[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by rajivn

I know. Since VW in their announcements said they want to be a volume player and compete with the likes of Swift, I guessed that this wud be the price range(4 - 6lakhs) they wud be targetting.

It is all strangely contradictory, isn't it? A mystery indeed

I also know at this price range we cannot expect the latest engines and fancy equipments.

Well, if they are manufacturing the UK Polo - i mean with same specs and all, the prices levels you say is possible. I am not sure what the spec is going to be like for the Indian Polo.

Too much cutting back will be a big disapointment; sub-Fabia would be a huge disappointment!

Who wud anyways pay 8lakhs+ for an hatchback, maybe the few enthusiasts here. Not the common man.

Everyone likes to talk about "premium hatchbacks" but nobody wants to buy one? You are right about this, of course, Indian hatchbackism. In UK, Polo/Golf are cars many people want, as much for their image as anything else, but can't afford. I was very tempted once (at the risk of putting people to sleep by saying it yet agan <Blush>) to spend £10,000 on a mid-range Polo, but I backed off because it would have meant a loan. That 10,000 (75 - 80 Lakh) was more than five years ago.

So it boils down to what we will be offered. Are we getting the latest Polo(2010) with latest engines or latest Polo with Fabia engines , or an older version of Polo? If someone can answer this we can play the pricing game.

Would it be worth it for VW to continue to manufacture an old model when their lines are tooled up for making the new one for the rest of the world?

Actually, if it was made to the original spec, and with a decent allocation of accessories and toys, I personally wouldn't mind an older-model Polo; if I liked the car then, why shouldn't I like it now?

Originally Posted by DieselFan

In the news it was spelt out loud and clear that Polo will start from 4.35L ex showroom.

And we have the quote about competing with Swift.

This is a very interesting story

[muni]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

. I was very tempted once (at the risk of putting people to sleep by saying it yet agan <Blush>) to spend £10,000 on a mid-range Polo, but I backed off because it would have meant a loan. That 10,000 (75 - 80 Lakh) was more than five years ago.

Am sure you meant 7.5 to 8 Lakh.

VW is still not a very good brand for a common man and even for a well informed person, it would be too much of a gamble to buy a car at fabia or fabia+ price levels. The Only way i would look at it is to match Punto in features and price levels( slightly more) and that would be realistic. Even at those levels expect some cheap looking or feeling parts to be sprinkled here and there in the car.

All talk of VW targeting aggressive volumes should be taken with a Fistful of salt as short term realistic goals would make more sense than the long term adventurous ones.

If they want to go the Punto way, I am eagerly waiting.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Am sure you meant 7.5 to 8 Lakh.

Woops! Sorry... never was much good at numbers <Blush>

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by avishar

Sometime in the first half of 2010,the sedan version will follow in the second half.Pre-production has already started in the Chakan plant.

Hey thats not very far away now.
I am now wondering if the thread here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...roads-one.html is a precursor to actual announcements from VW, despite many members saying that it might be an ad for a TV show.

[avishar]

Dont know what that ad is for,but it sure aint a VW ad.Looks a bit iffy and amateurish,although i hope i am wrong.!

[Need4Spd]

I drove a turbocharged Polo hatch when I was in America. It is a very "peppy" car, great handling - went like a rocket when you stepped on the Gas. Had a very short "throw" to the Gear box.
Hope they get this puppy to India. Would be worth it in the 6.5 - 7.5L range depending on the variant. 4.35 Lakhs is impossible, will never happen.

[amit]

Originally Posted by Need4Spd

I drove a turbocharged Polo hatch when I was in America. It is a very "peppy" car, great handling - went like a rocket when you stepped on the Gas. Had a very short "throw" to the Gear box.
Hope they get this puppy to India.

Polo is not sold in America. You drove the Golf GTi.

[Caramelo]

Originally Posted by amit

Polo is not sold in America. You drove the Golf GTi.

yes polo is not sold in the united stated of america .they call it the rabbit there. its the version of golf and not the polo.

i cant help it, that is such a silly name for that car!!

i drive a rabbit around town. sorry guys, cant help it.

[diffsoft]

Read this today:

The Hindu Business Line : Volkswagen Polo to drive in with petrol and diesel options

What will the 2 petrol options be?

Cheers,

[akj53]

As per the Hindu article, the additional notch car based on Polo will compete against the likes of Dzire, Logan, Fiesta, Verna and City etc. These two will shake up the premium hatch and entry sedan market in India.

This may translate to customers getting better products at lower prices.

[Fountainheader]

Originally Posted by akj53

This may translate to customers getting better products at lower prices.

We were thinking the same when all these premium hatches (read i20, Jazz and to an extent the Fabia) were launched

[ACM]

Polo, the way VW reports are getting leaked out seems to be targetting a price lesser than the fabia.

With the same features? when the fabia feature parts are from VW? Very hard,
Fabia pricing too seems to silently be revised downwards with local manufacturing through the discounts method.

Polo is a postioning puzzle and a very interesting one at that. If they do it well they should manage to postion it in pricing below the 120 (to kill it) and higher than a revised pricing Fabia (to leave a sister sibling some sales).

[srishiva]

A review on Polo against others
VW Polo Vs rivals | Car Group Tests | Car Reviews | Auto Express
So are we getting the Fiesta hatchback in India?

[Thad E Ginathom]

There was a time when ridiculous British car pricing meant that the slightly adventurous could save quite a lot of money by buying their car (even British-built cars!) in Europe and importing it.

If the decently-equipped Polo is going to be sold in India at sub-fabia prices, a healthy private export business could spring up! I wonder if that would be legally and practically possible...

[tj123]

Launching a small car in the price band of 4.25 lacs will be interesting.

Any thing overly 6 lacs have to compete with Honda Jazz which actually is a very good car except the pricing. Dzire seems also of the same category. Lets hope that VW princess it wisely.