Indian Autos blog

When Volkswagen partnered with Suzuki, one of the key development was supposed to be the Rocktan – a compact SUV based on the SX4 platform. However, as the partnership fell apart, the project was delayed indefinitely.

However, owing to the increased demand of compact SUVs, VW is drawing up not one but two SUVs to target the compact SUV segment effectively.

Volkswagen’s smallest car ever has definitely won the hearts of all people across the globe. But now it has finally made it large.

The VW UP! has nabbed the World Car of the Year at the ongoing New York Expo. It managed to beat 34 models for the title which included the likes of the new BMW 3 Series and Porsche 911.

The World Car of the Year is voted by 64 journalist from 25 countries. The diverse jury makes sure that the award is not biased depending on a particular market.

The jury was bowled over by the responsive steering, sophisticated suspension set-up, efficient engines and the quality of materials and finish of the VW UP!

The other winners include:

• World Car Design of the Year – Range Rover Evoque
• World Performance Car of the Year – Porsche 911
• World Green Car of the Year – Mercedes-Benz 250 CDI Blueefficiency

The VW UP now joins the list of winners which include the likes of Nissan Leaf (2011), Volkswagen Polo (2010), Volkswagen Golf (2009) and Mazda 2 (2008).

Too sad that VW has put the launch of the UP! on back burner.

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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Ze Germans always think BIG. Small is a work of evil for them. Volkswagen, being a German, also has plans on a similar scale. We have discussed so many times VW’s plans to dominate the world automotive market 2018. Not only do they want to dominate the market, they want to sell 10 million cars annually by 2018.

Now this would require a significant ramp up in the production facilities. In order to achieve that manufacturing scale, the VW group plans to open 100 manufacturing facilities across the globe.

News service Bloomberg has carried a report about Volkswagen’s interest in partnering with Proton to increase its footprint in Malaysia. The Volkswagen Group is very hungry and its hopes of becoming the leader of the auto market globally rest in how much grip they have over emerging markets.

In South East Asia, Japanese car companies such as Honda and Toyota have been able to understand the market needs and introduce suitably tailored products. For example the IMV Platform was developed for the South East Asian market by Toyota on which the Fortuner, Innova and Hilux, three high-demand cars in this part of the world, ride on.

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VW plans to dominate the world by 2018 are surely on track with the company claiming to be the number 2 manufacturer of the world. According to Car Advice, VW sold 8.16 million units in 2011 whereas Toyota sold 7.9 million thus making VW the second biggest automotive company (by sales).

The total gain in sales amounts to a whopping 14.3-percent surge as compared to the auto giant’s 2010 sales.

The key growth markets were India and China. An impressive 2.25 million vehicles were shipped in China and deliveries in India more than doubled to 111,600 units.

There is surprise twist in the story as well. GM, predicted to be the numero uno manufacturer of 2011, has not yet declared its sales figures. If GM does not manage to shift more than 8.16 million, the VW’s goal would be accomplished 6 years early.

VW plans to be #1 manufacturer of the world by 2018 by shifting over 10 million units annually.

The used car business is big money for most Indian manufacturers. Right from Maruti Suzuki to BMW, they all have their dedicated outlets offering the customers peace of mind with their tested, warranty-attached pre-owned cars. Now, VW wants a share of the piece and has big plans for its pre-owned car business.

Barely 4 years old in the Indian market, the company plans to cater to customers looking for a pre-owned car through its existing sales outlet. VW’s pre-owned car business will be called WeltAuto and it will sell both VW and non VW branded cars in the Indian market.

Volkswagen Group Sales India Member of Board and Director Neeraj Garg commentated on the development,

“With a healthy customer base and a strong network established in the market over the last couple of years, it has encouraged us to bring in our global pre-owned car business into the country.”

VW grew at an astonishing 140 percent growth in 2011 year on year. The used car business will further propel the company towards its goal of dominating the Indian market.

The German czar, known for its clever marketing tactics, will showcase a series of new cars at the Auto Expo starting with the 2012 Beetle. In order to attract the fairer sex to their booth, VW plans to launch the 2012 Beetle in Delhi. The 2012 model is a slightly larger Beetle based on the new Jetta platform.

It will be powered by a 2.0-liter TDI making close to 130PS available in both Manual and Automatic transmission. Although the iconic design may not have changed over the years, but bi-xenon headlamps and LED daytime running lights are a dead giveaway.

We are not quite sure whether the UP! hatchback will be present at the Auto Expo after sources in Volkswagen told us that the car spotted on a flatbed in Delhi was not theirs. If they plan to bring down an example, the company will probably showcase a five-door version of the car with the 1 liter engine.