Since it released the minivan in 1984, Chrysler Corporation has been the undisputed leader in the segment it created. Honda and Toyota have competed successfully and GM has made a few efforts. VW gave it a shot with the EuroVan from 1993 to 2002, but the vehicle was poor competition at best.
As the old adage says, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." That's exactly what Volkswagen is doing. Instead of developing a minivan on its own, VW is joining forces with Chrysler to produce a new minivan. At the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, VW unveiled the Routan, a new seven-passenger minivan based on the Chrysler minivans and built by Chrysler at its factory in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
According to VW, "Routan" is a newly coined word indicating the bond between Volkswagen and America. "Routan" contains both the English word "route" and the "-an" suffix VW uses for other European vans.
Like the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan, the Routan will be offered in one extended length. Volkswagen has trimmed the interior with its own materials, textures and colors. It will come standard with two power sliding doors with power windows. Available features will include leather upholstery, a power liftgate, a conversation mirror, rear DVD entertainment with nine-inch screens for the second- and third-row seats, and a touch screen navigation system with a 20-gigabyte hard drive to hold music and picture files, as well as navigation map information. Other available features will include HID headlights, a sunroof, a universal garage door opener, power adjustable pedals, and Sirius Backset TV.
Traction control and electronic stability control will be standard. Seventeen-inch tires will be standard. Volkswagen says it has tuned the Routan for European ride and handling characteristics.
The engine choices will come from Chrysler. The base engine will be a 197-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 and the top-line engine will be a 253-hp 4.0-liter V6. VW will not use the 3.3-liter V6 that Chrysler uses as its base engine. Both engines will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy numbers have not been released, but we expect 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway for the Routan, just like its Chrysler counterparts.
The Routan will not make use of the Chrysler Stow 'n Go or Swivel 'n Go seating arrangements, but it will have under-floor storage in the second row. Routan will come standard with removable second-row captain's chairs that are thicker than Chrysler's. VW says the Routan will have 32.7 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third row of seats, 83 cubic feet behind the second row, and 144 cubic feet with the second-row seats removed and the third row folded into the floor.
Pricing hasn't been announced, but the 2009 Volkswagen Routan will start under $25,000 when it goes on sale this fall.
On Sale:
Fall 2008
Expected Pricing:
About $25,000
No comments:
Post a Comment