Volkswagen Routan
| Volkswagen Routan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Chrysler Group LLC |
| Production | 2008–2013 |
| Model years | 2009–2014 |
| Assembly | Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Minivan |
| Body style | 5-door minivan |
| Layout | Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive |
| Platform | Chrysler RT platform |
| Related |
Chrysler Town & Country Dodge Grand Caravan |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.6 L Pentastar V6 (2011–2014) 3.8 L EGH V6 (2008-2010) 4.0 L EGQ V6 (2008-2010) |
| Transmission | 62TE 6-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 121.2 in (3,078 mm) |
| Length | 202.5 in (5,144 mm) |
| Width | 76.9 in (1,953 mm) |
| Height | 68.9 in (1,750 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Volkswagen Transporter (T5) |
| Successor | Volkswagen Atlas |
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 variants include the Dodge Caravan, Ram C/V, Chrysler Town & Country, and Chrysler Grand Voyager (export)—that by 2009 have ranked as the 13th bestselling 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 true for the 2014 model year Routan.
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 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 is sold only in North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico).
The automaker's intent with outsourcing production the Routan to Chrysler was to avoid the significant expense of developing its own 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 Volkswagen Eurovan in 2003, and is not related to the European-market Volkswagen Touran.
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