The European ‘people’s car’, VolkswagenBeetle will hit the Indian roads next year. “Volkswagen is known as Beetle in India. We have studied the market and feel that there is space for Beetle. We are planning to make it available in the middle of this year through imports,” said VW spokesperson. Hence the car will be launched in the year 2009.
“We are now finalising the details and we think there is a small yet definite market for the Beetle in India. But do not expect it to be cheap,” said a VW spokesperson. VW plans to launch the 1.9 litre diesel variant in India.
Beetle is the iconic car for the company and will be imported in India as Completely Built Unit or CBU. This means it will attract 100% import duty and will be quite expensive. While the pricing still remains to be decided, Kurt Rippholz, VW spokesperson, said VW will position the car as a lifestyle car in the niche segment in India.
Skoda India is planning to launch four new models by mid 2009. It will introduce new variants of its existing models in India. This means that Indian customers will witness the launch of a new Skoda Laura, Skoda Superb, Skoda Roomster and the new Skoda Fabia Combi. “Hundred per cent in the plan is the launch of the Superb successor in the first quarter and Laura successor in the middle of 2009.
We will showcase the new Superb in November,” Mr Thomas Kuehl, Board Member (Sales & Marketing), Skoda Auto said. We hope people will prefer the five-seater Fabia Combi with a huge space to drive outside the city, to go to the countryside,” he added.
Skoda Fabia Combi was recently exhibited at the Lakme India Fashion Week in Delhi. It was widely appreciated by the media as well as the customers at the Fashion festival. The car is not due for an immediate launch but is a part of Skoda’s brand building exercise in India.
However, Skoda is a little apprehensive about the mass response from the Indian customers about Skoda Fabia Combi as it is a station wagon. Station wagons are not largely accepted by Indian customers. “It is difficult to predict the market for Fabia Combi because it is not a preferred body style in the market. We start with the niche,” said Kuehl.
Volkswagen’s commercial vehicles division is considering the possibility of bringing the Caddy to the Indian market. The VW Caddy is a basic, multi-purpose van that’s used as a taxi in various parts of the world. The vehicle is available in various seating configurations.
VW’s commercial vehicles arm is looking at tying up with an Indian partner for setting up a new joint venture business in the country. According to reports in the media, the company is already in talks with some potential partners, and a decision is likely to be taken in the next few weeks.
Audi has confirmed plans to launch a small electric city car, likely to be based on the VW Up! concept. Peter Schwarzenbauer, who sits on the management board at Ingolstadt, told Autocar “We will offer a pure electric car” at last week’s Paris motor show.
Schwarzenbauer was responding to rumours that Mini is planning an electric version of the Cooper for the LA motor show in November. He went on to reveal that the small electric Audi “will not be based on the A1″, the firm’s premium supermini, which was previewed by a concept car in Paris.
Volkswagen Group hopes to sell 20000 units by the end of this year which would mark a 69 percent growth in its sales figures as compared to its last year’s figures. The robust sale of its current models has made VW to pre-pone its plans to roll out more models from its Chakan plant, near Pune in India.
Every car manufacturer in India has adjusted its production schedule according to the ongoing economic crisis. Nearly everyone is facing piling up of inventory at the factiories as well as at the dealer locations. On the other hand, VW has witnessed robust sales of its models like VW Jetta and Skoda Fabia. It also plans to launch its compact car and a sedan based on Polo platform in India. Volkswagen India Private Limited currently has 14 dealerships in India which it plans to hike up to 150 by 2011.
Volkswagen is eyeing India as its next favourite destination for manufacturing its passenger cars. According to Minister-president of the German state of Lower Saxony Christian Wulff, Germany is quite fascinated by the recent developments in India for promotion of trade and industry in the country. He stated that Volkswagen will be setting up a big car manufacturing plant in Chakan near Pune. His state will also be opening office in Maharashtra to facilitate more business opportunities.
Wulff also stated that Volkswagen has a larger goal of becoming one of the biggest car manufacturers in India. The growth in the Indian market is quite promising, which makes India a lucrative market. His state, Lower Saxony, is one of the major ports in Germany and wants that Indian companies should also invest in his state.
He is leading a 100 member strong delegation in India to promote business opportunities from his state. He added that Germany is keen to develop an international trade fair ground in Mumbai. Speaking to the Governor SC Jamir at Raj Bhawan, he told him that a German university is also opening its branch in Pune to attract Indian students. Jamir assured Wulff that there is abundance of skilled labour in Maharashtra and that the state will ensure all possible support to create a favourable atmosphere for the investors.
The German car maker, Volkswagen, is planning to bring its global research and development centre to India. The centre will be set up in Pune and will eventually produce vehicles for global market. “India has a good resource of engineering talent. We will build up our technical centre at Pune. After sometime, may be in 5-6 years time, we may have global car developed in India,” Volkswagen Executive Vice-President and Member of Board Ulrich Hackenberg said at the Paris Auto Show here.
Other Car majors like Honda and Suzuki already have their research and development centres established in India. Apart from bringing its research and development centre to India, Volkswagen also plans to launch its commercial vehicles in the country.
Volkswagen is currently studying the feasibility of launching commercial vehicles in India so that it can launch its LCV models in the country. It is investing 560 million Euros to set up a manufacturing unit in Chakan, near Pune. It is already bringing its compact sedan, VW Polo to India, next year.
German auto major Volkswagen Group says it expects to take a final decision on its plans to enter the Indian light commercial vehicles market by the end of this year, even as it rules out tying up with a local partner for such a venture.
“We, as a big automobile company, constantly keep evaluating possibilities. Emerging markets, including India, are key to our expansion programme not only in cars but also in commercial vehicles,” Volkswagen Group Chairman Martin Winterkorn said on the sidelines of Paris Auto Show.
He said VW group is currently undertaking a feasibility study for its planned foray into the Indian LCV market. Asked if the group would consider partnership with a local firm for the venture, he replied in the negative. “No, we do not intend to,” Winterkorn said.
