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Over the past few months, Volkswagen has been stepping up its efforts in the Indian market. While the concentration at present is on building a strong and widespread dealer body, the German giant is betting big on its Up!-based hatchback, a sub-B-segment car that will compete with the likes of the Hyundai i10 and the Maruti A-star. VW is expecting to sell close to 100,000 Up! units in India.
VW did not opt for a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car like the Tata Nano. Instead, the Up! will feature a traditional front-wheel-drive layout to save costs. Critical components like the transmission, transaxles and other bits and pieces will be shared with other VW cars like the Polo, so the savings will be enormous.
An ultra-efficient 1.0-liter gasoline unit is expected to be the main engine for the Up! But sources reveal that a compact three-cylinder, 1.0-liter TDI engine is also planned. There is even talk of an 800cc gas engine for the bottom end of the range with the existing 1.2 TSI gas and the soon-to-be launched 1.2 TDI diesel for the top end.
Pricing for the Up! is expected to be 75 percent of the price of the Polo, which means an entry-level price in the $6,000-plus bracket. Although India is a key market for the Up!, it will first be launched in Europe in early 2011 and in India toward the end of 2011.
The immediate task at hand for VW is the successful launch of the Polo. Judging by the tepid response here to the Skoda Fabia, VW is worried about meeting its India target of 25,000 units a year. To ensure the success of the Polo, VW has targeted a price of $8,375 for the base model with the normally aspirated 1.2-liter engine.
VW is bullish on the Polo-based sedan (which will be named after a wind) as well and expects to sell 25,000 units of the sedan. The Polo sedan will compete with the Honda City and is expected to come with state-of-the-art gas and diesel engines.
The Jetta, too, is expected to get a new range of engines by April 2010 to meet the new BS IV emission norms. The aging 1.6-liter gas engine could be replaced with a TSI unit, and the PD diesel will be switched to common rail.
The new Passat (code named B7) will be launched at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show next March and is expected in India toward the end of 2010. Before that, the Beetle is expected in September this year. Its introduction is more of a brand-building exercise, as sales are not expected to get into the double digits.
Inside Line says: For VW, India has the most potential after China, so it's no surprise that the German giant is putting its entire weight behind the Subcontinent. — Hormazd Sorabjee, Correspondent
source:
India: Up! To Factor Prominently in Volkswagen's Future
VW did not opt for a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive car like the Tata Nano. Instead, the Up! will feature a traditional front-wheel-drive layout to save costs. Critical components like the transmission, transaxles and other bits and pieces will be shared with other VW cars like the Polo, so the savings will be enormous.
An ultra-efficient 1.0-liter gasoline unit is expected to be the main engine for the Up! But sources reveal that a compact three-cylinder, 1.0-liter TDI engine is also planned. There is even talk of an 800cc gas engine for the bottom end of the range with the existing 1.2 TSI gas and the soon-to-be launched 1.2 TDI diesel for the top end.
Pricing for the Up! is expected to be 75 percent of the price of the Polo, which means an entry-level price in the $6,000-plus bracket. Although India is a key market for the Up!, it will first be launched in Europe in early 2011 and in India toward the end of 2011.
The immediate task at hand for VW is the successful launch of the Polo. Judging by the tepid response here to the Skoda Fabia, VW is worried about meeting its India target of 25,000 units a year. To ensure the success of the Polo, VW has targeted a price of $8,375 for the base model with the normally aspirated 1.2-liter engine.
VW is bullish on the Polo-based sedan (which will be named after a wind) as well and expects to sell 25,000 units of the sedan. The Polo sedan will compete with the Honda City and is expected to come with state-of-the-art gas and diesel engines.
The Jetta, too, is expected to get a new range of engines by April 2010 to meet the new BS IV emission norms. The aging 1.6-liter gas engine could be replaced with a TSI unit, and the PD diesel will be switched to common rail.
The new Passat (code named B7) will be launched at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show next March and is expected in India toward the end of 2010. Before that, the Beetle is expected in September this year. Its introduction is more of a brand-building exercise, as sales are not expected to get into the double digits.
Inside Line says: For VW, India has the most potential after China, so it's no surprise that the German giant is putting its entire weight behind the Subcontinent. — Hormazd Sorabjee, Correspondent
source:
India: Up! To Factor Prominently in Volkswagen's Future
