Volkswagen Routan
Encyclopedia
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 2008.
The Routan's minivan nameplate variants — including the discontinued Plymouth
and Chrysler Voyager
(North America) along with the currently marketed Dodge Caravan
, Chrysler Town & Country and Chrysler Grand Voyager (export)— have ranked as the 13th bestselling automotive nameplate worldwide, with over 12 million sold.
and DaimlerChrysler
. Prior to the agreement, Volkswagen had no minivan model for the United States or Canadian markets. 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 is 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
.
As with its rebadged variants the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, 2009 Routan models were recalled in June, 2010 for a fire hazard stemming from an improperly routed wire harness.
V6 producing 197 hp and 230 lbft, and the 4.0 L V6 producing 251 hp and 259 lbft — with either engine mated to Chrysler's 62TE six-speed automatic
transaxle with manual
shift capability (See Ultradrive#62TE).
For 2011 Routan is available with new engine from Chrysler 3.6 L V6 producing 283 hp and 260 lbft mated to six-speed automatic from Chrysler.
(formerly marketed locally as the Eurovan), replacing the European-built Volkswagen Sharan
minivan in the autumn of 2008.
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
and rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
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
Windsor Assembly
Windsor Assembly is a Chrysler automobile factory in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The factory opened in 1928 and started minivan production in 1983. Windsor Assembly is also Windsor's largest employer with about 4,450 employees.-Overview:...
and marketed in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the Routan debuted at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show
Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Placeconvention complex. It is among the largest auto shows in North America....
and went on sale in the United States in September 2008.
The Routan's minivan nameplate variants — including the discontinued Plymouth
Plymouth Voyager
In 1984, the Voyager name was applied to Plymouth's variant of Chrysler's all new minivan. This Voyager used the Chrysler S platform, which was derived from the K-platform . In addition to using a derived platform, the Voyager shared many components with the K-cars, most notably the interior...
and Chrysler Voyager
Chrysler Voyager
The Chrysler Voyager or Chrysler Grand Voyager is a minivan sold by the Chrysler division of American automobile manufacturer Chrysler Group LLC...
(North America) along with the currently marketed Dodge Caravan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
, Chrysler Town & Country and Chrysler Grand Voyager (export)— have ranked as the 13th bestselling automotive nameplate worldwide, with over 12 million sold.
History
The Routan resulted from a 2005 partnership between VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler
Daimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
. Prior to the agreement, Volkswagen had no minivan model for the United States or Canadian markets. 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 is 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
Volkswagen Touran
The Volkswagen Touran is a compact MPV based on a vertically-stretched fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5, and sold in Europe and other select markets. It was launched in 2003 to fill a gap in Volkswagen's model lineup, below the Sharan large MPV...
.
As with its rebadged variants the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, 2009 Routan models were recalled in June, 2010 for a fire hazard stemming from an improperly routed wire harness.
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. Routans as of 2010 offer optional Wi-Fi access.Engine
The Routan is available with the Chrysler 3.8 LChrysler 3.3 engine
This engine was Chrysler's first 60° V6 engine designed and built in-house for front wheel drive vehicles, and their first V6 not based on a V8. It was designed as a larger, more powerful option to the Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 in the minivans and debuted in 1990....
V6 producing 197 hp and 230 lbft, and the 4.0 L V6 producing 251 hp and 259 lbft — with either engine mated to Chrysler's 62TE six-speed automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
transaxle with manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
shift capability (See Ultradrive#62TE).
For 2011 Routan is available with new engine from Chrysler 3.6 L V6 producing 283 hp and 260 lbft mated to six-speed automatic from Chrysler.
| Displacement (L Litre pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre... ) |
Type | Valves | Power (HP Horsepower Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the... ) |
Torque (lb-ft Foot-pound force The foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy in the Engineering and Gravitational Systems in United States customary and Imperial units of measure. It is the energy transferred on applying a force of 1 pound-force through a displacement of 1 foot... ) |
HP/Torque Rated RPM |
Compression Ratio |
Fuel Economy (MPG) |
Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6 | DOHC | 24 | 283 | 260 | 6,350/4,400 | 10.0:1 | 17/25 | 2011- |
| 3.8 | OHV | 12 | 197 | 230 | 5,200/4,000 | 9.6:1 | 16/23 | 2008-2011 |
| 4.0 | SOHC | 24 | 251 | 259 | 6,000/4,100 | 10.2:1 | 17/25 | 2008-2011 |
United States
VW of America had projected for the Routan to gain at least five percent of the US minivan market, 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. 11,677 units had sold by July 2009.Trims
| Trim | Engine | production |
|---|---|---|
| S | 3.8L V6 | |
| SE | 3.8L V6 | |
| SEL | 4.0L V6 | |
| SEL Premium | 4.0L V6 | |
| S | 3.6L V6 | |
| SE | 3.6L V6 | |
| SEL | 3.6L V6 | |
| SEL Premium | 3.6L V6 | |
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 | 789 | 1,324 | 899 | 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 | 503 | 1,029 | 2,606 | 1,390 | 2,099 | 1,350 | 2,098 | 901 | 669 | 540 | 833 | 14,681 |
Mexico
Volkswagen de México markets the Routan alongside the TransporterVolkswagen Transporter (T5)
The Volkswagen Transporter T5 range is the fifth generation of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles medium-sized light commercial vehicle and people mover Caravelle/Multivan range...
(formerly marketed locally as the Eurovan), replacing the European-built Volkswagen Sharan
Volkswagen Sharan
The Volkswagen Sharan is a large MPV produced by the German automaker Volkswagen since 1995.-First generation :The name Sharan is derived from a Persian word meaning "Carrier of Kings"....
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.Trims
| Trim | Engine | production |
|---|---|---|
| Trendline, S | 4.0L V6 | |
| Comfortline, SE | 4.0L V6 | |
| Highline, SE w/ RSE | 4.0L V6 | |
| Execline, SEL | 4.0L V6 | |
| Trendline | 3.6L V6 | |
| Comfortline | 3.6L V6 | |
| Highline | 3.6L V6 | |