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.
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 of the same year as a 2009 model. The Routan's minivan variants include the Dodge Caravan, Ram C/V, Chrysler Town & Country, and Lancia Voyager —that by 2009 have ranked as the 13th best-selling automotive nameplate worldwide, with over 12 million sold.
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. This also held for the 2014 model year Routan.
History
The Routan marked the start of Volkswagen's business strategy to offer additional vehicles specially developed for the U.S. market. The introduction of the 2009 model year minivan resulted from a partnership that began in 2005 between Volkswagen and DaimlerChrysler. Before the agreement, Volkswagen had no minivan model for the United States or Canadian markets. The Routan was sold only in North America.The automaker's intent in outsourcing production of the Routan to Chrysler was to avoid the significant expense of developing its family-sized minivan. 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. The Routan was Volkswagen's first van offered in North America since discontinuation of the Transporter (T4)|Volkswagen Eurovan] in 2003, and is not related to the European-market Volkswagen Touran.
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 that 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 Chrysler produced 2,500 during the calendar year.
Autotrader.com opined that industry observers wouldn't be surprised by VW's decision to drop the Routan due to its poor sales figures, and as most shoppers found 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.
Features
Interior
The Routan featured 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. Routans for 2010 offered optional Wi-Fi access, which was also provided in Dodge and Chrysler versions as UConnect Web.The Routan was not offered with 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. As the Routan retains the underfloor recesses, it can be field-modified using Chrysler or Dodge parts to have Stow'n Go or Swivel'n Go seats.
Engine
At first, the Routan was available with the Chrysler 3.8 L V6 engine producing and, and the [Chrysler SOHC V6 engine#4.0|4.0 L V6] producing and —with either engine mated to Chrysler's 62TE six-speed automatic transaxle with manual shift capability.In 2011, the Routan was available with a new engine from Chrysler, the 3.6 L V6 producing and mated to a six-speed automatic from Chrysler.
| Displacement | Type | Valves | Power at rpm | Torque at rpm | Compression Ratio | Fuel Economy | Years |
| 3.6 | DOHC | 24 | at 6,350 | at 4,400 | 10.0:1 | 17/25 | 2011–2012 |
| 3.8 | OHV | 12 | at 5,200 | at 4,000 | 9.6:1 | 16/23 | 2008–2011 |
| 4.0 | SOHC | 24 | at 6,000 | at 4,100 | 10.2:1 | 17/25 | 2008–2011 |