Auf Wiedersehen Volkswagen President Confirms Routan Will Not Go On It’s official: After some five years on the market and lots of speculation, Volkswagen has decided to pull the plug on its slow-selling the Volkswagen Routan minivan, Volkswagen of America president Jonathan Browning confirmed to reporters at this weeks’ press days for the 2013 New York auto show.
Auf Wiedersehen Volkswagen President Confirms Routan Will Not Go On
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Auf Wiedersehen Volkswagen President Confirms Routan Will Not Go On
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Auf Wiedersehen Volkswagen President Confirms Routan Will Not Go On
2010 Volkswagen Routan left side 300x187 imageThe news shouldn’t come as too much of a shocker, especially after it was reported the Canadian plant that produces the Chrysler-based Vee-Dub minivan had not built any Routans so far this year. With only 665 examples sold through March, demand for the minivan is far below competitors including the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and of course its platform mates, the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan. It’s been a rather bumpy road for the Routan since it was first launched in 2008, as the vehicle never experienced any real success in the market from the outset. Sagging sales reportedly discouraged VW from pursuing a second-generation model.
While a direct replacement hasn’t been announced, it’s expected that a production version of Volkwagen’s recently revealed CrossBlue concept, which seats as many as seven passengers, will fill the gap left by the Routan. The brand’s current SUV offerings in the U.S., the compact Tiguan and upscale Touareg, are low-volume niche models priced higher than their competitors. Talk of a midsize, three-row SUV offering from VW has been simmering for several years now, and with the Routan out of the picture, expect to see a vehicle based on the CrossBlue sooner rather than later.
