The Tourans are pretty nice looking. We had friends from Germany over this summer and they were showing my photos of the Touran. They have a Renault Kangoo MPV. Apparently they are cheap and available all over Europe, though the styling probably wouldn't fly in the US!
2009 Dodge, oh no, Volkswagen Routan
- Thread starter coolmazda5
- Start date
The Tourans are pretty nice looking. We had friends from Germany over this summer and they were showing my photos of the Touran. They have a Renault Kangoo MPV. Apparently they are cheap and available all over Europe, though the styling probably wouldn't fly in the US!
- :
- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
Routan Bust? VW asks Chrysler to stop building minivans for February
Evidently, early consumer feedback suggests that Fahrvergngen is not spelled "R-o-u-t-a-n." Volkswagen has reportedly asked Chrysler Canada to temporarily halt production for the month of February on its new ported-over minivan.
Initial Routan sales have been slow, with the Windsor Star reporting that around 29,000 units have been shipped to dealers, but only a few thousand have actually been sold. The production stoppage should help stem the supply overage somewhat, but all signs point to the Routan having a rough road ahead and not just because of the increasingly dire economic climate. VW's Brooke Shields "Routan Boom" ad campaign appears to have drawn more quizzical looks and outright scorn than potential buyers, and critics are questioning how well the vehicle lines up with VW's brand image.
If nothing else, the Routan clearly has the finest interior of any model in the Chrysler minivan family and a quick spin by this author suggests that it's the best driving, too. Still, those positive aspects don't appear to be enough to guarantee homes for the 300 or so Routans leaving the plant each day.
Source:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/30/routan-bust-vw-asks-chrysler-to-stop-building-minivans-for-febr/
Evidently, early consumer feedback suggests that Fahrvergngen is not spelled "R-o-u-t-a-n." Volkswagen has reportedly asked Chrysler Canada to temporarily halt production for the month of February on its new ported-over minivan.
Initial Routan sales have been slow, with the Windsor Star reporting that around 29,000 units have been shipped to dealers, but only a few thousand have actually been sold. The production stoppage should help stem the supply overage somewhat, but all signs point to the Routan having a rough road ahead and not just because of the increasingly dire economic climate. VW's Brooke Shields "Routan Boom" ad campaign appears to have drawn more quizzical looks and outright scorn than potential buyers, and critics are questioning how well the vehicle lines up with VW's brand image.
If nothing else, the Routan clearly has the finest interior of any model in the Chrysler minivan family and a quick spin by this author suggests that it's the best driving, too. Still, those positive aspects don't appear to be enough to guarantee homes for the 300 or so Routans leaving the plant each day.
Source:
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/30/routan-bust-vw-asks-chrysler-to-stop-building-minivans-for-febr/
Just a guess but I see 2 factors here.
1. Volkswagen wanted to get back into the Minivan segment.
2. Chrysler is desperate to sell as many vehicles it can.
And of all the vehicles in Chrysler's lineup, their minivan is probably their best product.
I have to admit the Routan looks better than the Chrysler/Dodge cousins, but I don't understand why the didn't go with the stow-n-go 2nd row seat. That is probably one of the coolest features of the Chrysler/Dodge MVs.... in about 1 minute you can convert a 7 passenger MV into a cargo van. When both rows are down, that space is HUGE.
1. Volkswagen wanted to get back into the Minivan segment.
2. Chrysler is desperate to sell as many vehicles it can.
And of all the vehicles in Chrysler's lineup, their minivan is probably their best product.
I have to admit the Routan looks better than the Chrysler/Dodge cousins, but I don't understand why the didn't go with the stow-n-go 2nd row seat. That is probably one of the coolest features of the Chrysler/Dodge MVs.... in about 1 minute you can convert a 7 passenger MV into a cargo van. When both rows are down, that space is HUGE.
