HERNDON, Virginia — Volkswagen of America this month will begin offering in-vehicle Internet service on its slow-selling Routan minivan, through a partnership with Autonet Mobile. The service, called Uconnect web, already is being offered on Routan's siblings, the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan.
Some 600 VW dealers in the U.S. will be able to install Autonet's mobile Internet router as an option on the Routan. The router, which sells in the aftermarket for around $500, incorporates a high-speed mobile data modem that receives a signal from a 3G cellular data network and then converts the vehicle into a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Customers have to supply their own Web-enabled device — anything from a laptop to an iPod Touch to a Sony PlayStation or Nintendo DS.
The basic Uconnect service starts at $29 a month, with a minimum one-year contract.
VW has sold very few Routans since the Chrysler clone was launched last fall. According to Automotive News, Routan sales in the first five months this year have totaled just over 6,000 units.
Inside Line says: VW dealers have been offering cut-rate financing and factory-subsidized leases to help move the vans off lots. We're not sure an Internet router is going to move the sales needle much. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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