[torquing_points]

Originally Posted by Epic

So what is happening with the Jetta really? I had decided to buy a brand new Jetta in September 2016 and was told by the VW representative that the model is discontinued. As a matter of fact, he told me that they stopped taking bookings for the car and that the new model will be coming in 2017. I was fortunate to find a used 2015 Jetta with 17k kms on the odo and warranty up to Feb 2017 which I picked up.

However, I still see the Jetta featured on their website and so it looks like they may not discontinue the car after all.

I asked about the auto. Not in stock -- They claim that the new stock will come sometime in feb. I can't understand what happened. For a car with such poor sales, no discounts. Seems like either they're out of kits or making to order only. Sad. The Corolla needs an alternative.

[volkman10]

VW 2025 strategy: to enhance focus on entry-level segment in India - Compact SUV in Focus.


Company also aims to regain its position as the top carmaker and become a global leader in electric vehicles.

In other major markets such as India, South America and Russia, Volkswagen intends to develop the economy segment. Volkswagen says the economy segment comprises attractively priced entry-level vehicles and is highly relevant for multiple markets in Asia as well.

From VW Transform 2025+Strategy,

(Note - India will align S American strategy)





Link

The brand's reorientation will take place in three phases.

Phase 1, leading up to 2020, will see VW restructure their core business while also developing new competences.

In Phase 2, up to 2025, has the automaker taking the lead in e-mobility as long as it can regain strength as a leading and profitable volume manufacturer.

The final phase will include the brand playing a key role in shaping this major transformation in the industry, which is expected to take place after the year 2025 and leading into 2030.

Here is where the new Strategy for South America, India and Russia is defined in the ' Radical Restructuring Strategy'.

[volkman10]

Volkswagen to have a new brand for emerging markets? ( the 14th Brand!)

VW has confirmed two further group brands – one to be used in emerging markets and one for its smart mobility solutions ( announced now as MOIA) – but Skoda and SEAT offerings are also expected to fill that gap.

The next Gen budget car ( Polo equivalent) for emerging market to get Mild Hybrid technology!

VW bosses have also hinted at the need to fill the gap between next year’s even larger Polo and the up! city car, although it might not wear a VW badge.

VW readies clever mild hybrid tech to boost its petrol engines’ efficiency.

The new 48-volt electrical system with boosted battery will improve petrol engines’ emissions by between six and eight g/km of CO2

A 48-volt mild hybrid would work on Polo and Golf .It offers better recuperation and near silent start/stop so you don’t feel the engine cutting out and starting. With a cruising function also you will achieve savings starting at around six to eight g/km of CO2 and in real-life conditions.

Source

[volkman10]

VW reboots its strategy!

Brace yourself, the inevitable will happen . A budget car for India is now spelled out by Volkswagen. As stated earlier Indian strategy to align closely with Brazil.
Polo is likely to move more premium and the 'Budget' car is likely take its current place (at a cheaper price)

For years we have been lacking a blueprint for success in the United States, while we are losing ground to rivals in markets like Brazil or India

We not only want to be profitable in Europe and China but are determined to generate positive results in all major markets by 2020

set out a recovery strategy to 2025 and beyond, spanning a wide range of initiatives including SUVs, electric cars, digital services and plans to launch a budget car in China and India by about 2019-2020

Link

[Thad E Ginathom]

Well out of touch with the UK car scene now, but I recall SEAT as being a brand with a more youthful, sporty appeal, as well as having some models at lower prices than the VW/Skoda line-up.

As I recall recent mention, in a travelogue, of someone driving a 150hp SEAT, I'm guessing that they are more about youthful-sporty than low-budget these days?

[volkman10]

Volkswagen India signs MOU to set up traffic control centre in Pune.

Volkswagen India, Pune Police - Traffic Branch and Rotary Club of Pune partner to set up traffic monitoring centre to manage traffic and reduce emergency response time

The key intent of this joint project with the Pune Traffic police is to ensure efficient traffic monitoring and management at all times for residents and visitors to the city of Pune. The centralised traffic control centre is aimed at minimising response time in cases of accidents and emergency situations and provide flexibility in the management of traffic signals depending on traffic density at various times of the day.

Link

[volkman10]

VW to enhance focus on entry segment in India. Link

As revealed earlier - S America-India- Russia to get product rationalization - termed as emerging market.

In major markets such as India, South America and Russia, Volkswagen intends to develop the economy segment

Volkswagen has outlined plans to sharpen its focus on the entry-level car segment in India as a part of its global strategy for 2025 and beyond.

it will be interesting to see the products VW has in the pipeline for India. It famously ruled out the Up hatchback for our market owing to high costs associated with the program.

The Polo will be a crucial part of VW’s plans. The carmaker is reportedly working hard to increase the local content on the next-gen Polo to enable a more competitive price tag. The next Polo is also expected to be built on a longer wheelbase for added cabin room

[RavenAvi]

Volkswagen India has announced that it has produced a record 1,45,145 vehicles from it's Pune facility in 2016. This is the highest number of units produced at the Pune plant since it's inception in 2009.

With a localisation level of approximately 82% (excluding engines and transmissions), Volkswagen India has seen it's Pune production numbers increase by 17% over last year.

Domestic production was over 60,500 units, which is 12% over last year's numbers, while over 84,500 cars were produced for the export markets, a huge 22% growth Y-O-Y. The plant also crossed the milestone of producing 2,50,000 cars for the export markets, since production for exports began in 2010.

Volkswagen has invested Rs 5,720 crores in it's Pune plant till now.

Andreas Lauermann, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited:

“This is the fourth year in a row that the Volkswagen Pune Plant has recorded a growth in its production volumes. Despite a challenging year, there was a surge in demand for our cars this year. The main contributor for the increased production was the high demand from our Indian customers who have appreciated the made-for-India and made-in-India Ameo.”

ET Auto

[Mad Max]

It's quite laughable that they have a 2025 strategy but can't make up their minds for what's going on today.

Having done these type of strategic planning in earlier years, I can definitely tell you that unless the company has some real on-ground expertise to manage the influences / constraints / levers that shape this strategy, this will be outdated in less than half the time. We repeatedly see these type of grand ideas that get sketched and then some screwball (read: Tesla / Google) throws everything outta the window.

Also, a small social-media post can go viral and significantly dent an otherwise brilliant product. A showdown with a celebrity can do much more damage than a rival PR firm. VW, of all folks, must surely know this through their grand emissions excursion. But it seems they are hell bent on launching products without addressing their core problem - doubt in every consumer's mind whether they can service / repair their VW car without fuss. Some of us are braver than others but we are outliers.

And let's be clear - VW does NOT consider India as one of it's important markets. Aligning us to South American and Russian strategies may not equate to product launches or expanding support like those markets.

We are not mentioned anywhere. We are not in VW radar at the moment. We are an after-thought. Let's accept this reality and enjoy what comes our way.

[volkman10]

Volkswagen Group sales up 3.8% in 2016 despite emissions crisis.

The Group sold over 939,100 new vehicles (+0.8 percent) in the North America region last year, of which 94,000 vehicles were sold in December, up 10.3 percent. Sales in the USA (+16.1 percent) contributed decisively to the positive trend. The Group sold 36,500 vehicles in South America in December – a rise of 5.0 percent compared with the previous year.

Further, 4.3 million new vehicles (+9.7 percent) were sold in the Asia-Pacific region in 2016, of which 4.0 million (+12.2 percent) were sold in China. Group sales to the Chinese market rose by 18.6 percent in December, with customers taking possession of 390,600 vehicles. In India, Volkswagen branded cars sold 47,323 units in 2016, a near 10 percent rise compared to the 43,163 units it sold in 2015. The company also manufactured a record 145,145 cars last year.

VW

[KiloAlpha]

Volkswagen stops development of small diesels for B-segment cars (like Polo).

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/ne...r-mild-hybrids

Volkswagen has halted development of a new turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder originally scheduled for introduction in 2018 in the upcoming sixth-generation Polo.

The new aluminium block high-pressure common rail unit was planned to form part of a new small engine offensive by Volkswagen, in combination with the recently unveiled turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder direct injection petrol unit launched in the facelifted seventh-generation Golf.

However, high engineering costs coupled with ever tougher CO2 and NOx emission standards, and waning demand for diesel engines in Europe’s B-segment, in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal, has led to Volkswagen abandoning its original small diesel engine strategy and switching its engineering focus to small capacity petrol-electric hybrid drivelines instead, according to the German car maker’s head of research and development, Frank Welsch.

What will the implications for the future model line-up for India be?
I am predicting that we will still be in love with our small capacity diesel engines for the B & C segment cars, so there will certainly be demand. Policy and regulations however, are moving away from diesel right now.

[volkman10]

As speculated earlier now VW confirms a budget brand for China with India, Brazil and Mexico to follow post 2019.

Cars in this brand will skip the MQB platform and will be on a tweaked PQ architecture.

More details in link,
Link (VW's budget brand for Emerging Markets)

[volkman10]

VW- TATA rumored to announce a partnership soon. Partnership to cover emerging markets but details are not clear yet.

Whether it will be a JV or Technology sharing yet to be established. Announcement could happen at the Geneva Auto show.

Sharing of vehicle architecture and technology could be the crux of the discussions. Exploration of TATA using the MQBA0 platform too is speculated.

Cost sharing for technology advancement in this crucial period where VW in its scandal effected thus sharing architecture and technology to emerging markets with the modified MQBA0 platform could bring quicker return on investments through economics of scale.

Will this be coinciding with the speculated new brand from VW for emerging markets? A business model similar as seen in VW's JV in China?

VW has room in its massive portfolio for a true low-cost division set to follow in some ways the strategy used by Renault for its Romanian marque Dacia. Initially, the yet unnamed sub-brand is going to be launched in China, with other emerging markets set to follow in the next decade.
In regards to the cars currently in the pipeline, the first of the bunch will be a small sedan and a midsize SUV. The most affordable of them all will carry a starting price of less than 70,000 RMB (about $10,160 / €9,600 / £8,170) and all cars are going to be made in the People’s Republic with help from VW’s local joint venture FAW.

Link2

TATA's History with partnerships






Link

[R2D2]

After reading this article I can't help but wonder if this will go the way of the Tata-Fiat partnership which any Fiat owner will attest was a disaster. Once again here are two manufacturers with very different corporate cultures and product lines & each battling a crisis. From my point of view this may be a mistake. But here's hoping it pans out well for VW-Tata.

[srishiva]

Originally Posted by R2D2

After reading this article I can't help but wonder if this will go the way of the Tata-Fiat partnership which any Fiat owner will attest was a disaster. Once again here are two manufacturers with very different corporate cultures and product lines & each battling a crisis. From my point of view this may be a mistake. But here's hoping it pans out well for VW-Tata.

So after Tata (bye bye) Fiat, it will be tata VW ?