Not the VW of minivans
The Routan behaves like most minivans on the road. That is to say that it's soft and not sporty by any stretch of the imagination, but generally comfortable in most settings. The biggest piece of news for the 2011 model year is the infusion of Chrysler's 3.6L Pentastar V6. Rated at 283 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, the Routan and its non-identical twins become the most powerful minivans on the market.
Backed by a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Routan moves briskly off the line thanks, in part, to the power and to aggressively geared 1st and 2nd speeds. If you are a hostile driver, you'll probably notice that the van wiggles from one side to another under heavy throttle. Not that you would ever go there, the feeling reminds me of what I experienced during my time in the 2011 Dodge Avenger.
As a minivan, it fits somewhere in the middle as far as manoeuvrability is concerned. Visibility is understandably good, however, fuel consumption is not. Despite close to 50% of my driving being completed on the highway, I could do no better than 13.5L/100km.
Why the title?
It's simple really: Volkswagen sees a niche (a "hole" if you will) in the market and they want in. They want to reintroduce a minivan-like vehicle that isn't a minivan and gain more followers. I'm making it sound complicated, I know, but it's like this: VW has a vehicle called the Touran which would be a direct competitor to the Kia Rondo and Mazda5. Future trends seem to indicate that compact, roomy and versatile family-movers will grow in popularity. Again, Volkswagen wants in.
I'm not saying that Volkswagen will introduce the Touran, but I'm hinting that the Bulli - the ultra-cool concept unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show - could be the one that fills the hole that the German company sees. As you may know, Volkswagen is well-known for its hip products. Given that styling moves cars these days, a Bulli-inspired family vehicle could be a knockout.
The Routan behaves like most minivans on the road. That is to say that it's soft and not sporty by any stretch of the imagination, but generally comfortable in most settings. The biggest piece of news for the 2011 model year is the infusion of Chrysler's 3.6L Pentastar V6. Rated at 283 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, the Routan and its non-identical twins become the most powerful minivans on the market.
 |
| The biggest piece of news for the 2011 model year is the infusion of Chrysler's 3.6L Pentastar V6. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
Backed by a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Routan moves briskly off the line thanks, in part, to the power and to aggressively geared 1st and 2nd speeds. If you are a hostile driver, you'll probably notice that the van wiggles from one side to another under heavy throttle. Not that you would ever go there, the feeling reminds me of what I experienced during my time in the 2011 Dodge Avenger.
As a minivan, it fits somewhere in the middle as far as manoeuvrability is concerned. Visibility is understandably good, however, fuel consumption is not. Despite close to 50% of my driving being completed on the highway, I could do no better than 13.5L/100km.
Why the title?
It's simple really: Volkswagen sees a niche (a "hole" if you will) in the market and they want in. They want to reintroduce a minivan-like vehicle that isn't a minivan and gain more followers. I'm making it sound complicated, I know, but it's like this: VW has a vehicle called the Touran which would be a direct competitor to the Kia Rondo and Mazda5. Future trends seem to indicate that compact, roomy and versatile family-movers will grow in popularity. Again, Volkswagen wants in.
I'm not saying that Volkswagen will introduce the Touran, but I'm hinting that the Bulli - the ultra-cool concept unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show - could be the one that fills the hole that the German company sees. As you may know, Volkswagen is well-known for its hip products. Given that styling moves cars these days, a Bulli-inspired family vehicle could be a knockout.
 |
| Future trends seem to indicate that compact, roomy and versatile family-movers will grow in popularity. Again, Volkswagen wants in. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |