Image via WikipediaImage via WikipediaVW is planning to put the NCC (New Compact Coupe) into production. The two-door Jetta was shown as a concept in Detroit this January and will be built in Tennessee. That plant might also build the successor of the Routan down the road, which will be based on one of VW’s car platforms. But the current Routan, a derivative of the Chrysler minivan, will stay in production until mid-2014.
Image via Wikipedia
Hartford Courant.com
By JIM MACPHERSON
November 10, 2010
Image via WikipediaThe collaboration between Volkswagen and Chrysler, which produced the VW Routan minivan, has raised eyebrows. Here we have Volkswagen, which introduced Americans to the practicality of a small van built on a car's platform in the 1950s and Ô60s (it was known as the Type 2, Transporter or microbus). And Chrysler reintroduced the small-van concept to Americans with its Voyager and Caravan models in 1984.
The collaboration between these two companies probably had as much to do with personalities as with historical synergy. Wolfgang Bernhard had worked with Dieter Zetsche, the former head of Chrysler back in the DaimlerChrysler days. Bernhard moved on to Volkswagen at about the same time the decision was made to go with the Chrysler platform for Volkswagen's next minivan. Called the Routan, it arrived in 2009.
Four models of the Routan are offered: the base S, SE, SEL and SEL Premium. The S and SE models feature a 3.8-liter V-6. The SEL models use a 4.0-liter V-6. Both engines use a six-speed automatic transmission. All models have front-wheel drive and three rows of seating.Even the base S model is nicely equipped with tri-zone manual air conditioning complete with rear-seat controls. The S model also has power windows, remote control locks and heated mirrors. Much of the safety equipment that is expected of new cars is present, too, including side curtain air bags, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, tire pressure monitoring and daytime running lights.Paula says:
SE models add heated front seats with good looking vinyl upholstery - most people think it is leather. Other extras are very handy power adjustable pedals, a power driver's seat, and an upgrade to second-row bucket seats rather than a split-and-folding bench seat.
The SEL model features automatic three-zone climate control, leather upholstery, a navigation system with a backup camera, a power sunroof and power third-row folding seats.
The SEL Premium includes a rear seat DVD player, rear obstacle detection, memory for the driver's seat, mirrors and pedals, roof rails, fog lights and xenon headlights.
Our review vehicle had all of these features along with the 4.0-liter V-6.
Of more importance, our Routan diverged from its Chrysler cousins in several important ways. First, the suspension feels a little tighter and less relaxed over bumps and pavement undulations. The result is a steadier ride without harshness. Handling also feels a little sharper with less lean in corners.
Volkswagen has used a mix of hard and soft-to-the-touch plastics inside, all of which look very good. Our review vehicle was nicely assembled, too. Only the center console, which is a little too flexible, could stand some work.
Another interior upgrade is to be found in the second row seating. Some people may consider this a step down, but the Chrysler Stow 'n Go seats are absent. Our review SEL Premium came with second row bucket seats that would not flip, fold and disappear beneath the floor to form a flat load floor for cargo. Instead, the seats in the Routan must be removed for carrying larger items. Although they might be less flexible, these seats were much more comfortable than the Stow 'n Go seating they replaced. For buyers who have to transport adults in the second row, the Volkswagen approach seems preferable. It is certainly more comfortable. Volkswagen uses the compartments that normally hold the folded second row seats for two large and convenient under-floor storage bins.
The Routan's third row seat does flip, fold and tumble into a well at the rear of the vehicle to form a flat load floor for cargo. In the SEL models this is accomplished with the push of a button. The third row seats will accommodate adults, but it is probably a good idea to keep the trip short. Also, the well at the rear of the vehicle that holds this third row seat when folded is perfect for holding grocery bags.
Acceleration from the 4.0-liter V-6 is more than sufficient. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly, too, producing a run to 60 miles per hour that required just 8.7 seconds. Fuel economy, considering the size of the vehicle, was reasonable. In our first Routan, we averaged 18.8 miles per gallon. This time out, the fuel economy came to 18.1 miles per gallon.
Parked in our garage, the Routan seems large. It fits easily enough, but its length and height are substantial. On the road, however, it feels much smaller. It is easy to maneuver in parking lots and surprisingly hassle-free in traffic. The backup camera is a help, with an image of what is behind displayed on the navigation system's screen while in reverse.
The power front driver's seat is also worthy of mention. It allows shorter drivers to raise the seat quite high in order to gain excellent visibility ahead and around the mirrors. Combined with the power adjusted pedals, this minivan should fit just about everyone.
I would have to adjust to the shift lever, which is mounted on the instrument panel. At least it is out of the way of the generally easy-to-use controls.
The interior is cavernous with the third row seat folded. I am hard-pressed to imagine that there would be too many times that the second row seats would have to be removed. There is 83 cubic feet of space with these seats in place; 140 cubic feet with them removed.
Jim MacPherson is the host of "The Car Doctor" show airing Sundays at noon on WTIC-AM. Paula MacPherson is his wife and new-car review partner. Send comments, questions, suggestions in care of Special Publications, Hartford Courant, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115, or email jdee@courant.com.
This content was prepared by the Marketing Department of The Hartford Courant without involvement of the News Department
The 2010 Volkswagen Routan ranks 5 out of 7 Minivans. This ranking is based on our analysis of 13 published reviews and test drives of the Volkswagen Routan, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
Volkswagen teamed up with Chrysler to produce the Routan. Like the partnership that created it, the Routan is something of a mixed bag.
The Routan is a VW, albeit one that’s heavily based on the Chrysler minivans — the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan. With the Routan, VW tried to reverse that trend, taking a tried and true minivan platform, retuning the suspension for more exciting driving and upgrading the interior with nicer materials from VW’s parts bin.
Reviewers say that while the Routan drives slightly better than the Chrysler minivans, it still lags the Honda Odyssey. Inside, while the VW materials help the interior, some reviewers say that simply slapping nice coverings on a Chrysler interior is sort of like putting lipstick on a pig.
Despite these setbacks, however, the Routan has some strong points. Though reviewers say the Odyssey outperforms the Routan, it’s only by a matter of degrees, and the Routan has a lower starting price. Finally, the Routan has very good crash test scores. And while the Routan’s warranty isn’t longer than its competitors, it’s the only minivan to offer free scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles.
The bottom line is, if you’re shopping minivans, the Routan is a solid choice, but so is almost every other van in the class. The Routan comes in four trims: the S base model, the SE, the SEL and the SEL Premium. The Routan was all-new in 2009.
Motor Trend
November 03, 2010
/ By Allyson Harwood
/ Photography by Mike Shaffer
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Click to view Gallery
Executive editor Ed Loh recently used the Routan as a tour bus, lugging six friends to major tourist spots in the Los Angeles area, including Philippe's the Original (best French dip sandwiches in town), Olvera Street, and Chinatown, plus Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive, and the Farmers Market.
Image via WikipediaThe visitors, a family from France, own a Renault Espace and are familiar with the Euro-market Volkswagen Touran (swap the T and the R and you know where VW got the name Routan). They were impressed by the dual fold-down LCD screens, headphones, remote controls, and power sliding doors and cargo door. "The Routan was admired by our French friends. Though access to the backseat for the three kids was a bit inelegant, we were able to fit nearly 6-foot-tall Antoine, 11-year-old Nicolas, and 6-year-old Louise in the third row."
2010 Volkswagen Routan
Months/miles in service
5/10,399
Avg econ/CO2
18.0 mpg/1.08 lb/mile
Unresolved problems
None
Maintenance cost
$0 (oil change/inspection/rotate tires, plus machined warped brake rotors)
Normal-wear cost
$0
Volkswagen's U.S. operations posted a strong sales increase in September 2010, but the company continued its march forward with an equally impressive October showing. Last month, the German automaker reported a 17.9-percent increase over the same period last year.
VW of America's U.S. deliveries totaled 20,084 vehicles in October 2010, 3047 cars more than the brand moved last October. As usual, the brand's strength lies with its compact offerings, especially the Jetta. 11,958 examples were sold in October, with roughly half of that figure -- 5464 cars, to be precise -- attributed to the all-new 2011 Jetta sedan.
Unsurprisingly, the next-best selling model in VW's North American portfolio remains the Golf and GTI hatchback -- combined, the two accounted for 1905 deliveries, which marks a 62-percent increase from last October. Volkswagen's Tiguan sales grew 49 percent to 1453 deliveries, but surprisingly, the largest growth lies with the Routan. Only 1103 examples of the Chrysler-built minivan were sold in October, but that marks a 65-percent improvement over the same period in 2009.
A zero-percent, 72-month financing deal may have helped the Routan's figures, but other vehicles applicable for the deal -- the Eos and New Beetle -- didn't benefit quite as much. …
…Thus far in 2010, the automaker's U.S. sales are up by nearly 20 percent.
Credit: Automobile Magazine
Volkswagen of America Inc., which has ambitious U.S. sales goals, increased October sales by nearly 18 percent from a year ago. Its sales were paced by the new Jetta, which had its first full month of sales and its best sales month since 2005, with the exception of last year's Cash for Clunkers period.
Volkswagen has taken heat for its price-reduced new Jetta, which critics charge the German automaker has cheapened too much in its effort to make it affordable to more customers. In addition to heavily advertising the Jetta's affordable price, Volkswagen is offering one of its biggest incentives ever for the nameplate.
"Volkswagen continues to grow sales in all models and products through October," said Mark Barnes, VWoA's Chief Operating Officer. "It is good to see the all-new Jetta getting off to such a promising start and our TDI products continue to do well."Image via WikipediaAlso chipping into Volkswagen's total were higher sales of the Chrysler-built Routan minivan, Golf and GTI.
