[MaxTorque]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

If Volkswagen keep silent and waut til 2016 for releasing its cars, it'll be too late and all competition would have gone miles ahead and with new launches by all manufacturers it will be difficult for Volkswagen to get back into business and thanks to their ASC things will worsen.

Agree with you. But the problem is Volkswagen India need minimum 18-24 months to make Taigun suitable for Indian market. Also they need to make necessary changes in their production set up to make it suitable for Taigun. So no other option for them.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by a4anurag

If Volkswagen keep silent and waut til 2016 for releasing its cars, it'll be too late and all competition

Not really, with the facelifts and the 1.5TDI's they can excite the market, if sensibly priced. Don't forget the 'AMT' buzz too which VW is working on.

The more important thing to watch is the Tiagun, Next Gen Polo( bigger than the current Gen) and the India specific sedan.
Regarding Service they have improved a lot from the 2011 days, but more to be desired in that front. That is where they need to concentrate now, and seems to be moving in the right direction.

Cheers!

[DRC]

1. VW did not enter the market as early as Suzuki or Hyundai, but then they had examples of them as to what works. Smart guys learn their lessons from other's mistakes.

2. When they entered they did it with a bang! remember their ad campaign in print media? They did fantastic to create curiosity, but failed miserably to keep the interest. follow up marketing was too dismal. Making their presence felt across the country is important. Indians do not want to buy something which they don't see often. More ads!

3, their focus on product is typical of Germans, but their ignorance on customer experience is German too. Take a look at their TV ads, customer takes the trouble to explore the car and the sales guy stands back and keeps quite This may be enjoyed by us bhpians, but the average customer feels not important. On the contrary, Maruthi sells their cars with the same enthusiasm as did when they entered the market.

4. Service: Actually, this is a little convoluted. I feel, if there are no failures, VW service costs are pretty reasonable. They are at par or slightly more expensive. Their service intervals are longer. But, some stupid failure, or a crash, you have to sell your house to fix your car. And the dealerships treat you like you have already sold your house, on street having bought their car and at their mercy. This is not helping VW anyway.

During my last visit to VW palace cross Service at hesaragatta, I was told that VW is trying to address the expensive spares issue seriously. They said the Alloy wheel for Vento which was earlier 22k a piece is now 5.5k. I can't vouch for either of the prices as I have not made the purchase at either of the prices.

[volkman10]

Originally Posted by DRC

They said the Alloy wheel for Vento which was earlier 22k a piece is now 5.5k. I can't vouch for either of the prices as I have not made the purchase at either of the prices.

It is more of localization that brought the cost down, eralier the alloys were imported (Borbet).
Guess now, more parts are being localised to reduce cost.

Cheers!

[veedub89]

I feel the only thing VW needs to concentrate on, is their servicing department.
The after sales service is horrible to put it mildly.

Now there have been a lot of cases reported here and until last week I was thanking my lucky stars that I have been immune from the typical VW A.S.S. nonsense.

So last week I took my Jetta for its regular annual service.
The car was delivered to me on time but was filthy dirty! The interiors didn't seem freshly vacuumed, the engine bay had leaves, the black cladding underneath the back bumper had mud streaks, the alloys had brake dust deposits and finally the "lubrication package" was a joke. Blasted the service guy and got all these corrected before taking delivery.

The next day I realized that the underbody too had thick deposits of mud. (The car was up on a ramp and I had a good view of the underbody).

Needless to say I stormed back into the workshop and gave a piece of my mind to everyone present. (A couple of other customers waiting there agreed with me).

All in all a dreadful experience.
The irony is that the I love the car but can't recommend VW to anyone because of their despicable after sales service.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by veedub89

I feel the only thing VW needs to concentrate on, is their servicing department.
The after sales service is horrible to put it mildly.

All in all a dreadful experience.
The irony is that the I love the car but can't recommend VW to anyone because of their despicable after sales service.

Fully agree with you on the ASC part of VW and Skoda. Both need to look into it more than getting new cars to sell.

Love their cars, design, build etc but the ASC spoils the whole feel. There may be Customers who get splendid service but when seen on a larger spectrum the satisfaction is lesser for Skoda and a bit better for VW.

My dad was looking at the D-Segment car to be replacing the SX4 VXi. He narrowed down to VW Jetta and Toyota Corolla. Honestly speaking I went bonkers seeing the car and is overall feel while on a TD. Just fell in love with it but was skeptical with their ASC so had to drop it out.

The problem lies in the ASC rather than the cars I say. I still love the Jetta and Vento for their design and simplicity but..

Anurag.

[volkman10]

Polo based SUV too could debut in India in 2016.

In 2016 expect ,
- Tiagun
- Next Gen Polo
- Polo based SUV ( Premium, in Yeti Turf)
- Sedan < 4 m

Cheers!

[CARDEEP]

More pics of the Polo doing rounds (courtesy Auto-Column):

[RoadTrippin]

The biggest challenge for the VW group is that they have 2 products in every segment catering to the 1 customer need. A well built, robust, well-engineered vehicle with a slightly premium feel that sacrifices significantly on gadgets/features that the Hyundais of the world splurge on. As a result Skoda & VW really just eat in to each other's markets, doubling all their costs (except production to some extent) without doubling revenue.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by RoadTrippin

The biggest challenge for the VW group is that they have 2 products in every segment catering to the 1 customer need.

Why forget the ASC and their quality of service provided also helps in building numbers on the sales chart that Hyundai and rest do well except Skoda and a certain number of VW ASC's. Get the ASC issue solved and things should improve considerably.

Arrogant attitude coupled with 'Chalta hai' types will repel customers. Courtsey and mannerism of talking along with presenting oneself to a customer is what VW should learn. I haven't been treated well at a VW showroom but that was never the case with Hyundai, Toyota, Maruti and Honda.

Anurag.

[CARDEEP]

VW has unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show India bound Polo 1.5 Diesel hatch. Here is link to ODI's report on the same:

http://overdrive.in/news/geneva-auto...esel-unveiled/

[volkman10]

Looks like VW will towards the MQB platform for its upcoming products in India. Might shun the idea of low cost ' market specific' cars!

Other large regions like China and Brazil, they will also be migrating to MQB, which is why in India alone we cannot stand without MQB, because it becomes costly to maintain a standalone platform.

http://overdrive.in/news/interview-m...-future-plans/

[chncar]

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

VW has unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show India bound Polo 1.5 Diesel hatch. Here is link to ODI's report on the same:

http://overdrive.in/news/geneva-auto...esel-unveiled/

Any idea if the 1.2 TSI MT will also be launched?

[CARDEEP]

Originally Posted by chncar

Any idea if the 1.2 TSI MT will also be launched?

IMO this also depends on the success of the 1.2L TSI AT Vento/ Polo in India. The Vento TSI is a fantastic option, particularly in MT option as the VAG Group's automatics are considered unreliable in India. Moreover, the automatic transmissions are yet to find acceptance in this price range the car sells.

But, at present, there seem no information on the MT TSI Vento/ Polo.

[ajmat]

Skoda will be revealing the new Fabia in Paris this year. Expect the new Polo to be revealed during 2015.

The Pune factory will need to be revamped for the MQB-A platform. Quite possible the Octavia will start being manufactured in Pune after 2016 to take advantage of economies of scale