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VW's `small' minivan is anything but Continued from pg. 1 The 4.0-litre has a lot of poke and the six speeds mesh so nicely that there is always the right amount of power for conditions. When it came time to merge onto the super highway amid double pup tankers and 53-footers all hurtling along at 130 km/h, I was thankful for the power of the engine to join in the fray. Canada will get four trim levels: the base Trendline starting at $28,075; the Comfortline starting at $34,375; the Highline (as tested) starting at $40,575 and the Execline starting at $50,575. Each model has a large number of standard and optional features that cover five printed pages in the brouchure. Probably the best way to get a deeper look is to go to www.vw.ca and build one for yourself. FYI, the model tested here included just two options, the 17-inch alloy wheels at $700 and the infotainment system at $2,425. Not including the $100 air conditioning tax and the $1,580 shipping tax, (which seems like a lot from Windsor to Toronto) the as-tested price was $43,700. While this is classified as a `small' minivan, it is anything but and will fill any standard-size garage. But when it comes to picking a seat, there won't be any quibbling because there is room for all in the Routan. With all three rows of seats up, there is 930 litres of cargo space behind the third row. Total cargo area is an astounding four square meters. Fold the third row seat beneath the cargo floor and there is 2,400 litres. The third row, by the way, has three positions including tipping it over backwards to have a tailgate party seating. The second row seats either fold or can be taken out completely for even more cargo space. The Stown-Go feature in the Chrysler is not available on the Routan. Instead, the cavity below the floor where the Stow-n-Go seats would go are purely two extra large stowage bins. Standard features in the all-new 2010 Routan include three-zone climate control, CD player with six speakers, dual sliding side doors, front and side curtain airbags, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP). My time with the Routan came at one of those watersheds in life with my son moving off to college residence. It was not a move to be taken lightly with clothes, computer, printer, George Foreman Grille, cereal, milk, cheese, coats, and that all makes up to a sizeable amount of `stuff' to transport. During the move, I kept thinking about what VW Canada president John White had said about certain times when seven-seat utility could not be beat. I later learned that at the same time I was moving my son, White was using a Routan to move his daughter into university residence. At the same time I note Honda is bringing its next generation Odyssey to market and Nissan is about to re-bow with the full-size Quest minivan. So while the pundits say the minivan is dead, from what I saw on college move-in day with my son, at least a third of the vehicles were vans. So when I asked at the top, what must Volkswagen have been thinking with the Routan; it looks to me like they were thinking ahead. DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, front-wheeldrive. ENGINE: 4.0-litre SOHC V6 (251 hp, 259 lb/ ft). FUEL ECONOMY: 12.2L/100L/100 km city, 7.9L/100 km highway. PRICE: Base, $40,575 not including $100 air conditioning tax and $1,580 shipping fee. WEB: www.vw.ca The third row seat 3 folds below the cargo floor for unrestricted loading. Cargo volume behind the second row seats is 2.4 sq m with the third row seats folded or a full 4.0 sq m with all seats folded and/or removed. WHEELS September 23, 2010 VOLKSWAGEN ROUTAN 2010 (AT A GLANCE) BODY STYLE: Seven-seat minivan.