Volkswagen’s new car launches at Auto Expo 2010

Volkswagen’s biggest push in the Indian automobile market will come at the Auto Expo 2010 when the company will launch its Polo compact car in the Indian market.

Update: Latest launches from the 2010 Auto Expo. (click the link!)

Update: Volkswagen Polo and Race launched

The VW Polo is the company’s first small car in India, and will compete against A2 segment cars like the Suzuki Swift, Fiat Punto in India. The company has booked a 1500 sq. m. hall at the Auto Expo to show off its new cars and existing range.

Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo production started last week, and pre-series and trial production had started much earlier. There has been a lot of talk about the price of the Polo – that the company would have shock pricing that would make it an irresistible buy. We will know in another three weeks!

Other interesting stories about the Auto Expo 2010

• Auto Expo 2010: What to expect
• New small car launches at Auto Expo 2010
• Toyota’s new launches at Auto Expo
• Chevrolet Beat launch
• Tata Indicruz MPV launch at 2010 Auto Expo

The new car is a hatchback – there is a sedan version of the Polo being developed, we will likely see it at the Volkswagen hall, though launched would be another six months down the line. There will be a 1200 cc petrol as well as a 1200 cc CRDi diesel version. Deliveries are expected to begin in March 2010.

The Polo has been in the news for a potential launch in India since 2006, when we wrote about it for the first time. The company has said that the car has been designed keeping Indian road conditions in mind. Around 30,000 Volkswagen Beetles will be sold in the first year, according to company officials.

We expect the Volkswagen Polo to be a major crowd puller and one of the most interesting cars at the Auto Expo 2010.

Volkswagen Beetle

Volkswagen launched the new gen interpretation of the iconic Volkswagen Beetle in India recently, at a price of  20.45 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi. At that price, the car will remain a flagship model, a brand building exercise. Guess neither the company nor car buyers will have a problem with that! Expected sales for the Volkswagen Beetle, according to the company, is 300 units. There are already some 170 advance bookings for the Beetle across India. The Beetle comes to India as a CBU, duties make up more than half of the price of the car on Indian roads.

The Beetle that comes to India will be powered by a 2000 cc four cylinder petrol engine  producing 115 bhp powering the front wheels, and has a six speed automatic gearbox. ABS, electronic stability program and four airbags are some of the other features of the Volkswagen Beetle in India.

The Beetle will not appeal to every status conscious Indian – but it would to those who have the moolah, and have a real interest in cars.

Another new car which was launched recently – the Fiat 500 – can be considered a competition for the Beetle; that is priced at arond Rs 15 lakh.

Volkswagen Touareg

The Touareg is one expensive mother of an SUV, at a price of Rs 52 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi. The Touareg is already launched. The 3000 cc permanent all-wheel-drive SUV has 240 bhp driving it, and will compete against other expensive, luxury SUVs in India from Mercedes, BMW, Toyota and Volvo.

Volkswagen new car launches in 2010 – rumours

The most interesting are the VW Up! small car and the Volkswagen Golf. The Golf is positoned above the Polo in international markets, and we think the company still has not decided about its launch in India. But if gauging public interest is a criterion, the Auto Expo offers a great place to do that. The VW Up! is a potential launch, and might be priced below the Polo when it comes to India. A late 2010 launch is possible for both of these cars.

These cars might make it to Auto Expo 2010 – either as new car launches in 2010, or just s part of the display with some vague date for launch, or none at all. The Volkswagen Phaeton 3.2L V6 sedan, Volkswagen Tiguan, new Passat and Scirocco are all possible candidates for an India launch and a place in the VW pavilion at Pragati Maidan.