Volkswagen Polo hatchback India launch from new Pune plant

European major Volkswagen has opened its first manufacturing plant in India, in Chakan, Pune.

Reports say that the company has pumped in 580 million euros or Rs 3,800 crore, into the plant.

Photo: Volkswagen Polo

At the launch of the plant, Jochem Heizmann, member of the board of management of Volkswagen, said, “India is a strategic market for the Volkswagen group and holds enormous potential for us in the future.”

The Pune plant is expected to roll out 110,000 vehicles per year, all of which are destined for the Indian market. It is also looking at employing 2,500 people, at what is now Volkswagen’s most modern plant.

According to Volkswagen, the new plant would begin building the Skoda Fabia compact car in May 2009. By year 2010, it is expected that the new
Pune plant will start rolling out a hatchback version of the Volkswagen Polo.

This hatchback version of the Volkswagen Polo is to be specially developed for the Indian market.

Volkswagen will use group company SkodaAuto’s Shendra plant, near Aurangabad, to assemble the Audi A4 and A6 and VW’s Passat and Jetta.

The company is expecting greater returns from emerging markets like India, compared to US and European markets.

With the Indian automotive market poised to grow from 1.2 million vehicles per year at present, to more than 2.0 million by 2014, Volkswagen wants a piece of the pie. That the Volkswagen Polo hatchback would be launched in India was initially reported by us more than an year back.

The automotive major recently provided a sneek peek of its new VW Beetle for the first time in India, but added that the car would be available in India only by mid-2009.

The company plans to import the model into the country. Indian road regulations and high import duties would make the Beetle very expensive for Indian customers.

Likely to be available in 1.9 litre TDI diesel variant by April-May 2009, the Volkswagen Beetle would come with rain sensors and cruise control, acoustic rear parking sensors and a variety of safety features, such as ABS, traction control, anti-skid system, and front and side airbags.

Volkswagen said it is planning to ramp up its dealership network by 40% to 120 by end of 2009.

In the future, the company will look at offering light commercial vehicles.