered rather underpowered compared to gasoline-powered minivans, or by offering the three-litre Mercedes diesel that Chrysler is currently offering as an option in its Grand Cherokee.
The Mercedes diesel puts out 200 horsepower and an overwhelming amount of torque - in the range of 400 foot-pounds, Omotoso said. But its fuel economy is less than stellar, at a combined city/highway rate of about 35 miles per U.S. gallon,. …
cvanderdoelen@thestar.canwest.com
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.