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Monday, 26 April 2010
 The Polo has been very successful in India. Volkswagen now plans to come up with a sedan version of this hatchback. Looks like the new car will be born to win; to compete with the likes of Swift Dzire, Hyundai Verna & Fiat Linea. The Polo already has a sedan version called the Volkswagen Polo Classic in other countries. But in India, the car maker will be naming the car "Vento". In Italian and Portuguese, Vento means wind. It follows the VW tradition; the tradition of being named after prominent winds. We hope Indians accept the sedan just like the Polo hatchback. The German car maker sees India as one of the most important markets for the Vento. It looks at selling 25,000 units a year once production is in full swing. The present Polo Classic is produced in Brazil, South Africa and China and Australia gets it from China. The Polo Classic is the first right-hand-drive Chinese-manufactured car to be exported to a developed country. The new Polo sedan will probably carry the same design as the Polo hatchback. It may be something like what Tata has done with Indica/Indigo and Maruti Suzuki has done with Swift/Swift Dzire. The hatch and sedan may be similar up to the B-pillar. In the front, just the grille and lights may differ a little from the Volkswagen Polo. The Vento’s rear is well integrated with the body. VW engineers knew that the Polo’s rear seat would be insufficient for sedan buyers, and so, the wheelbase has been extended by around 50mm for enhanced legroom. The roof will not taper down sharply like in the hatchback providing better headroom too. The cushy seats are durable too. It certainly looks like the Honda City has been the Vento’s benchmark as far as durability and comfort are concerned. Boot space may be around 500 litres with the option of having a split seat. Equipment levels will be higher than in the Polo and the high-end version could get extra features from the Volkswagen Jetta. VW is believed to be taking great care as far as safety is concerned. The Vento will include a high-quality, torsionally-rigid body shell, an advanced chassis design and standard features like five three-point seat belts, airbags, and ABS anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-pressure distribution. Initially the Vento will have two engine options – petrol and diesel. Both engines displace 1.6 litres and deliver 105 bhp. However, the diesel has a thumping 250 Nm of torque to the petrol motor’s 155 Nm. Their driving characteristics too are going to differ. Like in the Jetta, the Vento’s petrol engine a naturally aspirated unit but more advanced. While the Jetta’s 1.6 motor had two valves per cylinder driven off a single cam, the Vento has a four-valve head and double overhead camshafts. The Indian Vento may carry the same engine. The 1.6 common-rail diesel comes from the same engine family as the 1.2 turbo-diesel that powers the Polo and the bigger 2-litre diesel under the hood of the Jetta. Carrying this 105 bhp engine, the Vento won’t be more than a 100kg heavier than the Polo. The power-to-weight ratio is going to be great. The petrol Vento may not equal the Honda City in pace. The diesel Vento, however, should be a close match for the 110 bhp Hyundai Verna diesel. Both engines are sure going to give great fuel economy and drivability. VW plans to price the Vento between Rs 7-9 lakh. The car is believed to go on sale this July. Labels: Fiat-Linea, Honda-City, Hyundai-Verna, Swift-Dzire, Volkswagen-Polo
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
 While the small car market is still hot in India, there is something else that is getting the full attention of the car manufacturers. Yes, we are talking about the emergence of electric cars in India. Indian customers are slowly warming up to the idea of an electric drive, global car manufacturers are trying to gain an early entry in the segment. So far Maini Reva has been the one to satisfy the electric car needs of the Indian crowd. The latest one to announce its plans of launching electric cars in India is Volkswagen. The largest car manufacturer in European market has decided to enter the Indian electric car market much ahead of its competitors. And if you think that Volkswagen will have just a single launch, think again, because it is planning to penetrate the segment with a range of electric car launches. As per the German Press Agency DPA, Volkswagen’s electric version of Golf will be launched in India in 2013. The German automaker is following a very comprehensive strategy which would likely make it the leader in the electric car segment in India. Earlier the company had decided that it will bring its electric range with the city car Up with E-Golf, and the E- Jetta would follow soon. But now things have taken a different turn and plans have been modified. Now the company will commence with the E-Golf. VW believes that Golf is one of the most important models for the company and it will help establish the company’s position in the segment. Volkswagen's Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn has announced that the company is looking to produce an electric car that can be easily affordable by every user from all segments. ‘We want to attain an electric vehicle market share of three percent within our entire range of products. We will take the hybrid out of its niche status with our high-volume models. In the future, the heart of the VW brand will also beat with electricity,’ Winterkorn added. Volkswagen is collaborating with Japanese companies like Toshiba and Sanyo as well as Chinese battery and car producer BYD. Volkswagen believes that the key to making an electric car is the powerful and affordable lithium-ion batteries.  Apparently Volkswagen is also planning to bring the LPG version of its recently launched Polo. The Polo BiFuel will be equipped with a 1.4-litre 84bhp engine that can run on both petrol and LPG and you can switch between the two fuels with the push of a button. And that is not all; you can switch between the fuels while the car is still in motion. In the LPG mode, the Polo’s emissions become considerably, about 10%, lower compared to when it’s running in the petrol mode. Judging by the way things have been planned out, VW has got everything in place to beat the heat from competitors. Let’s just hope that everything goes the way it has been planned by the German carmaker. Labels: E-Golf, E-Jetta, Volkswagen, Volkswagen- E-Golf, Volkswagen-E-Jetta, Volkswagen-Jetta, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-Polo BiFuel, VW, VW-Electric-Cars
Monday, 12 April 2010
 Miracles happen, don’t they! Well, at least, Ford India has witnessed a miracle. And it is no rocket science to guess that it is called Figo. The latest hatchback from Ford, Figo, has sold more than 7210 units in the first month of being on sale. The Figo hatchback has cruised past the 7000 mark in the very first month of its launch. It has shattered the hopes of rivals like the Chevrolet Beat which sold 4499units. And Polo, which is trying to save the honour and dignity of Volkswagenwith sales of 698 units, can hardly be considered any match for the mighty Ford Figo. The Maruti Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i10 are miles ahead of the other with sales of 12,188 and 15,236 units respectively. The Estilo, too, has picked up sales, but the Wagon R (11,084) and Alto (16,397) have been subjected to a slight downfall, as the small car segment heats up with new launches. Soon, the Alto may lose its much coveted position of India’s largest selling car to Hyundai i10. But then, it would not be surprising if Figo just cruises past all these top guns of the small car segment. Ford India sold 9478 units in March 2010 and registered a threefold growth on year-over-year basis. This is a record for Ford in India. Ford is trying its best to meet the heavy demand for the Figo and is planning to start a second shift at its plant. The comprehensive strategy of launching the Figo in both diesel and petrol variants and still maintaining a grip on the pricing factor has spelt magic for Ford India. During this time, approximately 9 lakh people have visited the Ford India website and spent about 8 minutes of their precious time on the website. Though not completely, but, to a large extent, it can be attributed to the Figo. Not only this, thousands of people expressed their liking for Figo by joining Figo communities across social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. “As we remain committed to redefining the Ford brand in India, we expect this momentum to continue,” said Boneham. “Factors such as the initial price of the car, fuel efficiency and cost of maintenance are critical in determining affordability for a new car buyer. Indian customers are confirming that Figo solidly delivers on all of these.” Labels: Chevrolet-Beat, Estilo, Ford-Figo, Ford-Figo-Sales, Ford-India, Ford-India-Sales, Hyundai-i10, Maruti-Suzuki-Swift, Volkswagen-Polo, Wagon-R
Thursday, 1 April 2010
 Even with carmakers increasing car prices and the new emission norms kicking in, it is surprising that demands for car are shooting up. Yes, believe it or not, but it is the truth. Demands for cars is far outstretching the production capacity and some popular car models, including Maruti Suzuki's Swift and Swift Dzire, Indigo Manza, Chevrolet Beat and Cruze, Volkswagen Polo and the diesel variants of Hyundai i20 and Verna, now have waiting periods that range anywhere from a fortnight to nearly four months. Also, these are the models which are not running any discounts. While the petrol variant Swift has a waiting period of one month, the diesel variant of the same would make you wait for almost two-and-a-half months or more. Swift Dzire (both models) tops them both with a waiting period that stretches up to four months! Apparently, this is happening because Maruti, in order to cater to the export needs, had to accommodate the A-Star production at its Manesar plant. “We are bottlenecking capacity by realigning product mix at both the plants,” Mayank Pareek, executive officer (sales and marketing) had earlier said. The company has shifted the production of its Swift petrol model to Gurgaon and has produced about 40,000 units per year at Manesar plant. Export activities of Maruti grew by 126.7 per cent between April 2009 and this February, at 131,982 units, with A-Star contributing for most of it. Earlier Maruti Suzuki had said that Manesar production capacity would be enhanced by up to 250,000 units by 2012, at an investment of Rs 1,700 crore. The situation is pretty much same with Volkswagen Polo too. Neeraj Garg, member of the board and director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India, said: “Polo is having a waiting period of about three-four months currently. We are ramping up the production of it at Chakan (near Pune) and will try to bring down the waiting period. We have confirmed bookings of 5,000 units of the Polo, with 500 units already delivered.” Polo was launched in the second week of March and is currently distributed through a network of 43 dealers across India. But there is just no escaping the waiting period, even if you decide to run to Hyundai. Hyundai Verna has a waiting period of three to four weeks and the latest hit from Hyundai, the i20, will make you wait for about three to four months. “Demand for the i20 is three to four times higher than what we anticipated. As a result, the company had ramped up production and is now working in three shifts across its two plants to roll out 4,500 units of i20 a month,” said Arvind Saxena, senior vice president, Hyundai Motor India. Chevrolet has been experiencing a lot of success with its Beat, Cruze and Spark Now, Beat and Cruze have a waiting period of two-month and one-month respectively. “ Beat has been in great demand and we are operating in two shifts to roll out 4,000 to 4,500 units a month. This, along with Spark and other models, will help the company to grow in excess of 100 per cent in March, vis-à-vis 5,001 units sold in 2009,” said Ankush Arora, vice president (sales and marketing), General Motors India. So, if you decide to buy one of these models, your waiting skills might just come handy. Labels: Beat, Chevrolet, Cruze, General-Motors, Hyundai-i20, Hyundai-Verna, Indigo-Manza, Maruti-Swift, Spark, Swift-Dzire, Volkswagen-Polo
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
 Volkswagen India launched its new Polo in Mumbai. The super- mini hatchback is finally out. The price varies from Rs.434,000 for the petrol Trendline to Rs.670,000 for the TDI Highline Polo. The diesel variant will take a little while though. All variants will be equipped with 1.2L engines. Fret Not, For those who always wanted a powerful engine fitted in their Polo will get an option of 1.6 L petrol engine as well for a cool sum of Rs.700,000. Any takers yet? Yes, the price looks a bit problematic. One would be paying too much for the class as far as the Polo is concerned. The features seem to be excellent though. A compartment for drinks and another for the sunglasses are a sure attraction. We also heard that the rear seat backrests can be folded and the driver’s seat will move up or down as one pleases. Doesn’t the bonnet look like it is smiling all the while? We felt so. What more? The exteriors carry a 6-year warranty! That seems to be a real challenge for the car maker, doesn’t it? The petrol version of the Polo will be ready for delivery next month and the diesel version will sent to the owners by May, 2010. Volkswagen is very excited and very confident too that Indians will love driving the new Polo. Are you looking to but one already? I completely agree that the Polo’s looks are flashy and jazzy with coloured bumpers and halogen headlights. We also heard that the space, style, comfort, safety and fuel efficiency are amazing. Is that so? To add to its looks, it is armed with fog lamps and a rear wipe with defogger as well. You needn’t perform hand drills turning and turning. The windows will move as you like with just a touch. Yes, the remote works for the windows. Inside the car, the upholstery is so good! Too cool! The fabric looks like it’s of the best quality. There’s something else very special about the Polo. Yes, the green-tinted sun-blocking glass that’s not there in any other car in India. A CD MP3 player changer with 4 speakers just adds to the already satisfying comfort features. When you’re getting something like the Polo, does the price really matter? If you have the money, why not go for it? Looks like the big price for the small package is worth it. Labels: Hatchback, Highline-Polo, New-Car-Launch, Polo, Trendline, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-Polo-launch
Monday, 22 February 2010
Volkswagen with the tag line Das Auto, is all set to give away its new baby to India. The Volkswagen’s Polo will hit the Indian roads by this April. Now that every car enthusiast in India was quite anxiously waiting to get some info on the new hatchback’s price. It finally happened. The time has come and the Polo prices are out. To begin with, the price that Volkswagen has put up on its Polo will certainly make Indian customers run to Volkswagen showrooms to get hold of the Polo. Read further for the price updates of the Polo. Volkswagen, which was the recent recipient of the ISO 9001:2008 certification, doesn’t look worried. On the contrary, it looks like Volkswagen is quite confident that the ISO certification is going to work wonders for the car. Earlier, the car was believed to carry a price tag of Rs 7-8 Lakhs. But now, there’s some good news for those who thought this price was a little too much. The prices are not so high after all. The petrol line is going to cost the Indian Rs 4.34 Lakh – Rs 5.70 Lakh while the diesel variant will cost Rs 4.99 Lakh – Rs 6.39 Lakh. Now, with this price tag, will the Volkswagen Polo be strong enough to give other sedans in the Indian car market such as Honda Jazz, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i20 and Ford Figo a tough competition? The question too seems quite tough to be answered at this point of time. Let’s wait a little longer. The Volkswagen Polo is spacious with comfortable and trendy interiors. The hatchback is also up-to-date with modern safety features such as the ABS and airbags. This five seater will have a 5-speed manual transmission too. But, are all these features worth the price? The specifications are great indeed. Electronic anti-theft immobiliser, power door locks, central locking, power windows and power steering will be the standard features of the Polo. But, will these specifications guarantee higher sales of the hatchback as compared to the competitors? The detailed prices of the variants are believed to as follows: The 1.2 petrol trendline will cost Rs 434,000 and the 1.2 diesel trendline will cost Rs 499,000. These prices seem okay. Next, the 1.2 petrol comfortline bears a tag of Rs 483,000. This too, is not too aggressive. But the highline variants could have been a little low. We heard that the 1.2 petrol highline would cost Rs 570,000 while the 1.6 petrol highline would be priced at Rs 604,000. Quite high, right? Yes. The 1.2 diesel comfortline would come at Rs 549,000 and the 1.2 diesel highline Polo would cost Rs 639,000. This price too, looks way too high for the given features and specifications. So now, will you dare to buy the Volkswagen’s people car aimed at the masses? Why not? As of 2009, worldwide, there have been 5 separate generations of the Polo, usually identified by a Series or Mark number. The Polo has seen success worldwide. But what about India? Well, ‘wait and watch’ seems to be the most appropriate answer right now. Labels: Hatchback-cost, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-Polo-cost, Volkswagen-Polo-price
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Hats off to Volkswagen’s Pune plant! Being the recent recipient of the ISO 9001:2008 certification, it has set a new record for the mile. Volkswagen’s supreme quality management system has earned the award for its Pune plant. From Volkswagen's side Mr. Joerg Mueller who is Volkswagen Group Chief Representative, India and Managing Director and Mr. Anil Rairikar who is Managing Director, TUV India Private Limited, received the award. Mr. Muller said that the certification was yet another milestone for Volkswagen's quality philosophy. It was only in the year 2007 that Volkswagen started establishing its plant in Pune, India. Within a relatively short span of 17 months the plant was ready. Super cool, isn’t it? That was actually a record. To add to this, the ISO 9001:2008 certification process was started even before the complete existence of the plant. They started off with the process as early as September 2008. That again was the shortest time for a company to achieve this kind of certification. The ISO 9001:2008 specifies the requirements for a quality management system according to which an organization has to show its ability to consistently fulfill applicable statutory and regulatory requirements along with consistent supply of products that meet customer needs. This certification definitely demonstrates Volkswagen’s quality commitment to its Indian customers. Employees at Volkswagen must have worked real hard to achieve this milestone by setting the record. The certification assures the quality of Volkswagen’s products as well as of the processes followed in the plant. Hard work does pay, doesn’t it? Attracting fresher customers towards the Volkswagen plant will surely be much easier now, won’t it? By the way, have you heard the sizzle and the fizzle? The sizzling hot news hit my ears just a while ago. Volkswagen Polo is all set to hit the Indian road by April this year. February 23rd happens to be the most auspicious day for disclosing the price of the hatchback, Volkswagen Polo. Let’s hope that the Polo comes with a competitive price tag. It will have to, if it wants to sustain the tough competition of the compact hatchback segment. The bottom line, however, remains that the award will prove to be a plus point. It will also provide an edge to Volkswagen’s other upcoming models over competitors that plan to launch their cars by this year end. Recently there were rumours that big shots of the automobile industry were under fire due to quality and safety related issues in their cars. Thanks to the award, Volkswagen will not have to face any of it. Was it Volkswagen’s own growth or the enthusiastic devotion to its customers that drove the plant to achieve the award? That’s something we don’t need to bother. All that matters is that both, the manufacturers and the end customers are happy. Labels: ISO-9001:2008-Certification, Upcoming-Car-In-India, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-Pune
Friday, 5 February 2010
 Volkswagen Group India has created a milestone in India with it’s yet to be commercially launched hatchback Volkswagen Polo. The 11,111,111th Polo which was produced in VW’s plant in Chakan, India was rolled out on Thursday. Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, President of the Federal Republic of Germany who is in India on a state visit visited the Volkswagen plant in Pune to do the honours with Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG who is also responsible for ‘Group Production’, and Jörg Müller, President and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group India, at the celebrations to mark the roll-out of the 11,111,111th Polo ever produced. The Chakan plant in Pune was opened in 2009 and is a key element in Volkswagen’s growth roadmap in the Indian subcontinent. Prof. Heizmann speaking at the event said “The scale of investment to date and the sustainable employment opportunities for people from the region underscore Volkswagen’s long-term commitment to India. The VW Polo built at the Pune plant demonstrates that excellent vehicles are created when German engineering prowess interacts perfectly with Indian skills.” “We are determined to bring the Polo’s European success story to India. Volkswagen will tap its opportunities in India with vehicles like the Polo, our modern plant in Pune and a highly-motivated workforce,” Heizmann continued. It must be remembered that Volkswagen Polo was bestowed upon the rare honour of Europe’s “ Car of the Year 2010” just a couple of weeks back. Volkswagen began building a hatchback version of the Polo specially designed for the Indian market in December 2009. At the event celebrating the roll-out of the 11,111,111th Polo, the German President toured the new Volkswagen plant in Maharashtra State accompanied by a delegation of 30 high-ranking representatives from politics and industry. The group found out about the training programs for the newly recruited employees and the innovative production processes at the plant. The Pune plant is one of the most modern in the Volkswagen Group and covers all stages in the production process from press shop through body shop and paint shop to final assembly. It has a maximum annual capacity of 110,000 vehicles. In addition to the Volkswagen Polo, the Pune plant also builds the Škoda Fabia. With a total financial commitment amounting to 580 million euros, the Volkswagen plant in Pune is the largest investment to date by a German company in India. Volkswagen plans to employ some 2,500 people locally by the end of 2010. Labels: Car-of-the-Year- 2010, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Chakan-Plant, Volkswagen-Polo, Škoda-Fabia
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
The People’s car maker Volkswagen has finally done it. It has launched its indigenously built Polo hatchback in India during the Auto Expo week here in Delhi. Volkswagen will be selling the Polo in India from March onwards. The Volkswagen Polo comes both in diesel and petrol engines. The sedan version of the Polo also is slated to be launched in the second half of 2010 which also will be built using the same platform of the Polo hatchback. The company expects to garner its market share in the Indian Car market by about 8-10 per cent in the next 4-6 years. Speaking on the wake of the launch of VW Polo, Jochem Heizmann, Volkswagen AG Member of the Board of management said that “The Polo stands for German engineering and top technology. It is lively young cosmopolitan made in India car." The 1.2 litre VW Polo which comes in three variants is being currently manufactured in its Chakan facility in Pune. When it comes to the pricing, The Polo is said to be very competitive and will be in the range of Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia. But the exact price will be only out when the cars reach the dealerships in March this year. Labels: Hatchback, Honda-Jazz, Hyundai-i20, New-Car-Launch, Sedan, Skoda-Fabia, Volkswagen-Polo
Friday, 18 December 2009
 Chevrolet Cruze seems to cruising in the right track. This premium sedan from General Motors which is also sold in India has won the “Excellent Value for Money” award at the ‘Autobest 2010’ awards. This award could boost the sales of the car in India which was launched in India in the month of September. This car was brought to India to strengthen the brand image here in India. Chevrolet Cruze is a car which actually came as a right car at the right moment loaded with lots of innovative features that was lacking in the sedans that come in the D segment. The award was conferred by a jury comprising of senior and highly experienced journalists from Central and Eastern Europe. The Chevy Cruze contended for its position against the likes of the Hyundai i20, Skoda Yeti and the Volkswagen Polo. It’s a formidable victory for GM and will help GM develop a new range of vehicles. The jury evaluated the competitors on the basis of design, specifications, transmission, fuel consumption, environmental impact and in relation to the interior space where the Cruze reigned over other contenders for its price and excellent quality. Labels: Chevrolet-Cruze, GM, Hyundai-i20, Skoda-Yeti, Volkswagen-Polo
 Come February 2010 and Audi is all set to reveal its long-awaited city car, a hatchback in that, the A1 at the Geneva Auto Show. We assure you that the launch certainly is a going to be a gala event as Audi has stepped aside from the stereotype and monotonous car launches elsewhere and is banking the new technology to take the centre stage for this launch. The Audi A1 is being launched online. Yes, you read that just right. Online. This small car when launched would have a long list of contenders to take on in the market, starting with the retro car, BMW’s Mini. Though Audi A1 would not have the cult status like the Mini, it certainly is a first premium car in the sub-compact segment as claimed by Audi and Audi is heavily banking on this new unexplored segment, when it launches the Audi A1. We are speculating that A1 would probably be rigged with engine range comprising of 1.2L which produces 86 bhp, 1.4L with 122 bhp, turbocharged 1.4 Litre that spurts out 170 bhp and 1.6 L that spews out 90 bhp petrol engines or 2.0 L common rail diesel engines. Although initially thought to be based on Volkswagen Group's MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) platform, the A1 was later reported to be based on the PQ25 platform, the same platform used in the SEAT Ibiza Mk4 and the VW Polo Mk5. Audi famous Quattro technology also might be there in the offering in the Audi A1. We do know for sure that A1 looks very much like that of the existing A3, but probably a size smaller than that. Expect Audi to release more information gradually in coming weeks. Labels: Audi, Audi-A1, BMW-MINI, Car-Launch, Hatchback, Quattro, Small-Car, Volkswagen-Polo
Monday, 14 December 2009
German Car manufacturer Volkswagen is smooth sailing these days. A couple of weeks back, it acquired and added Porsche to portfolio and it is only last week that it has bought 20 per cent stakes of Suzuki Motor Corporation. Now Volkswagen has finally rolled out its first ‘Made in India’ Polo car on Saturday from its production plant in Chakan, Pune. The Polo hatchback will enter the Indian car market in the month of March next year. Introducing the Polo is going to be Volkswagen’s biggest push to boost sales in India, which is Asia’s fourth-largest automotive market. The Volkswagen's factory in Pune was opened earlier this year. It is a part of a 580 million euros ($ 846.8 Million) investment, which the company says is a “key element” in its India strategy. This unit can produce up to 110,000 cars a year and will be used to manufacture the Skoda Fabia and the Polo. Besides, it will also be used to manufacture the sedan version of the Polo which will be launched in India in the second half of next year. Volkswagen is planning to double the number of workers at its factory in India by the end of next year. The car giant sold about 16,000 cars in India from January through October. Europe’s largest car maker also aims to capture as much as 10 percent of India’s car market in four to six years as it boosts sales in emerging-markets. So far, Volkswagen sells cars under five brands that include Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, Skoda and Audi. Furthermore, Volkswagen is looking at the potential for jointly building cars with Suzuki Motor Corporation in the South Asian nations. Volkswagen and Suzuki plans to develop hybrids and electric vehicles under both car brands. Labels: Suzuki-Motor-Corporation, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Polo
Friday, 11 December 2009
 Everything old is new again as all things old are making a comeback — in fashion, furniture, architecture and even automobiles. The iconic Volkswagen Beetle made its comeback in 1998 while retaining the retro styling. People with fat wallets in India have welcomed the car with much vigour and enthusiasm. Volkswagen India has received 160 advance bookings for its iconic car, the Beetle, which was launched on December 4, 2009. Buoyed by the positive response to the car, the company is expecting to sell at least 500 units of it next year. This is in spite of the fact that the New Beetle is four times costlier than the soon-to-be-launched Volkswagen Polo, because of the high import duty on it. The Polo will be manufactured in India, while the Beetle will come to the country as a CBU from Mexico.  In comparison to the enthusiastic reception of the Beetle, another iconic car the Fiat 500, priced at Rs 15 Lakh, has sold only 62 units since its launch 17 months back. But Fiat is not losing hope. It is planning to relaunch the 500 once again in the Indian car market. The Fiat 500 made its world debut in 1957. The little Italian four-wheeler redefined the concept of a ‘small urban car’ when it came into being. The new version, though beautifully styled, is much bigger than the original. The Indian market will also be graced by the coming of the BMW MINI. The new MINI, just like the New Beetle, has maintained the overall proportions and styling of the original, but being a modern car built to modern and stringent standards, it has become much larger in size. One might be led to believe that these cars are more of style statements than anything else — retro fashion accessories for those with deep pockets. And this is true to a certain extent. But that does not mean the new takes on old favourites will fade away as soon as they are launched. These are not non-performing lookers meant for people to buy for the sake of nostalgia. The comeback versions of these old car models are a pleasure to drive, just like the originals. The original MINI and the Fiat 500, despite their humble origins are great to drive and their modern interpretations promise to carry this legacy forward.  In fact, these historic cars are more ‘fun’ to drive than cars costing four to five times as much and recapture the real essence of driving that others seem to have lost somewhere along the way. Labels: BMW-MINI, Fiat500, New-Beetle, Volkswagen-Beetle, Volkswagen-Polo
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Volkswagen India is on a roll. First they launch the Jett and Passat and than after judging the sentiments of us Indians, they again launch the iconic Beetle and Touareg SUV. Now that they have a significant portfolio in their kitty, they have already promised India with their Polo and Up!. Now Volkswagen going a step further in their conquest of India dream, now plans to double the number of workers at its new factory in India to 2,500 by the end of next year. Great News for us. As now we know Volkswagen is here and here to stay. Volkswagen, which also is Europe’s biggest car maker has even more grander plans like that of taking over Suzuki Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Corporation. This comes after its boosted purchase of Porsche brand. The plant Volkswagen is talking about is located in Chakan near Pune, which already employs about 1,200 people at the cost of $860 million. This is plant where the Skoda Fabia is being produced since May. The production of Volkswagen Polo also will commence in this week in the same plant. Volkswagen predicts that the Indian automotive market will grow at the rate of 2.2 million cars and SUVs by 2014 from 1.4 million this year. The Polo will compete head on with the models built by Maruti Suzuki India, the maker of half the cars sold in the nation, as well as models from Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan. VW plans to expand its Indian distribution network to 120 dealers by 2012 from 14 last year so that VW can target selling of more than 100,000 cars, than the 16,000 vehicles it sold this year through January-October. Volkswagen is introducing a hatchback Polo first at the Chakan plant and will add a sedan version in mid-2010. Hatchbacks account for more than 70 percent of all cars delivered in India. Honda, Japan’s second-largest automaker, started selling the Jazz hatchback in India in June. The German company is also considering making the Up! city car at Chakan though a final decision still has not been made. Volkswagen also assembles Jettas, Passats and Audi A4 and A6 models at a Skoda factory in Aurangabad in western India, where it employs 1,000 people. Labels: Touareg, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Beetle, Volkswagen-Jetta, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-PVolkswagen-Touareg
Friday, 4 December 2009
The Volkswagen Polo, which is yet to make an Indian entry, has begun calling for its customers. The booking for the Polo have started and in the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, Bangalore, the initial booking can be done with an amount of just 50 grand! The Volkswagen Polo hatchback will debut in India by the end of the first quarter of the next year. But the car will be displayed at the upcoming 2010 Delhi Auto Expo. It will be launched in India in both petrol and diesel engine variants. The sedan version of the Polo is also India-bound, but no details have been received regarding the launch in India. Volkswagen has already opened the prior bookings on the Polo hatch from 1st Dec 2009. The Volkswagen Polo will be priced between Rs 4.5 -7 Lakh in India. Recently, the Volkswagen Polo was been voted as the European Car of the Year 2010. The dealers claim that they do not have much information about the technical specifications, colours, engine capacity and the features of the Polo. So, we can only wait till next month to see the splendour of the Polo at the 2010 Delhi Auto expo. Labels: 2010-Delhi-Auto-Expo, European-Car-Of-The-Year-2010, Polo-Hatch, Polo-Sedan, Volkswagen-Polo
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
 Volkswagen Polo has been voted the European Car of the Year 2010. This certainly comes as the much needed shot in the arm for Volkswagen which has already set up a manufacturing plant at Pune to produce VW Polo in India. The expected launch of the Volkswagen Polo in India launch is expected to be in the sidelines of the 2010 New Delhi Auto Expo. This hatchback which already has created some flutters in the Indian automotive circle with it’s to be tagged speculated wallet-friendly price, seems to have announced its arrival in the Indian scene with this award. Volkswagen Polo had to surpass many world class cars with ease in this stiff competition to win the coveted title which is also one of the oldest and most esteemed awards in Europe which was started in 1964. 59 jurors from 23 European countries cast their votes in today’s competition. The total number of participants of this year’s European Car Of The Year contest was 33.The nearest competitor is Toyota I.Q. which managed to score 337 points while Polo scored 347 points. The top five contestants are as follows, 1. Volkswagen Polo 347 points, 59 votes, 25 vote wins 2. Toyota iQ 337 points, 58 votes, 20 vote wins 3. Opel/Vauxhall Astra 221 points, 55 votes, 5 vote wins 4. Skoda Yeti 158 points, 54 votes, 4 vote wins 5. Mercedes-Benz E-class 155 points, 48 votes, 2 wins The rating and judgement have done on total value proposition of the car, not only on luxury aspects of the car. It is quite interesting to see that Polo has been voted above two well proven cars like that of Skoda Yeti and Mercedes Benz E-Class. We are expecting Skoda Yeti in India in upcoming 2010 Auto Expo. So India will become another warfront for these German engineering marvels. Not only was the award jury impressed by the new Polo. Since its market launch in May of this year, Volkswagen has received over 130,000 orders for the new benchmark car of the compact class. The Polo is available as a dynamic 3-door and comfortable 5-door in Germany. As the Polo BlueMotion, just 3.3 litre fuel consumption makes it the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly five-seater in the world. VW Polo is expected to be priced below 4.5 lakhs in India. The Indian version of Polo may be a stripped version of the European Polo. Soon after VW Polo’s hatchback arrival we may witness the VW Polo Sedan also. The last time the Volkswagen won was way back in 1992 with its new third generation Golf which emerged victorious over the likes of Opel Astra and Citroën ZX. Labels: Mercedes-Benz-E-Class, Skoda-Yeti, Toyota-iQ, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-Polo- BlueMotion
Thursday, 19 November 2009
The German master car maker, Volkswagen, has much in store for us. Within the next few months we will see VW like never before. And the most interesting of it would be the bug, the Beetle from its stable. We will be pushed to step in to the amazing new world of the VW cars. And the increasing sales of its models reveal a clear picture of the growing acceptance of the car brand by the customers which will surely boost up the confidence of the VW. And it will give a new rising of the VW models. More than any other models from other cars brands, it is the VW Beetle that will be filling up the auto dreams of the car lovers of the country. Accepting the car is priced at the higher end, the Beetle is still among the cars that has an excellent sales record. The bug has bitten the auto lovers throughout the world and now we are getting ready to be bitten. Even though not a new face the facelifted version of the SUV from VW, Touareg, will soon grace the Indian roads. The SUV will be spotted with its new look starting from December this year. Another car worth mentioning from the auto maker is VW Polo. The Polo is designed on the VW principle of Design DNA, we expect the launch of Polo on 2010. Well it seems like a busy year for Volkswagen in the Indian car market. If things go as expected, same time next year, we will have VW cars plying on the Indian roads. Labels: Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Beetle, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-Touareg
Thursday, 22 October 2009
 Watch out Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata and others so called major players in the game. Volkswagen, The German Car maker and the largest car maker in Europe is all set to bring in the most popular cars from its portfolio, Volkswagen Polo and the iconic Beetle to India followed by a slew of other models. VW will be launching the hatchback model of Polo in the first half of 2010 followed by the sedan version of Polo later in the second half of the year. Well-camouflaged test mules of the car is being tested for Indian conditions and is all geared up for the proper launch of the car in the Indian market. Volkswagen Polo will be available in India in both petrol and diesel models which will be manufactured at the 500-acre manufacturing unit at Chakan near Pune which has an annual production capacity of 110,000 units. The company has so far invested around Rs 3,800 crore in the plant. Besides this, 50 per cent of Polo’s components and parts will be sourced from the domestic market which might be later increased provided the quality of the materials are of superior standard. Volkswagen which currently sells premium sedans like Passat and Jetta also sells Touareg SUVs in India will be launching the Beetle sometime by the end of this year or early next year. Volkswagen would also be expanding its network in cities like Nagpur, Nashik and Vijayawada. Looks like Volkswagen is taking the competition to the extremes.  Labels: Volkswagen-Beetle, Volkswagen-Car, Volkswagen-Jetta, Volkswagen-Passat, Volkswagen-Polo
Thursday, 15 October 2009
 The Indian car market is at its best this season. There have been lots of cars that are getting launched. And the car manufacturers are assuring that they provide new choices for all the customers. No one is left unhappy, the new cars ranges in price and also in performance and class. Amidst this good news there is information on a car that we have been long waiting to be delightedly accepted in India. To give you a clue, this model is from the Volkswagen stable. Alright do not leave your thoughts wander, and don’t think it is the Volkswagen Polo that we have mentioned here. It is Volkswagen Up. The Volkswagen Up has close similarity with another model of the same manufacturer, Beetle. The engine of the Up will be placed at the rear and is expected to be available in both petrol and diesel engines. And you will find the expected date of the car in India as late 2009 or early 2010. But now there might be a change in this. And the reason is that there are some internal issues in the company and it has postponed the launch of the car to late 2011. Yes you will have to wait another two years to drive a Volkswagen Up. The production of this mini car, as per what is known now, will start only by March 2011. And it will reach the showrooms only by late 2011. This might also affect the launch of the Skoda small car that is based on Up. This is depressing information, but the merry and cheer in the air as a part on the ongoing festival season might lighten things up. And after all you should wait for good things happen, and in most cases it will be worth the wait. Labels: Skoda, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Polo
Monday, 21 September 2009
 German car behemoth Volkswagen has presented an update on its present and future launches at the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The car company has showcased a range of nine cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Volkswagen will be introducing an eco-friendly car in the year 2013. This green car is named E-UP! and this will be an exciting city car with a electric motor. The E-UP will give a zero emission as well. The L1 concept car from Volkswagen is a two-seater with TDI hybrid that consumes only 1.49 litre of diesel to run 100 kilometres and emits only 39 grams of CO2 per kilometre. This car too will be hitting the roads in 2013. The Volkswagen L1 is so far the most fuel economic car of the world. A three-door version of the Polo, which is much awaited in India, will now come in a new base version that will cost only € 12,150 in Germany. This three-door Polo is a smaller version of the five-door bestselling Polo model. The three-door Polo will be available with six engine choices and three equipment levels including Trendline, Comfortline and Highline. Moreover, an automatic 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) will be available for the first time in the Polo lineup with this car. The BlueMotion version of the Polo also comes in three-door. This car is low on fuel consumption as well and uses just 3.3 litre of diesel to travel 100 km. The car will be powered by a 73 bhp diesel engine. In the same way, the Volkswagen Golf can run 100 kilometres on 3.8 litres of fuel. The Golf R, an edition of the VW Golf, will carry the same 266bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine found in the Audi S3. It's the fastest Golf ever that can propel the four-wheel-drive to 100 km in 5.5 seconds. The R stands out from the Golf crowd with a black version of the small car’s horizontal grille, as well as black side mirrors and a black rear diffuser housing dual exhaust pipes that are a signature of R-badged Golfs. The Volkswagen Scirocco R is a sporty compact coupe with good fuel economy. The coupe will be driven by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection. The Passat CC of the R-Line package will come with modification in the inside and on the outer body. The new Passat CC will show a fuel efficiency of 4.4 litre of fuel per 100 km. A customised version of the Volkswagen Exclusive (Golf Estate) has been displayed along with the Volkswagen Bulli that comes with a good mileage tag. It seems Volkswagen has been busy trying to set records when it comes to CO2 emissions and fuel-efficient technologies. Labels: BlueMotion, E-UP, Frankfurt-Motor-Show, Fuel-Efficency, IAA, International-Motor-Show, Scirocco-R, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Bulli, Volkswagen-Golf, Volkswagen-Polo, VW
Monday, 10 August 2009
The Volkswagen Polo is expected to be in the Indian car market by the end of next year. Indians have been long expecting the launch of this supermini car. But the wait just a little longer. It has been reported three years back that the car will be available to the Indian car customers by 2009 and it will be competing against the Maruti Swift, Hyundai Getz and Tata Indica. But when the promised time has just arrived the wait is extended by another one year and the car will have a new set of rivals in the Indian market by the end of 2010. Let us hope that the wait will finally end this year. The bookings have already begun in Europe for this fifth-generation of Polo. For the European customers, the Polo is a very familiar model and a much loved one also. But for us Indians, we have to wait until Volkswagen plans to deliver this cute hatchback to our shores by sometime in 2010. For the Indian car customers, there will be modifications in the car so that it will meet their needs the best. But from the master car builder it will be surely some great features, as the Indian customers also have now learned the trick of not getting settled for what has been offered but asking for more. The exteriors of the car will match its siblings the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat, but mocks at the more serious look of these models with the dual indicators, which gives the car a sportier look. As for the engine options, the base model of the car will be available in a 1.2-litre petrol and there will be a more powerful engine option of 1.2 TSI petrol motor. The price is expected to be between 4 lakh and 7 lakh which looks quite tempting, but wait and see, what this long wait has in store. Labels: Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Jetta, Volkswagen-Polo
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Premium compact cars are climbing the value chain in the Indian car industry. Both the car manufacturers and the car buyers are eyeing at lucrative opportunities offered by the premium compact car segment. Manufacturers are witnessing the rising demand of such cars and buyers are rejoicing the symphony of practicality, versatility, and affordability offered by premium compact cars. The market leader Maruti Suzuki has recently launched two new premium compact cars, A-star and Ritz. Other car manufacturers are gearing up to challenge Maruti with their stylish and powerful hatchbacks. The segment will definitely be abuzz with new car launches expected by almost all the car manufacturers. Honda is to follow the bandwagon with its most awaited Honda Jazz whereas Hyundai will enter the segment with the diesel version of i20. Moreover, the Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Yaris, and Fiat Grande Punto are also in line to explore the premium compact car segment. A number of small but expensive cars are continually sold in huge numbers in the international markets. And now the same trend is being witnessed in India with more and more buyers shifting from small cars and mid-sized sedans to the premium compact segment. Car manufacturers are now confident of attracting respectable numbers of premium compact car buyers in India despite of the expensive price tag. Labels: Compact-Car-Segment, Honda-Jazz, Maruti-Suzuki-Ritz, New-Car, Premium-Compact-Car, Volkswagen-Polo
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Despite the prevailing economic slowdown, Volkswagen sees great potential in the Indian car market and plans to bring a new car ‘Polo’ in the country. The car would be launched in both sedan and hatchback version by 2010. It was first unveiled at the 2008 Auto Expo and speculated to launch in India in 2009. It seems that it will borrow styling cues from the Scirocco concept enhanced with better design and performance. It is likely to come in the both 1.2 petrol and 1.6 diesel version. The company has big plans for the Indian car market. Recently, Volkswagen inaugurated a new plant in Pune that has the capacity to roll out 110,000 vehicles per year. This plant will initiate it production work by building the compact car, the Skoda Fabia. Eventually, it will also be utilized to manufacture the Polo hatchback. Currently, the group is present in India through its Skoda, Audi, and Volkswagen brands and their eight models of cars that are doing good business in the country. The company is optimistic with the Indian market and further expanding its network as well as product portfolio in the country. The famous people’s Beetle car fondly called as ‘Bug’ by many will also make its entry in India very soon. Labels: Indian-car-market, New-Car-Launch, Volkswagen-Polo
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The Polo has been very successful in India. Volkswagen now plans to come up with a sedan version of this hatchback. Looks like the new car will be born to win; to compete with the likes of Swift Dzire, Hyundai Verna & Fiat Linea. The Polo already has a sedan version called the Volkswagen Polo Classic in other countries. But in India, the car maker will be naming the car "Vento".
