[TusharK]

Volkswagen has confirmed its plans to launch the ID.4 electric SUV in India this year. It will be imported via the CBU route to test consumer readiness.



Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, stated that electrification is one of the priorities which will play out in the country in three stages.

Initially, VW will bring some cars from its global portfolio, including the ID.4. “That’s a market introduction and testing of the market to see how our portfolio fits,” he said.



“The second part, through parts and components, involves local assembly for economies of scale and increased volumes. The third part, planned for 2026, is local electrification, as scaling up electrification involves localisation” Gupta added.

Volkswagen has been evaluating the ID.4 for India since 2020. Globally, the ID.4 is offered with a range of powertrains including single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations. The GTX variant packs 299 BHP and is powered by a 77 kWh battery pack. VW claims it can cover up to 480 km on a single charge.

Electric vehicles are expected to comprise 18-30% of new car sales by the end of this decade. By 2030, it is estimated that around 1 million EVs will be sold every year.

Source: ET Auto

Link to Team-BHP news

[handsofsteel]

Originally Posted by TusharK

Volkswagen has confirmed its plans to launch the ID.4 electric SUV in India this year. It will be imported via the CBU route to test consumer readiness.




Link to Team-BHP news

The utterances of the top honchos of firms these days amaze me. Who, in their right minds, would want to be a part of the 'testing'? What if the test fails? What about spares and support? Training to the local staff? That too from a company like VW which, as such, does not enjoy a great cred for ASS/ support/ localisation in India. I agree, most of the products are tried out and introduced in this manner - CBU, CKD and then local manufacturing but something in this statement sounds very wrong to me. Am I missing something here.

[Livnletcarsliv]

An expensive CBU EV car from a brand known for unreliability and poor ASS experience just "TO TEST" the consumer readiness in India ? Are you serious VW? This shows the sick attitude of the management of VW HQ and VW India.

[Venkatesh]

Volkswagen ID.4 EV showcased in India, expected to be priced around ₹50 - 60 lakh (ex-showroom) as a CBU (completely built unit).









Link

[DIY410]

₹50 to 60 lakh price means VW has no plans to take advantage of the 12% duties for CBU, in other words it doesn't looks like VW wants to invest in India.

ID4 is less spacious then a Ioniq 5. In EU, Ioniq 5 costs more then ID4. The German brands still think they can command a premium.

BYD can get their Sea Lion to compete, the SUV version Seal.

[volkman10]

Volkswagen's EV ID.4, to be brought in as a fully built unit and launched in the October-Dec.

Early adopters should know it is a market introduction and testing the segment with the pricing.

That's a market introduction and testing of the market to see how our portfolio fits.

The second part, through parts and components, involves local assembly for economies of scale and increased volumes.

The third part, planned for 2026, is local electrification, as scaling up electrification involves localisation

Llink:

[sri_tesla]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Volkswagen's EV ID.4, to be brought in as a fully built unit and launched in the October-Dec.

Early adopters should know it is a market introduction and testing the segment with the pricing.

Do they really need to launch the car as CBU to test the segment? Hyundai is already selling the Ioniq 5 as CKD and they are selling ~100 units per month. Their best chance is to launch the ID4 as CKD at a slightly lower price (Rs 40 lakhs) than Ioniq 5. An even better thing would be to bring the Skoda Enyaq as CKD and price it from Rs 40 lakhs. Very low GST and low import taxes for CKD units will make it possible to price these vehicles competitively.

All these legacy brands will treat the Indian customers as nothing more than an afterthought. They are already losing the Chinese market and soon will lose the growing Indian market as well and will blame the competition and market conditions after poor sales.

[abaliga]

This strategy of testing waters does not make any sense for a manufacturer who is India for close to two decades, half hearted attempts at launching CBUs does not make any sense unless VW is planning to lose money on initial units and offering the ID4 at an attractive price of around 40 lakhs ! Look how aggressive Hyundai is with their EV line up despite being late to the party! It is time for manufacturers who are serious about India to get both their feet inside the door, VW is not Tesla to launch CBUs to gauge market perception!

[prajwalmr62]

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

Volkswagen ID.4 EV showcased in India, expected to be priced around ₹50 - 60 lakh (ex-showroom) as a CBU (completely built unit).

They can test all they want, but this car is not getting sold at this price. I don't see why one would ever buy this over BYD Seal which offers better range, faster charging, and better space. Not to mention the wow factor is lot more with Seal compared to ID.4 EV.

[Livnletcarsliv]

From what I see, the only brands that can be aspired as a consumer are Maruti, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Tata, M&M, and the Chinese brands.

All the other mass market brands - VW, Skoda, Nissan, Renault, Jeep, Citroen are always in the "cat on the wall" situation. These brand does not inspire confidence at all.

VW is not a luxury brand. Why would someone spend 55L on a VW EV (which as a brand is expensive to maintain, spares not immediately available, unreliable, a CBU, and a ) over a BYD, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Volvo, etc. just to become the guinea pig for VW ?

What if tomorrow VW decides that India is not the market for this and pulls the plug of these models? VW is not KIA to test the waters for in India. What kind of commitment is this from a brand that failed to understand the Indian market even after more than 20 years of presence and failed to deliver? Either cater to the enthusiasts or to the mass market. This is no where.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by prajwalmr62

They can test all they want, but this car is not getting sold at this price. I don't see why one would ever buy this over BYD Seal which offers better range, faster charging, and better space.

While I do agree that ID.4 cannot sell well at the rumoured price, the comparison with BYD is not entirely accurate. The Seal does offer more range on paper and definitely more power. VW offers faster charging (about 10 mins faster for 10-80% charge). Space is again debatable, the ID.4 has enough space for an average Indian adult at the front and back, and probably better space for taller adults at the back. It has a higher seating position and better under thigh support at the back. Although it lacks a frunk, the boot space alone is about 90L more than the Seal's boot + frunk combined.

The real comparison should be with the Ioniq 5/C40/XC40/EV6 and how the ID.4 is priced relative to them.

I have some bias, as my daily drive is an ID.4

[shree_shell]

ID.4 was always an interesting vehicle for me. It made a big splash here in the States in 2020, because it was one of the first Crossover EVs to have SUV proportions and roominess. It was also based on VW's mass-market MEB platform.

However, the less attractive but immensely more practical and sensible Model Y was also launched in 2020 and overtook ID.4's sales number. While the numbers show that ID.4's sales are growing YoY, it has far from lived up to the segment's potential (Model Y best-selling EV) which in numbers looks like - 284,498 copies of Model Y vs. 10,634 ID.4 - Just In 2023!

I went to a VW dealership in Nor-Cal to check a VW Tiguan for my in-laws last week, only to find half the dealerships have 2023 inventory of ID.4s (at least 20-30), with discounts! So apparently, production capacity was never an issue. Maybe it was the 220 miles of real-world range, and Tesla having the infrastructure to support Model Y, the cause for the flop. $39,735 for ID.4 and $43,990, so it also undercuts but never flew off the dealer lots. Maybe it will taste some success in India, but this is already a generation-old product compared to its global peers, and therefore I am a bit skeptical.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by shree_shell

However, the less attractive but immensely more practical and sensible Model Y was also launched in 2020 and overtook ID.4's sales number.

Between ID.4 and Model Y, I think the question is whether you like the looks of the Model Y, its ultra-minimalist interior and if you can live with its harsh ride. Otherwise, it is a no-contest, and I say this as an ID.4 user. Personally for me, another reason in favour of the ID.4 is its more compact size.

Originally Posted by shree_shell

Maybe it will taste some success in India, but this is already a generation-old product compared to its global peers, and therefore I am a bit skeptical.

In what ways do you consider the ID.4 to be a generation old?

Based on the pictures in the VW brand conference thread, the car showcased is the upgraded version with new Infotainment system (+ new hardware) and new generation SW. This should also come with an upgraded motor (more power + efficiency), better charging curve (0-80% under 30 minutes) and better range. So I guess in India we are not getting leftover cars from the earlier model.

[shree_shell]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

In what ways do you consider the ID.4 to be a generation old?

Based on the pictures in the VW brand conference thread, the car showcased is the upgraded version with new Infotainment system (+ new hardware) and new generation SW. This should also come with an upgraded motor (more power + efficiency), better charging curve (0-80% under 30 minutes) and better range. So I guess in India we are not getting leftover cars from the earlier model.

The modern-day EV's generation can be determined based on the support it comes with. There was an interesting conversation involving Chris Harris on Top Gear about this. If an EV comes with poor range, poor efficiency, and poor charging infrastructure (and the related nav. for it), it is destined to NOT do too well especially if its peers offer it (Model Y here). And then there's also the Autopilot and FSD which may not be relevant for India but can be a brownie point nonetheless for the affluent Indian.

If VW is just testing the waters in India, and if Model Y comes to join the party, ID.4 is going to be dead. And now imagine VW pulling ID.4 out of India, what happens to the guinea pigs who purchased ID.4s? Model Y coming to Indian shores can be speculative, but cannot be discounted especially given the most recent policies by the Indian government. One can argue why make an argument against a product based on speculation, but I think a sane financial decision involving INR 1/2 Crore should take into account current and future support.
I am not sure about the other competitors in India, so won't comment about it. But the only advantage ID.4 has over Model Y is its tank-like ride quality compared to Model Y, which drives more like a car.

The non-commital nature of VW products and market decisions is pulling the company down, at least it is here in the USA, and I also see the frustrations of Bhpians about VW in India. And if that's not enough VW has shown it can be slimly as well - US ordered VW to build charging stations for EVs as part of its Dieselgate settlement. Now VW should know that this will also help its ID product line, but instead, it does a half-assed job, and now a lot of the charging stations do not work! The state of affairs at VW is not looking good, and I am saying this as the owner of two VW products in the last decade.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by shree_shell

The modern-day EV's generation can be determined based on the support it comes with. There was an interesting conversation involving Chris Harris on Top Gear about this. If an EV comes with poor range, poor efficiency, and poor charging infrastructure (and the related nav. for it), it is destined to NOT do too well especially if its peers offer it (Model Y here).

Going by this argument, why should any company other than Tesla even bother with EVs?

In the US and EU, Tesla's charging infrastructure is a significant advantage. There is no such advantage in India. Would there be a price advantage? That is not clear either.

Originally Posted by shree_shell

If VW is just testing the waters in India, and if Model Y comes to join the party, ID.4 is going to be dead.

In the EU last year, the ID.4 outsold every EV other than Model Y and Model 3. More competition is coming, so let's see how it does going forward.

I think the bigger threat to the ID.4's survival in India will be VW's pricing, not Model Y.

Originally Posted by shree_shell

And now imagine VW pulling ID.4 out of India, what happens to the guinea pigs who purchased ID.4s?

Is there any guarantee that any company other than Tata/Mahindra/Maruti will not pull out of India? What about those who buy other VWs? What about those who buy Chinese EVs, who knows when the govt may change its mind on Chinese companies?