Betting big on India:
Volkswagen has revealed its future model plans for India, but it packs many surpises. Contrary what we believed and what Volkswagen officials already told (“Andreas Prinz, managing director, Volkswagen India, told Business Standard the mid-size car would be priced competitively, aligned with the likes of the Honda City. This places it in the Rs 7 lakh to Rs 9 lakh bracket, which has models like the Hyundai Verna, the Maruti Suzuki SX4 and the Ford Fiesta”) volkswagen will bring three new models before 2010 and a microcar based on UP! concept in 2011. According to the statement, a slew of models could see Volkswagen producing as many as 240,000 units a year in india by 2012.
Polo hathcback, polo sedan and jetta sedan:
Key to Volkswagen India plans are two mass-market models that will be produced in large volumes in the company’s upcoming factory in Chakan. The first is the sixth-generation Polo (A06) hatchback that is under development and is expected in 2009. The Polo will be positioned in the premium-hatchback segment alongside the Skoda Fabia and Honda Jazz. A sedan version of the Polo is also a possibility that would put it smack into Honda City and Suzuki SX4 territory. The next-generation Jetta, which will be spun off the future Golf platform (A6), is expected in India sometime in 2009 soon after its global launch. This three-box sedan will compete with the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Skoda Octavia.
Up at Rs3lakhs
The bigger-selling model will be an all-new small car based on the up! microcar concept that Volkswagen revealed in September at the Frankfurt auto show. Volkwagenwill build a four-door hatchback off this new platform (code named MHB) which, like the Tata super-low-priced car, follows a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Dubbed the A000 in VW’s platform hierarchy, the new microcar will be built in three different markets of the world from 2010. Production of the new microcar in India could begin by 2011. With a length of only 134 inches, the microcar is shorter than a Suzuki Alto, but a longer wheelbase is under development. Volkswagen has set an aggressive price target of under $7,500, but a lot depends on the level of localization and cost management of the program. Volkswagen has been in talks with Indian companies including Bajaj Auto to help develop the car. Vlokswagen(VW) has ditched the unit injector of Pumpe Duse technology the current Passat and Skoda Laura come with. All the new Volkswagens will come with state-of-the-art direct-injection gas engines and a new range of common-rail diesel engines still under development.