Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India?

shankar.balan · 22nd March 2011, 11:53

Just wanted to raise this query since I like the VW Golf very much indeed.

Would anyone on board TBHP have any idea whether VW could be considering launching the Golf in India? Especially the GTi version?

Since there is this apparent rash of super-hatches buzzing about, maybe it is only a matter of time before the Golf is considered for India. If it is launched it may spawn a whole new segment of super hatches like the Fiat Bravo and so on.

speedmiester · 22nd March 2011, 12:26

IMHO, Golf will not be launched in India by VW atleast in the near future.

Reason, pricing and product positioning in the market. Golf will be priced higher than polo and this will place it right in the Vento territory. The sales numbers will be so small that localisation of key components will not make sense to VW. If at all VW brings Golf to India, it will be marketed the same way as the Beetle, a CBU or CKD aimed at enthusiasts.

Edit: Word from horse's mouth "no plans for golf, concentrating on market positioning with the current offerings."

Stratos · 22nd March 2011, 12:28

I have seen new generation Golfs being tested near the VW Chakan plant in Maharashtra. I won't be surprised if its launched soon, although I reckon that they would be priced quite high compared to other premium hatches in India

sidindica · 22nd March 2011, 12:34

It isn't coming in the near future.

absynthguzzler · 22nd March 2011, 12:39

I remember reading about an Interview of a VW official at the last auto show. I recall it included something in the lines of " VW in India or any country is not complete without introducing the golf ".

I suppose there will come a time when it shall be introduced, keep your hopes high till whenever that is

.

Sunrise · 22nd March 2011, 12:41

IMHO it will not be a wise decision to launch it yet. Reason- they are yet to meet demand capacity for Polo and Vento, they need to give it a year to stabilize and then get the new launches. Still the reach is limited for VW and i am not sure if they want to remain in a few cities if they wish to reach the top in sales in India. Anyways, i think the reality is Golf is a little more wait for sure.

volkman10 · 22nd March 2011, 12:44

IMO, it would not be coming in the near future. Pricing would be a major concern here. A super premium hatchback at the price of a Sedan?

PlatzdaTurbo · 22nd March 2011, 12:54

Would jump at the opportunity if any premium hatchbacks from among the Golf,A1,A3,Mini ever launched here. Good looks, loaded, great combination of turbo diesel or turbo stratified petrol make them potent over all packages.
But being launched here soon is wishful thinking IMO, no matter how unfortunate it is.
If the golf launched here i would presume it to be priced northwards of even the vento ,which means into the Civic/Corolla/Cruze territory which would make it a hugely impractical buy. Having said that i would still go for the Golf/A1 if they were launched with the 140bhp CRDI with the DSG. High on the drool factor !
Not expecting any launches from these nonetheless fingers crossed.

SILVERWOOD · 22nd March 2011, 12:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by sidindica

It isn't coming in the near future.

+1 on this.

1, Firstly, the Golf is based on the Jetta’s platform(PQ35) and this means that the Golf will come with plenty of space in the interiors, that will rival C-segment sedans than the upper B-segment hatchbacks.

2, One more factor is the fact that Indians still seem to perceive hatchbacks as budget cars than premium cars, whose market is still dominated by the sedans.What this also means is that the price could be close to or more than INR 10 Lakh. So, that means that the Golf will sit in a completely different segment of it’s own which so far has seen no other car ever before. Now, after the Honda Jazz debacle, which has proved that even space and a bunch of features can only sell a hatch if the all important pricing is right.(One of the reason why Fiesta Hatch did not hit our shores)

3, Now, if at all Volkswagen India decides to play Mr Brave Pants and plans to launch the VW Golf MK6 in India, it cannot do so in the CBU route if it plans to keep the already high cost in check.VW cannot even think of bringing Golf via CKD route as their existing plants are grappling to meet the demands created by Polo and Vento.

iSpoke · 22nd March 2011, 13:05

Some time later also a bhp-ian spotted a gold in Pune city but the discussion was suggesting that it must be used for testing engines and may not be intended for Golf release in India.
IMO, the current VW scenario suggests not to release Golf as we can observe they are placing Polo in a better position. Most of us would be knowing this fact that Polo first launched with manual ORVMs and just couple of months back it now comes with electrically adjustable! I believe it makes more sense for VW to add up some more feature to Polo or launch Polo GTi with top notch features rather than launching Golf that would be way costlier.

naveen.raju · 22nd March 2011, 13:07

I would say not in the near future. Main reason is the pricing. Expect it to be above 18L, might as well be in the range of the current Beetle. Although it's one of the best hatchbacks, it will find very few takers in India.

VW is mainly concentrating to cement their position in India as of now. Once they have a solid stand, they might consider bringing it to India. But, say around 3-4 years.

shankar.balan · 22nd March 2011, 13:11

Good points. Cant help wishing that Audi also considers at some point their A1, A3 etc. All these are really lovely hatchbacks. But I guess the price points here would be super high and hence, impracticable for large volume sales.

KiloAlpha · 22nd March 2011, 13:15

I don't think it is possible at all, given the price positioning of Polo and Vento.

If the Golf were to make sense in India, it will have to be priced equivalent to the i20, and the Polo priced in i10/Figo territory. Something, I think, is not about to happen any time soon.

As for a CBU Golf GTi - if wishes were horses etc etc etc

naveen.raju · 22nd March 2011, 13:32

Jeremy Clark son:

"Greatest car of the 20th century."

YouTube - Top Gear Golf Mk V GTI

Check this thread for the ownership report of Golf by fellow bhpian from Germany
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ions-pics.html

Sunrise · 22nd March 2011, 13:51

IMHO it will not be a wise decision to launch it yet. Reason- they are yet to meet demand capacity for Polo and Vento, they need to give it a year to stabilize and then get the new launches. Still the reach is limited for VW and i am not sure if they want to remain in a few cities if they wish to reach the top in sales in India. Anyways, i think the reality is Golf is a little more wait for sure.

22nd March 2011, 11:53	#1
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,150 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? Just wanted to raise this query since I like the VW Golf very much indeed. Would anyone on board TBHP have any idea whether VW could be considering launching the Golf in India? Especially the GTi version? Since there is this apparent rash of super-hatches buzzing about, maybe it is only a matter of time before the Golf is considered for India. If it is launched it may spawn a whole new segment of super hatches like the Fiat Bravo and so on.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 12:26	#2
speedmiester Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 2,387 Thanked: 6,631 Times	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? IMHO, Golf will not be launched in India by VW atleast in the near future. Reason, pricing and product positioning in the market. Golf will be priced higher than polo and this will place it right in the Vento territory. The sales numbers will be so small that localisation of key components will not make sense to VW. If at all VW brings Golf to India, it will be marketed the same way as the Beetle, a CBU or CKD aimed at enthusiasts. Edit: Word from horse's mouth "no plans for golf, concentrating on market positioning with the current offerings." Last edited by speedmiester : 22nd March 2011 at 12:37.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 12:28	#3
Stratos Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,609 Thanked: 1,449 Times View My Garage	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? I have seen new generation Golfs being tested near the VW Chakan plant in Maharashtra. I won't be surprised if its launched soon, although I reckon that they would be priced quite high compared to other premium hatches in India
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 12:34	#4
sidindica Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 4,892 Thanked: 8,106 Times	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? It isn't coming in the near future.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 12:39	#5
absynthguzzler BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: hyderabad Posts: 651 Thanked: 245 Times	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? I remember reading about an Interview of a VW official at the last auto show. I recall it included something in the lines of " VW in India or any country is not complete without introducing the golf ". I suppose there will come a time when it shall be introduced, keep your hopes high till whenever that is .
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 12:41	#6
Sunrise BANNED Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 59 Thanked: 12 Times	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? IMHO it will not be a wise decision to launch it yet. Reason- they are yet to meet demand capacity for Polo and Vento, they need to give it a year to stabilize and then get the new launches. Still the reach is limited for VW and i am not sure if they want to remain in a few cities if they wish to reach the top in sales in India. Anyways, i think the reality is Golf is a little more wait for sure.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 12:44	#7
volkman10 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: -- Posts: 23,430 Thanked: 67,862 Times View My Garage	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? IMO, it would not be coming in the near future. Pricing would be a major concern here. A super premium hatchback at the price of a Sedan?
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 12:54	#8
PlatzdaTurbo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,304 Thanked: 327 Times View My Garage	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? Would jump at the opportunity if any premium hatchbacks from among the Golf,A1,A3,Mini ever launched here. Good looks, loaded, great combination of turbo diesel or turbo stratified petrol make them potent over all packages. But being launched here soon is wishful thinking IMO, no matter how unfortunate it is. If the golf launched here i would presume it to be priced northwards of even the vento ,which means into the Civic/Corolla/Cruze territory which would make it a hugely impractical buy. Having said that i would still go for the Golf/A1 if they were launched with the 140bhp CRDI with the DSG. High on the drool factor ! Not expecting any launches from these nonetheless fingers crossed.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 13:05	#10
iSpoke BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pune Posts: 360 Thanked: 121 Times	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? Some time later also a bhp-ian spotted a gold in Pune city but the discussion was suggesting that it must be used for testing engines and may not be intended for Golf release in India. IMO, the current VW scenario suggests not to release Golf as we can observe they are placing Polo in a better position. Most of us would be knowing this fact that Polo first launched with manual ORVMs and just couple of months back it now comes with electrically adjustable! I believe it makes more sense for VW to add up some more feature to Polo or launch Polo GTi with top notch features rather than launching Golf that would be way costlier.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 13:07	#11
naveen.raju Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cochin Posts: 4,834 Thanked: 8,922 Times View My Garage	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? I would say not in the near future. Main reason is the pricing. Expect it to be above 18L, might as well be in the range of the current Beetle. Although it's one of the best hatchbacks, it will find very few takers in India. VW is mainly concentrating to cement their position in India as of now. Once they have a solid stand, they might consider bringing it to India. But, say around 3-4 years.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 13:11	#12
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,150 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? Good points. Cant help wishing that Audi also considers at some point their A1, A3 etc. All these are really lovely hatchbacks. But I guess the price points here would be super high and hence, impracticable for large volume sales.
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 13:15	#13
KiloAlpha Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Cubicle Posts: 1,605 Thanked: 3,002 Times	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? I don't think it is possible at all, given the price positioning of Polo and Vento. If the Golf were to make sense in India, it will have to be priced equivalent to the i20, and the Polo priced in i10/Figo territory. Something, I think, is not about to happen any time soon. As for a CBU Golf GTi - if wishes were horses etc etc etc
	() Thanks

22nd March 2011, 13:51	#15
Sunrise BANNED Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 59 Thanked: 12 Times	Re: Is the VW Golf likely to be launched in India? IMHO it will not be a wise decision to launch it yet. Reason- they are yet to meet demand capacity for Polo and Vento, they need to give it a year to stabilize and then get the new launches. Still the reach is limited for VW and i am not sure if they want to remain in a few cities if they wish to reach the top in sales in India. Anyways, i think the reality is Golf is a little more wait for sure.
	() Thanks