Volkswagen Routan

The Volkswagen Routan is a seven-seat minivan and rebadged variant of the Chrysler RT platform, with revised styling, content features, and suspension tuning from the fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country.[3][4][5]

Not to be confused with Volkswagen Touran.
See also: Chrysler minivans (RT)

Volkswagen Routan
2009 Volkswagen Routan SE
Overview
ManufacturerChrysler LLC (2009)
Chrysler Group LLC (2009–2014)
FCA US LLC (2014)
Production2008–2013[1][2]
Model years2009–2014
AssemblyCanada: Windsor, Ontario
Body and chassis
ClassMinivan
Body style5-door minivan
LayoutFront-engine, front-wheel-drive
PlatformChrysler RT platform
RelatedChrysler Town & Country
Dodge Grand Caravan
Powertrain
Engine3.6 L Pentastar V6 (2011–2014)
3.8 L EGH V6 (2008-2010)
4.0 L EGQ V6 (2008-2010)
Transmission62TE 6-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase121.2 in (3,078 mm)
Length202.5 in (5,144 mm)
Width76.9 in (1,953 mm)
Height68.9 in (1,750 mm)
Chronology
PredecessorVolkswagen Transporter (T4) (U.S. & Canada)
Volkswagen Sharan (Mexico)
SuccessorVolkswagen Atlas/Teramont
Volkswagen Transporter (T6) (Mexico)

Manufactured alongside the Chrysler and Dodge minivans at Windsor Assembly and marketed in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the Routan debuted at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show and went on sale in the United States in September 2008.[6] The Routan's minivan variants include the Dodge Caravan, Ram C/V, Chrysler Town & Country, and Lancia Voyager (export)—that by 2009 have ranked as the 13th bestselling automotive nameplate worldwide, with over 12 million sold.[7]

Production of the Routan was halted in 2012 due to high inventory levels, and Volkswagen announced the 2013 model year would be primarily reserved for rental car companies and other fleets, with limited availability to the public at dealer showrooms.[8] This also held true for the 2014 model year Routan.[9]

History

The Routan marked the start of Volkswagen's business strategy to offer additional vehicles specially developed for the U.S. market.[10] The introduction of the 2008 model year minivan resulted from a partnership that began in 2005 between Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler. Prior to the agreement, Volkswagen had no minivan model for the United States or Canadian markets. The Routan was sold only in North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico).[11]

The automaker's intent with outsourcing production of the Routan to Chrysler was to avoid the significant expense of developing its own family-sized minivan.[12] VW announced in an early 2008 projection that the company intended for the Routan and other models to help achieve significant expansion of U.S. sales.[13] The Routan was Volkswagen's first van offered in North America since discontinuation of the Volkswagen Eurovan in 2003, and is not related to the European-market Volkswagen Touran.[14]

In 2012, Volkswagen halted production of the Routan at Chrysler's Windsor, Ontario, plant, despite having a production contract that ran through 2014. In January 2013, Volkswagen announced there would be no 2013 retail model, but held open the possibility that development may resume with a potential 2014 model. The 2013 Routan was reserved for fleet purchasers, and 2,500 were produced by Chrysler during the calendar year.[15]

Automotive industry analysts were not surprised by VW's decision to drop the Routan because buyers had no reason for selecting the Routan over the similar Dodge Grand Caravan or the Chrysler Town & Country, and the Routan's base price of nearly $28,000 was far more than the basic $21,000 Grand Caravan, while the Routan's list of equipment was less than included on the upscale Town & Country.[8]

Features

Interior

The Routan features a rebranded version of Chrysler's hard drive-based audio and navigation system—marketed by Chrysler as the MyGig system and by Volkswagen as the Joybox, but has neither Chrysler's Stow'n Go nor Swivel'n Go seating systems. Instead, the second row seats in the Routan feature the Easy Out Roller Seat system, but can be modified using Chrysler or Dodge parts to have Stow'n Go or have Swivel'n Go seats installed. Routans as of 2010 offer optional Wi-Fi access, which was also offered in Dodge and Chrysler versions as UConnect Web.

Engine

The Routan is available with the Chrysler 3.8 L V6 producing 197 hp (147 kW) and 230 lb⋅ft (312 N⋅m), and the 4.0 L V6 producing 251 hp (187 kW) and 259 lb⋅ft (351 N⋅m)—with either engine mated to Chrysler's 62TE six-speed automatic transaxle with manual shift capability (See Ultradrive#62TE).

For 2011, the Routan is available with a new engine from Chrysler, the 3.6 L V6 producing 283 hp (211 kW) and 260 lb⋅ft (353 N⋅m) mated to a six-speed automatic from Chrysler.

Displacement
(L)		 Type Valves Power at rpm Torque at rpm Compression
Ratio		 Fuel Economy
(MPG)		 Years
3.6 DOHC 24 283 hp (211 kW) at 6,350 260 lb⋅ft (353 N⋅m) at 4,400 10.0:1 17/25 2011–2012
3.8 OHV 12 197 hp (147 kW) at 5,200 230 lb⋅ft (312 N⋅m) at 4,000 9.6:1 16/23 2008–2011
4.0 SOHC 24 251 hp (187 kW) at 6,000 259 lb⋅ft (351 N⋅m) at 4,100 10.2:1 17/25 2008–2011

Markets
2009 Volkswagen Routan SE

United States

VW of America had projected for the Routan to gain at least five percent of the U.S. minivan market,[16] or 45,000 units of the 700,000 minivans sold currently. In January 2009, VW of America asked Chrysler Canada to stop production of the Routan for the month of February after 29,000 Routans had been shipped to US dealerships. By July 2009, 11,677 units had been sold.[17]

Trims
Trim Engine production
S 3.8L V6 N
SE 3.8L V6 N
SEL 4.0L V6 N
SEL Premium 4.0L V6 N
S 3.6L V6 N
SE 3.6L V6 N
SEL 3.6L V6 N
SEL Premium 3.6L V6 N

Sales
Jan 2008 Feb 2008 Mar 2008 Apr 2008 May 2008 Jun 2008 Jul 2008 Aug 2008 Sep 2008 Oct 2008 Nov 2008 Dec 2008 Total 2008
— — — — — — — — 375[6] 789[18] 1,324[19] 899[20] 3,387
Jan 2009 Feb 2009 Mar 2009 Apr 2009 May 2009 Jun 2009 Jul 2009 Aug 2009 Sep 2009 Oct 2009 Nov 2009 Dec 2009 Total 2009
663[21] 503[22] 1,029[23] 2,606[24] 1,390[25] 2,099[26] 1,350[27] 2,098[28] 901[29] 669[30] 540[31] 833[32] 14,681

Mexico

Volkswagen de México markets the Routan alongside the Transporter (formerly marketed locally as the Eurovan), replacing the European-built Volkswagen Sharan minivan in the autumn of 2008.

Trims
Trim Engine
Prestige 3.8L V6
Exclusive 3.8L V6

Canada

Volkswagen Canada began selling the Routan during the autumn of 2008. Like its United States counterpart, VW Canada had not featured a minivan in its vehicle lineup since the discontinuation of the Eurovan. For the four months that the Routan minivan was on sale in Canada in 2008 (September through December), the company sold 335 units.[33]

Trims
Trim Engine production
Trendline, S 4.0L V6 N
Comfortline, SE 4.0L V6 N
Highline, SE w/ RSE 4.0L V6 N
Execline, SEL 4.0L V6 N
Trendline 3.6L V6 N
Comfortline 3.6L V6 N
Highline 3.6L V6 N

Replacement

At the 2013 North American International Auto Show, Volkswagen revealed the Volkswagen CrossBlue Concept SUV. The automaker is considering a seven-passenger SUV based on the show car as a replacement for the Routan.[12] The production SUV, called Atlas, was launched in 2017 as a 2018 model.

Recalls

Ignition Switch

"Volkswagen is recalling 20,676 examples of the 2009-2010 Routan minivan to replace their key fobs and ignition switches." "In these vehicles, it's possible that if the switch is jarred, the key can be jostled out of the Run position. If this happens, then the engine shuts off, and the airbags, power steering and power brakes are all deactivated, which is a safety problem."[34]

References
  1. "Routan Customer Announcement" (Press release). 4 January 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  2. Nelson, Gabriel (17 December 2012). "VW says it will resume Routan production in 2013". Automotive News. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  3. Korzeniewski, Jeremy (6 February 2008). "Chicago 2008: Volkswagen unveils the newish Routan minivan". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  4. Nagy, Bob (November 2008). "2009 Volkswagen Routan". Motor Trend. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  5. Bailey, Shaun (7 February 2008). "2009 Volkswagen Routan - A price-conscious decision over the less practical Touareg". Road and Track. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  6. "Volkswagen Reports September 2008 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 1 October 2008. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  7. Stern, Daniel (2009). "25th Anniversary of the Chrysler Minivan at the Windsor Assembly Plant". allparcom. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  8. "2013 VW Routan Canceled". autotrader. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  9. "Volkswagen Routan dead one last time". Auto Blog. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  10. "2008 Annual Report" (PDF). Volkswagen AG. p. 182. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  11. Grünig, Rudolf; Morschett, Dirk (2012). Developing International Strategies: Going and Being International for Medium-sized Companies. Springer-Verlag. pp. 284–285. ISBN 9783642247248. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  12. Healey, James R. (23 September 2013). "VW axes Routan van, mulls 7-passenger SUV replacement". USA Today. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  13. "VW Plans to Triple U.S. Vehicle Sales". Car & Driver. September 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  14. Vander Doelen, Chris (22 January 2008). "VW's Routan to roll off Windsor Assembly". Windsor Star. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  15. "Chrysler Group LLC December 2013 Production Data". Chrysler Group LLC. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  16. Boyce, Christopher (7 February 2008). "Chrysler-built Routan has VW look". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Highbeam. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  17. Paukert, Chris (30 January 2009). "Routan Bust? VW asks Chrysler to stop building minivans for February". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  18. "Volkswagen Reports October 2008 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 3 November 2008. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  19. "Volkswagen Reports November 2008 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 2 December 2008. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  20. "Volkswagen Reports December 2008 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 5 January 2009. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  21. "Volkswagen Reports January 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 3 February 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  22. "Volkswagen Reports February 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 8 March 2009. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  23. "Volkswagen Reports March 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 1 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2009.
  24. "Volkswagen Reports April 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  25. "Volkswagen Reports May 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 2 June 2009.
  26. "Volkswagen Reports June 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 1 July 2009.
  27. "Volkswagen Reports Jul 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 3 August 2009.
  28. "Volkswagen Reports Aug 2009 Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 1 September 2009.
  29. "Volkswagen Announces September Sales Totals" (Press release). Volkswagen. 1 October 2009.
  30. "Volkswagen of America Announces October Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 3 November 2009. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  31. "Volkswagen of America Announces November Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  32. "Volkswagen of America Announces December Sales" (Press release). Volkswagen. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  33. "Volkswagen Canada December 2008 and full-year 2008 sales" (Press release). Volkswagen via Canadian Newswire. 5 January 2009.
  34. http://www.autoblog.com/2015/04/16/volkswagen-routan-ignition-switch-recall/
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