Indian Autos blog

QR codes were first designed to identify automotive parts at the factory. Later the smartphone market got hold of them and they became a medium of sharing information.

Now, Volkswagen is getting them back to where they belong with a slight twist. Volkswagen is busy promoting the Up!, its smallest car yet, in Europe. In the past, the German czar has done some very innovative promotional activities for the Up!

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Earlier this year at the 2012 Auto Expo, Volkswagen India made an official announcement to enter the Pre-owned car market in India. The German automaker further stated that their pre-owned car business will be called WeltAuto and it will sell both VW and non VW branded cars in the Indian market.

TheHindu reports that the company will start a pilot project soon either in Delhi or Mumbai. The company hopes to open 10 new dealerships for its pre-owned business by the end of Q2. However, it will restrict the business to major cities and Tier 1 and Tier 2 towns for now.

The Toyota Fortuner finds 1,000 customers out of thin air in India every month. Where were these customers before the Fortuner’s launch? There are some very worthy competitors such as the Chevrolet Captiva, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Endeavour and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport but most SUV buyers in that segment want a Toyota Fortuner in India. The Rambo-like looks of the vehicle is a major contributor to its popularity.

However, some juicy details have popped up about the next generation Tiguan which could spell doom for the Toyota Fortuner’s reign.

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Recently, we brought you some spyshots of the 2014 VW Passat testing in the snow. It also has been established that the new Passat will be based on Volkswagen’s new and versatile MQB platform and the new model is expected to be launched in 2014.

The MQB platform will be stretched for the Passat quite extensively for this all-new Passat. VW also plans to keep the different body styles such as Sedan, Estate and CC for the new Passat.

The Volkswagen Polo is one of the iconic brand under VW’s belt. Just like the Golf and the Beetle, the Polo enjoys a cult status in the VW family, it turned 36 years old recently.

However, the Polo that we see on the Indian streets is a fifth generation model launched back in 2009. According to a new report, VW does not intend to facelift the VW Polo but replace it by an all-new model before 2015.

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The great mystery of whether the VW Up! is going to be launched in India has enchanted us all. A few sighting of the car just before the Auto Expo in India sparked a flurry of rumors that VW is all set to launch the UP in India. However, at the Auto Expo, the UP! was nowhere to be seen. It was then learnt that the Up! spied on the flatbed may not be Volkswagen’s property.

The German automaker has finally broken its mum providing some official information. Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India John Chacko told PTI that the company is analyzing the feasibility of launching the UP! in India and a final decision will be taken by the year end.

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As the two month long cricket season of IPL approaches, Volkswagen India stocks dealers with IPL editions of both Vento and Polo. This being the second round for the special edition, ‘IPL Edition II’ badges appear on the car.

Both the cars share the same add-on features which consist of the new matt-beige interior, special edition stickers on the back and side profile, split seat covers on the Highline variant, door sill on all four doors with the IPL logo on them, and the CarPad touch screen multimedia player.

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We are still recovering from the myriad of information that was given to us at the launch of the Datsun brand in Mumbai whereMr Ashwani Gupta, program leader of the Datsun brand, shared key aspects of Datsun’s revival in Indonesia, Russia and India. However, the mighty Volkswagen has sniffed this opportunity as well and is planning its own entry level brand for the emerging markets. Ze Germans are quick!

Volkswagen board member Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed that the new brand from VW will target the emerging markets with its own portfolio of small and fuel efficient cars. The car will be priced around 5,000 euros (approximately 3-4 lakhs). The cars will be tailored according to the respective emerging markets and will be locally manufactured. Interestingly, Datsun will also follow the exact same strategy for its markets.

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