New VW Minivan On the Way

The Detroit News is reporting that Volkswagen will debut an all-new minivan at the Chicago Auto Show next month. We know, we’re not even done writing about the Detroit auto show and here’s something about Chicago. Sorry — news happens.

The VW van will be called Routan, a reference to the word "route." The big surprise is that it will be based on the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans. The Routan will be built in Canada.

We’d like to think the van will look like the classic Microbuses of old or the cool concept shown here, but that’s doubtful. Still, a VW interior in a minivan might be quite welcome.

VW Routan: Missing the Minivan Crest? (Detroit News)

Comments

Not too sure what the point of this is. VW should make a "crossover", everyone else is.

My guess is that someone will get canned at VW - first the CC and now this?

I'm not sure it's a big surprise that it's based on the Chrysler. It's been pretty common knowledge seeing as it's been in development for AGES.

However, I still think there is a market for minivans, and the Chrysler is a pretty decent place to start. If they can inject a VW quality interior into it then it could well be very decent.

It's a shame they can't bring the Touran over to support it too.

I would choose this van over a minivan any day. The distinctive, retro styling is fun and I feel like it's a fresh, successful take on the old. I was hoping for something more visually innovative from Chrysler this year and I came away disappointed. I am not a minivan lover, per se. I respect their functionality, but I gravitate towards wagons and crossovers. However, the fun, hip look of the Routan makes this a winner in my book.

From my understanding (and I may be wrong), the new VW minivan will look NOTHING like the picture above. That is the concept of the minivan they debuted several years ago, the new van is a totally different design.

Liger,
you're correct. Thought I was clear about that in the post. i edited it to be clearer

Looks like the old Microvan.

A friend of mine had a 1965 VW Bus - the kind with all the windows around the top, the ones that go for big money among collectors these days. In the early 1970s he decided to take the van on a cross country trip to find himself. He found himself all right - flat on his back numerous times, repairing or actually replacing the overtaxed air cooled mill that didn't have enough power to push the bus up the mountains. Let's hope the new VW is better than those "classic" busses and the more recent Vanagons, which have mercifully gone to their rest.