Volkswagen India is the Indian subsidiary of the German carmaker Volkswagen Inc. It is engaged in the manufacturing, exports and sales of Volkswagen brand of cars in India. The Volkswagen Group in India is represents five brands under the corporate umbrella of the parent company, namely the SKODA, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini cars.
When it comes to the passenger cars, the hatchbacks like Polo and Cross Polo have done remarkably well in the Indian car industry. These cars bring with them the advantages of superior German engineering and other luxury features. They have done well in the highly competitive hatchback segment of the Indian car industry. Their superior quality and performance have made them popular among the car buyers, especially the young car buyers in India.
However, it is in the sedan segment that the company has made its mark. Volkswagen has introduced several sedans like the Vento, Passat, Jetta and Phaeton in the Indian market. Of these, the Vento and Passat have done very well. The Volkswagen Jetta has also performed well on the Indian roads. Both Passat and Jetta are assembled locally in the manufacturing facilities at Pune and Aurangabad.
However, that they are considered as a premium vehicle and their comparatively higher cost of acquisition, when compared to the rivals, has worked unfavorably for these cars.
Volkswagen is also probably one of the rare carmakers in India, who have not yet offered an array of SUV for their customers in India. As more and more people in India are turning to SUVs these days, it could be an opportunity lost for the German auto giant. However, it has offered a high-end SUV for India, which has been named Touareg. Nevertheless, this vehicle did not excite the average Indian car buyer as much as the smaller cars did.
During the year 2009, Volkswagen brought the iconic car, Beetle, to India. This move saw a renewed interest in the Volkswagen cars, which could not be sustained for long. A major reason for this could be the introduction of more and more cars in the Indian market, which gave the customers plenty of options to choose.
All said and done, Volkswagen has given the Indian car industry some top performers. In addition, many people look forward to owning the Volkswagen cars as a matter of pride and honor as well. For new cars & bikes log on to Autoportal.com & Bikeportal.in
Devang Vibhakar is the Founder and Editor of www.SpeakBindas.com. He has interviewed more than 350 people. His effort was recognized by Limca Book of Records, twice. He has been to Scotland as well as Germany as part of vocational & cultural exchange programs and has compiled five books so far. He's passionate about bringing forth interesting stories & interviews of entrepreneurs to avid readers of SpeakBindas. He can be reached 