Volkswagen India to launch 4 new car models in the next 24 months

Volkswagen had recently revealed that it will be investing heavily in India and is planning to make the country a low-cost manufacturing hub. The German car manufacturer is looking at investing to a tune of Rs 1,500 crore in India and hopes to cater to both - emerging and developed markets across the globe. 

During our recent interaction with Michael Mayer, Director - Volkswagen Passenger Cars India at the company’s car manufacturing plant in Chakan, Pune, he disclosed that the firm plans to introduce at least four new products in the next 24 months.

Mayer confirmed that it is important for the company to be visible in the SUV segment of India, for which it will introduce a premium 5-seat SUV. We expect the new Volkswagen SUV to compete against the likes of Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour, priced close to Rs 25 lakh. 

Apart from the SUV, Volkswagen will also introduce a luxury hatchback to help Volkswagen improve its brand image and recall value in India, which will carry an estimated price tag of Rs 29 lakh. 

In the premium sedan segment, Volkswagen India is considering to get a replacement for the last generation VW Passat. The old Passat did not meet the company’s expectation in India as the German brand was still at its nascent stage in the country and the brand appeal was competitively lower than its competition. Over the years, VW India has worked on making the brand stronger, which will help the new premium sedan to getter a bigger chunk of the market. 

Volkswagen is also considering to launch refreshed version of its existing models, along with the introduction of Volkswagen India's first sub-4-meter compact sedan designed specifically for India.