Volkswagen India this week launched its locally assembled Jetta in Mumbai, promising an expanded range including the Beetle, light commercials and an unnamed small car.
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India is offered the Jetta – which most markets apart from South Africa and China get from Mexico – with a 1.6-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual transmission or a 1.9-litre turbodiesel with the option of six-speed automatic transmission. Prices range from the equivalent of US$30,000 to $45,000 and VW plans to sell at least 2000 by year’s end.
It has sold over 10,000 vehicles in India so far, that’s 69% year-on-year growth.
VW India managing director Joerg Mueller said: “Jetta is now being assembled in the Skoda facility in Aurangabad with parts coming in from our Mexico facility. We have accelerated work on the [new, US$140m, 110,000-unit] Chakan plant and it will make the Jetta and Skoda Fabia from the first half of 2009 with high local content.
“We will receive a sales boost by 2010 when we launch a compact car from Chakan based on our Polo model but which has been tailored for India.”
VW is also working on the launch of light commercial vehicles.
“Next week, people from our commercial vehicles division are coming to India. We will study the market. We may bring in a ‘people transportation product’ and a goods carrier,” Mueller added.
Volkswagen Group sells Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen models in India.
Kevin Jacobs
