Volkswagen India to bring 7th generation Passat by March

Volkswagen has recently stated to bring its much awaited 7th generation 1.8 TSI (Petrol) Passat, which was wrapped off in 2010 Paris Motor Show, to India. This long awaited new model has got sharper treatment in its lines alike its other Scirocco inspired models like Jetta, Vento and Polo.

The new grille has been beautified with loads of chrome, whereas the daytime LED lights on outer corners make it quite catchy. The rear of the vehicle too has been worked out well - the taillight too is LED and adorned angularly to give sharper lines to the new age Passat as compared to existing one.

The vehicle has been priced at Rs 19.20 Lakh (Ex-showroom, New Delhi). Mr. Neeraj Garag, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars (Group Sales), Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd said “The Passat TSI is well refined and not only will provide superior driving experience but also decrease fuel consumption and lower emissions.”

On the other end, Volkswagen is setting itself to launch new version Jetta 2.0L TDI too in India, around the same time at a cost of 15.92 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Mr. Lutz Kothe, Market Head, Volkswagen said about their production plans of both the vehicles, “We have no plan to localize the Jetta or Passat but we will continue to assemble them in India, India is the fastest-growing market in the luxury car segment and we will continue to grow here”

He also added, “We are gradually ramping up production at our Chakan Facility in Maharashtra to cater to the increasing demand. The Polo (White Color) has been more in demand in the market.”

Suzuki Kizashi to Hit Indian Markets by 2010-End

Official reports have confirmed that the Japanese automobiles manufacturer Suzuki is all set to launch its first ever luxury sports model, which has been specifically designed for the rugged Indian roads, the Suzuki Kizashi.

The company's official website describes the new offering as "One of the most exciting cars of 2010".

Although the official release date of the car has not been revealed by the company yet, word is that it will fall somewhere towards the end of 2010.

The Kizashi intends to give head-on competition to Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta and Skoda Octavia.

Expected to be priced at about 10-13 lakhs, the mid-sized sedan will see an Australian launch in the month of May, and it was already released for the American market in December of 2009.

The new vehicle has been equipped with a Euro IV 2.4 liter engine, six speed manual transmission and CVT.

Volkswagen's Beetle to hit Indian roads in Dec

Europe's largest carmaker Volkswagen will roll out the Beetle – fondly called the people's car after its maker – on Indian roads by beginning of next month.

A senior company official said on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit that Volkswagen – which mean People's car – would import the car from its Mexican plant for sale in Indian markets.

He, however, declined to divulge the possible price of the car.

Beetle is one of the most successful models that the German carmaker has ever produced.

The car bucked all trends and has made history, although critics had predicted a complete failure due to its peculiar styling, underpowered motor, rough ride and noisy engine.

Volkswagen, which currently sells luxury sedans Passat and Jetta in Indian market, is planning to launch its small car Polo by early next year.

The group has two facilities in India at Aurangabad and Chakan, which assembles cars of its three brands – Skoda, Audi and Volkswagen.

VW is looking at full-capacity production at this plant by 2012 and in order to strengthen its workforce, it is planning to more than double the India headcount with addition of 1,500 employees at Chakan alone in Maharashtra.

The group had earlier announced a target of 8-10 per cent share of the Indian passenger car market in the next 6 years.

It will also consider integrating after-sales service of its three brands in India for better synergy.

It sold about 19,000 units of Skoda, Audi and Volkswagen brands last year in the over 1.5 million-unit Indian passenger vehicle market.

The Love Bug Bites

Will the Volkswagen Beetle frighten customers with its Rs 22 lakh price tag?

IN 1931, when Adolf Hitler asked Ferdinand Porsche to develop a volks-wagen (people’s car), he had in mind a small car that could transport a family, at a price then commanded by a motorcycle. Sound familiar? The only resemblance between Ratan Tata’s dream car, the Nano, and the iconic Beetle that Porsche produced, is that they are both small cars.



Come October, Indians will have a chance to experience the Beetle, but as a completely built unit (CBU) imported from Volkswagen’s factory in Mexico. The car is to be introduced only in the TDI 1.9-litre diesel variant and will come equipped with a host of added features like cruise control, acoustic rear parking sensors and rain sensors. Volkswagen will also make state-of-the-art safety additions like airbags, traction control and an antiskid system. Unlike its European counterpart, the Beetle variant for Indian roads will come with a front engine, and be capable of achieving speeds of 180 km per hour. Although no one is commenting on the colours, historically the Beetle has been available in bright shades of red, yellow, blue and sparkling white.

However, as an imported CBU, the price is hardly likely to be that of a people’s car — don’t expect it to provide the Nano with any serious competition. The new Beetle is priced at just over Rs 9 lakh in the US; but with custom duties, freight and other charges, the price tag could virtually double in India. The other Volkswagen CBU in the market, the Touareg which was launched last year, is more than double its Rs 20 lakh US market tag. “We haven’t had any official announcements yet, but it should be tagged in the higher price bracket of luxury or lifestyle cars. There are a lot of different buyers in the market and I am sure many would think it worth investing in such a globally acclaimed car,” commented SK Gautam, Vice President, Operations, DD Auto World, a Volkswagen dealer in Delhi.



Volkwagen’s first car in India was the Passat, launched in 2006 and priced at just over Rs 20 lakh. The Jetta came in the next year, the price of which ranges between Rs 12 and Rs 16 lakh. Although sales of Volkwagen cars have not been revving up globally, in India the company reported a 69 percent increase in sales in 2008, reportedly from growth in sales of its two subsidiary companies Skoda and Audi.

Volkswagen doesn’t seem to be concerned by the downturn in the automobile industry. Ludwig Geerken, the project director for Volkswagen India, has already announced that Volkswagen’s investment decisions for India will not be altered.

This includes an investment of over Rs 3,000 crore for a new plant in Pune and an automobile research centre to improve quality of upcoming products. Volkswagen is also set to introduce the Polo hatchback in India by next year. “I don’t foresee any problems in making new investments and launching a new car at the end of this year,” says a confident Gautam.

But with car sales down by 7.5 percent in January this year, and the only excitement likely to be the upcoming Nano launch, the Beetle is unlikely to take a major bite out of the Indian market.

Maruti To Launch Its First Luxury Family Car in India

India’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, plans to enter the D-segment of the Indian car market. It will be launching its new model, Kizashi, in India by 2009. It will be one of the first cars in India that will have four-wheel drive in its segment. The new model will compete with Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Altis, Hyundai Sonata, Skoda Octavia, and Volkswagen Jetta.

Maruti is already the most successful car manufacturer in the A-segment and B-segment cars in India. Its engineers are now working towards a new target of bringing the model from the concept form to the production level. The car was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motors Show 2007. It was also showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo 2008. The new model, Kizashi, is basically a crossover sports sedan powered with an advanced four-valve turbo-fired 2-litre petrol engine completely compliant with Euro V norms.

The company sources have not spoken officially about the car or its prices but the new model is expected to be priced at Rs. 10 lakh and above. The new model may roll out from the Manesar plant in Gurgaon by end-2009 or early 2010.