DriveInside.com | Tuesday August 3, 2010
The average monthly demand for the Volkswagen Polo stands at approximately 2,500 units – something that the German company did not anticipate when it launched the car in February 2010. Also, the company had not foreseen the relatively higher demand for the car’s top-end variant. VW’s inability to meet the high demand for the Polo has now stretched Read More...
DriveInside.com | Thursday July 8, 2010
Volkswagen India unveiled its new entry-level sedan, the Volkswagen Vento, this week. The Vento is the German automaker’s first car to be designed and manufactured in India, and has been built on the VW Polo’s platform. The company will disclose the car’s expected price in August 2010, and will launch it in the Indian market by the end of this Read More...
DriveInside.com | Tuesday July 6, 2010
Luxury sports-car manufacturer, Porsche, may soon start assembling its SUV, Porsche Cayenne, at parent company Volkswagen’s facility in India. Assembling the Cayenne locally will help the German company bring down the import duty on the vehicle from the current 113 percent to 40 percent. Porsche India CEO, Mr Ashish Chordia, denied the report Read More...
DriveInside.com | Monday June 14, 2010
Volkswagen India is planning to introduce a smaller car than the VW Polo to expand its share in the country’s rapidly growing compact-car market. The Volkswagen Group's Communication Head in India, Mr Kurt Rippholz, told mediapersons that the company was selling two small cars outside India – the Fox in Brazil and the Ebisa in Spain. However, it Read More...
DriveInside.com | Thursday June 3, 2010
European auto major, Volkswagen, recently unveiled its upcoming mid-size sedan, the Vento, at its production facility in Wolfsburg, Germany. The car was previewed by a select group of journalists from India. According to media reports, the Vento, built on the VW Polo’s platform, looks a lot like the Polo itself, with a longer wheelbase, wider Read More...
DriveInside.com | Thursday May 27, 2010
Volkswagen India will be launching its premium luxury sedan, the VW Phaeton, in June 2010. The car will be brought to India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and will be priced at approximately Rs 76 lakh. It will compete with the Mercedes S-Class, the BMW 7-Series and the Audi A8. Mr Neeraj Garg, Director and Member of Board, Volkswagen Passenger Read More...
DriveInside.com | Saturday May 22, 2010
Officials from auto companies Maruti Suzuki and Volkswagen India met recently to explore the possibility of a tie-up in production and vehicle design. German car maker Volkswagen had bought a 20 percent stake in Japan’s Suzuki Motor in 2009. Industry analysts say that VW may now employ Maruti’s low-cost manufacturing expertise in its own projects, Read More...
DriveInside.com | Wednesday May 5, 2010
While GM and Ford have seen a considerable increase in their sales in India following the launch of their small cars Beat and Figo, Volkswagen is yet to make a mark with its Polo, possibly because of its higher price. The VW Polo comes at a starting price of Rs 4.34 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), compared to Rs 3.49 lakh for the Figo and Rs 3.41 lakh Read More...
DriveInside.com | Tuesday May 4, 2010
Volkswagen will be launching a new executive sedan in India in the second half of 2010. The new car, to be known as the ‘Vento’, will compete with the Honda City, which is currently the highest selling car in its segment. The Vento is being built on the same platform as that of the VW Polo, launched in February 2010, and is expected to be priced Read More...
DriveInside.com | Wednesday April 28, 2010
German automaker Volkswagen, which bought a 20-percent stake in Suzuki Motor in December 2009, is reportedly planning to re-model Maruti Suzuki’s small cars and sell them at a premium both in India and in international markets. VW may sell the WagonR and the Ritz under its own badge after modifying the cars’ interiors. According to media reports, Read More...
DriveInside.com | Thursday April 1, 2010
Volkswagen India (VW India) launched a 1.8-litre petrol version of the Passat and a 2-litre diesel variant of the Jetta this week. The petrol version of the Passat, priced at Rs 19.2 lakh, comes with a TSI engine known for its superior fuel efficiency and power. The car’s competitive pricing makes it a stronger contender in the luxury car segment. Read More...
DriveInside.com | Sunday March 7, 2010
Japanese car company, Nissan, said this week that it would review its sourcing deal with Suzuki only after 2013, when its contract period between the two companies ends. Suzuki has a deal with Nissan to supply the small car Pixo to the latter at a ‘committed transfer price’ till 2013, said Nissan Motor Co Executive Vice-President Collin Dodge. He Read More...
DriveInside.com | Tuesday February 23, 2010
Volkswagen India launched the New Polo in Mumbai this week. The premium hatchback is priced at Rs 4.34 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the 1.2-litre petrol variant and Rs 5.32 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the 1.2-litre diesel variant. Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, said that the car had received an Read More...
DriveInside.com | Saturday February 20, 2010
Volkswagen India is planning to enter the country’s pre-owned car segment by FY 2012. Mr Neeraj Garg, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Group Sales India, told mediapersons last week that the company expected a good number of premium car owners to upgrade to VW’s used luxury cars. A Credit Analysis and Research Ltd. report says that Read More...
DriveInside.com | Monday January 25, 2010
Toyota Motor Corporation, the world’s biggest carmaker, witnessed a 13 percent fall in its 2009 global sales, which has substantially reduced the gap between Toyota and number-tw carmaker, Volkswagen. In 2008, Toyota had overtaken US-based auto company General Motors to become the world’s top carmaker. In 2009, however, the Japanese company’s Read More...
DriveInside.com | Sunday January 24, 2010
Czech company, Skoda Auto, a subsidiary of Volkswagen (VW), has decided not to re-position its range of cars in India to avoid competition with VW. Skoda has been present in India for a number of years, and is seen as a maker of high-end cars in the country. Its parent company, Volkswagen, on the other hand, is a more recent entrant in the Indian Read More...
DriveInside.com | Wednesday January 13, 2010
German auto major, Volkswagen, said this week that it would start offering optional customised packages for its cars after the launch of its small car, Polo, in March 2010. The extra features in these packages will include exterior cosmetic modifications and entertainment systems, said Mr Lutz Kothe, Chief General Manager (Marketing and Public Read More...
DriveInside.com | Wednesday January 6, 2010
German auto major Volkswagen (VW) this week unveiled its made-in-India small car, the Polo, at the 2010 India Auto Expo. A sedan version of the car, built on the same platform, will follow in the second half of 2010. The Polo hatchback will be available at VW dealerships from March this year and will come with a 1.2 litre engine with 50 per cent Read More...
DriveInside.com | Monday December 14, 2009
German carmaker Volkswagen AG said recently that it was planning to develop hybrid and electric cars with Japan’s Suzuki Motor in India. The company wants to use Suzuki’s R&D centre in the country for the purpose. VW AG board member, Mr Jochem Heizmann, said that while it was too early to give details of the JV’s concrete product plans, the Read More...
DriveInside.com | Monday December 14, 2009
Volkswagen AG may introduce luxury car brand Bugatti in India in the middle of 2010. The Bugatti Veyron can touch a top speed of 400 km/hr and is expected to be priced between Rs 5 crore and Rs 12 crore in India. However, Mr Kurt Rippolz, the head of communication at VW India, said that it was up to every independent brand to decide on its India Read More...
DriveInside.com | Sunday December 13, 2009
German auto company Volkswagen started the production of its small car Polo in India this week. The five-seater hatchback is being produced at the company’s plant at Chakan, near Pune, and will compete with cars in the already crowded B+ segment, including Hyundai’s i20, Maruti’s Swift and Chevrolet’s Beat. It will come in both petrol and diesel Read More...
DriveInside.com | Thursday December 10, 2009
German carmaker Volkswagen will buy a 19.9 per cent stake in Japanese auto company Suzuki Motor for $2.53 billion, in January 2010. The move will help VW expand its presence in the small-car market in India and other Asian markets, where Suzuki already has a strong presence. The companies said that their strengths complement each other, and as the Read More...
DriveInside.com | Wednesday December 9, 2009
German auto company Volkswagen (VW) this week bought a 49.9 per cent stake in Porsche AG, for 3.9 billion euros ($5.8 billion). It will complete the acquisition 2011. The move is expected to increase the annual operating profit of the Volkswagen Group by approximately 700 million euros. VW said in a statement that there was a compelling strategic, Read More...
DriveInside.com | Sunday December 6, 2009
Volkswagen India launched the ‘New Beetle’ last week, priced at Rs 20.45 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The car comes with a 2-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine, and six-speed automatic transmission. VW India Board Member and Director, Mr Neeraj Garg, told reporters that the company was excited to bring the iconic Beetle to India after its success all Read More...
DriveInside.com | Tuesday December 1, 2009
Volkswagen India has already received 160 advance bookings for its iconic car, the Beetle, to be 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 Beetle will be 4 times costlier than the soon-to-be-launched VW Polo, Read More...