[volkman10]

VW to invest 100 mn euros on new models, localisation in India.

Volkswagen Group is planning to invest about 100 million euros (over Rs 800 crore) in India to expand business, including launches of sedan and SUV in the compact segment along with a hatchback.

Volkswagen is currently considering various options, including a compact sedan specially designed for India, a compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a compact hatchback.

Besides, the company is also working on product upgrades of existing volume models, Polo and Vento. "Along with these, we are also considering the re-introduction of the new generation Passat (premium sedan) as soon as possible

http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...india/35302075

Volkswagen plans engine assembly in India; to increase localisation, as it aims to achieve up to 90 per cent localisation within a few years.

The current level of localisation is 70 per cent and our aim is to take this up to 85-90 per cent in the next few years. To achieve levels of 90 per cent local content, have to localise engines and gearboxes.

To start with, the group is considering the assembly of certain engines with certain key components localised in India
"We are close to a decision and we will announce as soon as we make this decision,

Volkswagen is now in a consolidation phase since last year. With the five brands under Volkswagen Group India, we are preparing ourselves for the next growth phase which is expected to start within two years.

In the meantime, the company is also working on improving productivity, optimising cost structure and upgrading of sales and after sales network,

http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...ation/35384395

[D4D]

• First of all, let them improve their service network and ASS quality. Unless they do that, they will lose many customers
• To win the trust of the customer VW, please recall the DSGs which are defective
• They need to really step up on DSG's quality. It's a superb autobox, but too many reliability issues
• A compact SUV would to the brand a world of good, especially sice that seems to be trend of the day
• To really gain volumes, a compact sedan is a must

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by D4D

• They need to really step up on DSG's quality. It's a superb autobox, but too many reliability issues
  

I dont think the reliability of the diesel 6-speed was an issue relative to the petrol 7-speed.

Even with the 7-speed i think reliability is up starting with the new octavia.
Atleast iv not read about many complaints thus far.

They really need to get that 6-speed DSG into the polo. Lots of speculation so far, hoping it has some substance.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by D4D

• First of all, let them improve their service network and ASS quality. Unless they do that, they will lose many customers
  
• To really gain volumes, a compact sedan is a must

The first point mentioned is the most important for the success of VW and without doubt a better brand value + market share.

Same old Polo and Vento won't pull the company long till it dies due to not much freshness in them. When new they were rocking but now the competition has stepped up so VW too needs to step-up else they can happily step-out.

A compact sedan, hhmm yes may be and would do the trick as Maruti is enjoying tremendous success of the Dzire.

Anurag.

[volkman10]

VW will realign its production with focus on exports, increase localization on products sold in India ,concentrate on building brand, improve sales and service, besides planning a new product portfolio.

For India, It plans to launch a revamped Polo in July. This will be followed by a minor facelift of the Vento sedan ahead of the festive season.

A major Vento facelift is planned for 2015 with differentiated facia from the new Polo.

This would be followed by a sub-4 million sedan internally coined 'Polo Stuffe' and a compact SUV in 2016-2017

VW has lined up about six new launches over the next three-four years, including a sub-4m sedan and an SUV. Moreover, the group will seek to ensure that its brands Volkswagen and Skoda no longer cannibalise each other in India

http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...ports/35614193

[volkman10]

Touraeg, which will be CBU, then the Passat, the mid-size SUV, Jetta, Vento, Polo, compact SUV, a compact sedan and maybe even a sub-Polo car, are VW's current plans for India.

Volkswagen is studying possibility of introducing a budget brand for Indian market adecision is likely to be taken in the next one year, and if the plan works, the product/brand will take at least 3-4 years to hit the market. By then, the company would have localized its products in India, with the local engine and gear box plant in place, which will be the key to producing value for money vehicles for India

But now,VW is aiming to bring in 6-7 new product actions, including facelifts of the existing Polo and Vento and the new sub-4 meter sedan (Polo Stuffe), a compact SUV and the new Jetta, Passat, Beetle and Tiguan at the premium end of the market to spruce up its image over the next 2-3 years.

VW is putting all the things in place for a better run in the next three-four years, with the company aiming for a market share of 7-9% for the entire group by the end of 2018-2020.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/35901254.cms

[DRC]

Of course the Service needs to improve. But one more thing they should have done in the first place, and may not too late either... Localize and bring in VW beetle at about 12-15L. Though the exclusive women market for car is limited at the moment, they have a large influence in decision making when buying a family car.

[diffsoft]

Originally Posted by volkman10

... VW is putting all the things in place for a better run in the next three-four years, with the company aiming for a market share of 7-9% for the entire group by the end of 2018-2020.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/35901254.cms

VW, welcome to India! No car maker HQed outside Asia has any sizeable presence in India. And for many probably India is a round off error in their annual car sales.

Many start with grandiose plans encouraged by the large gaps in per capita car ownership relative to developed geographies / China / Brazil etc. Their excel spreadsheets even with worst case assumptions make a screaming point to invest here. HQ orders an India conquest at the earliest. Managers start to make a beeline for India posting to boost their careers.

Soon after they hoist their flag and begin their work at 100 mph, problems start surfacing. The markets are bewilderingly diverse - where volumes exist profits are in microns and where premium exists, volumes are in microns. The regulations make you feel Einstein's Theory of Relativity is less complex. Reaching out to customers requires dealer partnerships that are way different from anywhere else. And finally the customer demands the moon for the price of salt, maybe because the roads here are like moon's surface - so products in the current portfolio may not work.

And by the time you realize and convince HQ that India IS different, 5 years pass. HQ develops a love-hate relationship with India; you don't need it for your numbers but you can't say you aren't here! Managers' careers are flattened for many years to come. Some car makers give up the conquest, satisfied with a one (or few) car wonders. Some make a renewed effort with that cliché - "cautious optimism".

VW seems to have learnt just that from what I read in the article - when you here phrases like - "India needs a soaking period" or that we blindly went for volumes without caring for the customer; I just get a feeling that it's deja-vu all over again

Cheers,

[Amarendranath]

Volkswagen sales today are purely based on only one reason.
Their Quality products, Indians liking for German quality and finesse. Period.

Over the years, their service seems to have come up from Worst to bad/poor. VW can become a market leader, for this their areas of concern should be

1. After Sales Service Quality
2. Customer Satisfaction.

Sadly the only thing they are concerned right now is their position and share in the Indian market. Despite major overhaul to the Administration, nothing major could be seen in any of the services on offer. Is it that the after sales is being neglected by the brand itself ?

What Anurag had experienced. I blame the SE.( May be our recent buy has made me develop a soft corner for the brand) These guys are being hired by an international brand. The company itself is focusing more on increasing the production numbers and rest is being put aside. I feel any brand if laid a certain ground rules then such incidents will not arise. On a regular basis these kind of folks should be filtered and sent back to where they belong. It is very unethical to offer a customer's car for a test ride. The brands negligence more or less is the reason for the lenient behavior of their employees. A brands image completes depends on the dealerships.

Sadly for VW nothing seems to be falling in place.

• A customer care representative promises for a call back that never happens.
• Managers will never get back to you, nor answer your calls when things go out of place.
• Service so called professionals try to tell you all kinds of nonsense.
• Top class service stations with below average technicians.

I had also come across a thread on our forum where dealership joy ride thrased a VW car and as far as i remenber the brand took no action on the dealership and the customer was left in despair. Every now and then i see customers arguing with the dealership executives, i see dissatisfied customers at the workshops, heated arguments, etc. Not to mention the cheap quality of the work being delivered. Almost every VW thread on this forum at some point have a complaint on the workmanship.


VW has to learn a lot from our Indian brand 'Maruti'. Every brand will have their flaws. But every brand seem to be making up for those mistakes, but not the Germans. I say this after hearing a lot of stories, reading a lot of experiences and etc. The only way German would win this market is by wining the customer satisfaction. The sooner they learn this, the better their position as a customer valued brand.

I don't see this changing anytime soon. But over the years things have changed for good. If the brand could focus more on Customer satisfaction then with such a robust product line, VW can easily get to the top.

Note from Moderator : Please do not use derogratory comments however flamed the situation might be. Next time will attract infraction.

[KING DYSP]

Volkswagen planning to introduce 6 New SUV’s to surpass Toyota. Not actually India bound but wish to see at least few models making way to India.

Volkswagen has largely been a mass market car maker across Europe and several other markets known for its hatchbacks and sedan offerings. The manufacturer has very limited presence in the SUV segment and more recently added the Touareg and Tiguan SUVs to the company’s line-up. However as the demand for SUVs is growing globally and rapidly, the German car maker will be introducing as many as six new SUVs in the coming years in a bid to capture sales.
The on-road SUV/crossover segments will account for 20 percent of global production by 2018, as compared to 18 percent in 2012. SUVs account for higher profits to manufacturers compared to cars. Volkswagen more recently has been showcasing different concepts that hint towards the company’s future plans. In India too, Volkswagen is targeting the compact SUV segment that has been a growth driver for automakers like Renault and Ford, and showcased the sub 4-metre Taigun concept at the 2014 Auto Expo that will be launched in 2016.
Volkswagen also showcased the T-ROC concept subcompact crossover at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year that would slot below the Taigun in the SUV portfolio. From the current list, the current generation Tiguan (sold internationally) will be updated for the 2015 model year; while a coupe and long wheel base model will be added to the SUVs line-up in the future. Volkswagen will also introduce a new mid-size SUV for the US market based on the Cross Blue concept that will go on sale in 2016.
The SUV fever extends to other car makers in the Volkswagen Group as well. Apart from the Q7, Q5 and Q3; Audi will introduce the subcompact Q1 SUV in 2016. Whereas, premium car maker Bentley is on schedule and is working on a high end luxury SUV to debut in 2017. Lamborghini too is said to be working of an SUV that will roll out by the end of this decade. Porsche was the quickest from the rest and introduced its baby SUV Macan, which along with the Cayenne will contribute to 64 percent of the company’s total sales by next year.
In a bid for world dominance, Volkswagen is fighting it hard to acquire market share from arch nemesis Toyota. The German car maker’s challenge is to beat Toyota’s 7-model SUV range starting from the RAV4 to the LC200, excluding the Lexus SUVs. Currently the second largest automaker in the world, Volkswagen wants to win Toyota’s numero uno position by 2018 with the highest number of deliveries.

Source: Motorbeam

[volkman10]

VW would announce its India plans by the end of the year. Here is what to expect.



1.Entry hatchback, a compact sedan and a compact SUV
2.VW has been taking steps to boost localization, for controlling costs
3.VW will not dilute" product features just to keep the costs
4. The company is spending at least Rs 1,500 crore towards the localization efforts as well as new variants
5. VW is finalizing plans for the critical engine and gearbox facility
6. Once localization of Engne + Gear box, 90% localization would be achieved

http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...share/37371651

[Aditya]

German automaker, Volkswagen is gearing up to open a second regional Parts Distribution Centre (PDC) in India. This PDC will be located at Bangalore and is expected to be fully functional by the second quarter of 2015.

Link to Team-BHP News Article

[MunnabhaiMBBS]

VW Press statement, 15th July 2014

VW Future plan : To invest $250 million in India over the next six years.

Objective : To capture a larger slice of local sales.

Long term vision : To be world's top carmaker by 2018, surpassing Toyota and General Motors.

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/38438492.cms

[volkman10]

VW plans future product portfolio for India.

Volkswagen plans to launch products in "substantial growth categories" in India including a compact sports utility vehicle and compact sedan to take on the likes of Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster and Honda Amaze.

The new SUV will specially designed and developed for Indian market and later on the carmaker may look at exports also. This would mean the Taigun has still not got the green light but a compact SUV on the existing Polo’s PQ25 platform is more of a possibility.
The compact sedan would mean a a sub-4 metre Vento for India can be expected .
On the luxury products VW plans to bring in the the iconic Golf the Sciroccoapart from the Beetle. VW has already shown the next-gen Passat that is headed to India as well.

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-new...ge-389273.aspx

[deetjohn]

^

I really hope that 4m contraption doesn't get made here. Can't see such a proportionate car being ruined like this.

High time the 4m rule goes away. The slab for excise should be kept on weight, FE or pollution.