[TusharK]

Thanks to BHPian Mad Monkey for sharing this information with other enthusiasts!

Volkswagen dealerships are now offering the Polo GTI at a discounted price of Rs. 19.99 lakh ex-showroom. We have since confirmed this news with Volkswagen Downtown Mumbai dealer.

The GTI is powered by a 1.8-liter TSI putting out 189 BHP and 250 Nm of torque. Equipped with a 7-speed DSG gearbox, the Polo GTI is claimed to reach a top speed of 233 km/hr. Despite the great performance figures, Volkswagen seems to be struggling to sell the 99 units of the Polo GTI allotted for the Indian market. The company found very few takers for the car, especially due to its high price point. Hence, dealerships are now looking to clear stocks by offering huge discounts on the model.

The VW Polo GTI was launched in November 2016 at a price of Rs 25.99 lakh. The 3-door hot hatchback is the first GTI model to be launched in India. Apart from the lack of rear doors, the Polo GTI features a few cosmetic upgrades over the standard Polo.

Link to Team-BHP News

[sidhu_hs]

Instead of offering 6 lakh discount, if VW were to offer 10 year unlimited mileage warranty on that engine + gearbox combo, it would fly off the shelves even at its launch price.

[karan561]

Ouch ! If i were a Polo GTI owner (few of those 99 who have bought during the launch) i wouldn't have liked this news at all.

[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by karan561

Ouch ! If i were a Polo GTI owner (few of those 99 who have bought during the launch) i wouldn't have liked this news at all.

+1

Also, will it sell at this price even? Isn't it still expensive?

[i74js]

Its still difficult to find takers at this price when Octavia with same 1.8 TSI motor and DSG becomes comparatively compelling for buyers.

I agree, the management should have given special treatment to this machine by offering longer comprehensive warranty as this could have played as a flagship product to clear issues pertaining to DSG failure.

[Dr.Naren]

Would VW compensate existing GTI owners? Maruti did it for S-Cross 1.6 owners on random basis .

If I had 20 plus lakhs, I would still pick up New Octavia style plus 1.8 TSI which costs around a lakh more.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Priced to flop!

But I'm not very surprised that they are struggling to sell even 99 units. I mean, it's a "real GTI", "wolf in sheep's clothing" and what not as described by some of the enthusiasts, but it never had potential in our country specially in the CKD / CBU format.

A 1.4 TSi which is made in India and priced around 10L? Could have made an impact. Or a 1.8 TSi priced around 13L.

But then VW decided to make it a halo car, which looks all too similar to the regular Polo but priced as a true halo car at around 33 - 35L on road prices! Not sure who took that decision and how he was convinced by it.

19.99L is still too high!

The maximum price they can succesfully ask to sell these 99 units according to me is 15.5L, which is the price of the Octavia 1.8 TSi Base. 13L would be good to make it more of a niche seller.

[Santoshbhat]

Nearly 25% off on the sticker price makes it interesting. It will still cross 25L on road in cities like Bangalore. The only credible alternative to the Polo GTI is the Cooper S which is way more expensive.

The main worry is the DSG box and of course VW service. The GTI is too rare a car for the service centres and from what I've seen in BLR, VW service centres are overloaded with cars and are not particularly good at diagnosing problems and trouble shooting. Now imagine if I have an issue with the GTI which needs patient listening and diagnosing. Even parts availability is a question mark. "99 cars only" - is not very confidence inspiring.

Another 2 lakhs off and then the price hits a sweet spot.

[amansanc]

Happy to see VW realise its pricing blunder and correcting the price. Much better now, if not perfect.

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Would VW compensate existing GTI owners? Maruti did it for S-Cross 1.6 owners on random basis .

No reason for VW to do that I feel. Every brand tries to get the maximum price for their product. Sometimes they are successful, sometimes not. German luxury carmakers are known to price their products high and then resort to heavy discounting within a few months. Do they compensate the initial set of buyers? Absolutely not.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The maximum price they can succesfully ask to sell these 99 units according to me is 15.5L, which is the price of the Octavia 1.8 TSi Style. 13L would be good to make it more of a niche seller.

It is practically impossible for VW to price the GTI less than the Octavia for the simple reason that it's a CBU. Yes, getting it as a CBU is certainly a bad decision and a CKD would have made things better.

Also, Octavia 1.8 TSI Style (Base) is priced at Rs. 18.59 lakhs ex-showroom and not Rs. 15.5 lakhs (price of 1.4 TSI MT). About 2 lakhs OTR more for the GTI to get the exclusivity, compact package, Limited Slip Differential may just cut it for some enthusiasts. It certainly would for me if I were in the market

[GTO]

Hadn't VW earlier said they'd received a 100 bookings or so? Shows that PR speak is as reliable as a used car salesman's tongue .

At 20 lakhs ex-showroom, I think it's a great option for the rich enthusiast (2nd / 3rd car of the house). Very viable alternative to other niche cars like the Cooper S for example. And I can only imagine the delicious pricing when 3 year old examples start hitting the used market. Now, that will be something.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by amansanc

It is practically impossible for VW to price the GTI less than the Octavia for the simple reason that it's a CBU. Yes, getting it as a CBU is certainly a bad decision and a CKD would have made things better.

Never believed it had to be a CBU / CKD.

The car is not too different from the one made in India, except the 3 door versions and the sportier components / additions. The engine is assembled in India. Don't see the need why it should have been a CKD, let alone CBU.

The decision to go 3 door and CBU would have been made only to position it as a halo product. Like the beetle.

Originally Posted by amansanc

About 2 lakhs OTR more for the GTI to get the exclusivity, compact package, Limited Slip Differential may just cut it for some enthusiasts. It certainly would for me if I were in the market

Would have agreed if it's a Golf GTI. I don't think those 99 Polos are going anywhere at these prices.

Originally Posted by GTO

Hadn't VW earlier said they'd received a 100 bookings or so? Shows that PR speak is as reliable as a used car salesman's tongue

Yes. Clearly remember the discussions that all 99 units allotted were sold out. Need to dig out the source of these claims.

Edit -

Here you go. They did claim that more than 100 bookings were received. Safe to assume that most of the bookings would have been cancelled once the prices were announced.

http://www.zeebiz.com/automobile/new...re-launch-7537

[csnanjappa]

Somehow feel that VW is going to shut the shop in India eventually . With GST around the corner launching Ameo made no sense . They even told that they are not going to take part in auto show for 2018 and also no concrete info on new launches like new Polo .

[VW2010]

This will be an awesome car in 2018-2019 to pick from used market at 10-12L knowing that DSG will fail and negotiating the price would be easy.

Best for those who are planning to buy an used car in 2018-2019. 20L is still high IMHO

[bhaskaracs]

This is sheer greed either on the part of the dealer or VW or both. It is evident, even at this price they will be making money. So why launch it at 25 lakhs and then roll it back by >20%? The same goes with S-Cross too. Someone should teach these companies a thing or two about doing credible market research before product launches. Further, loyal customers who bought it surely will feel cheated. So net-net one ends up losing both prospects (poor market research) and existing customers (atrocious pricing).

[petroguzzler]

Originally Posted by sidhu_hs

Instead of offering 6 lakh discount, if VW were to offer 10 year unlimited mileage warranty on that engine + gearbox combo, it would fly off the shelves even at its launch price.

Offering a 10 year unlimited mileage warranty on that engine and transmission combo may prove to be more expensive than the current price cut and hence VW played it smart.