New-gen Volkswagen Polo could be underpinned by the heavily localised MQB A0 IN platform and is currently being considered for a launch in the near future
The flexible MQB A0 platform has underpinned a range of new cars within the Volkswagen Group in the global markets and an iteration pertaining to the Indian market will make its debut soon courtesy of the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun. The MQB A0 IN, developed specifically for the domestic market, has been heavily localised.
This will help in competitively pricing the models. The MQB A0 IN will be used in the Skoda Rapid replacement as well as the Volkswagen Vento’s successor as the duo are next in line following the mid-size SUVs. The architecture also gives the opportunity for Volkswagen to consider a new generation Polo for India but it could be years away.
With VW and Skoda pursuing after strengthening its SUV portfolio, the new generation Polo could be a couple of years away at the least. Following the Taigun, the German manufacturer is aiming to introduce the facelifted Tiguan with a 4MOTION AWD technology in the top-end variants, while the T-Roc got back on sale only recently.
Ashish Gupta, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India’s Brand Director, told in a recent interview that “evaluations are on” for a brand new Polo and the MQB A0 IN platform is “very amenable” for such a hatchback. He acknowledged that it does require plenty of customisation to suit the market and to stick by sub-four-metre regulations.
The existing Polo has basically remained the same for eleven years as it is based on the PQ25 architecture, which is no longer in business globally. Back in 2017, the Polo received a major upgrade and switched to MQB A0 platform in the overseas markets, and since VW is concentrating on “establishing a robust portfolio with our ‘SUVW’ strategy”, the next-gen global Polo could form the basis for India as well.
With the premium hatchback segment consistently pushing the price point in recent times up higher, it could come in handy for Volkswagen to spice up the competition with an all-new Polo as the nameplate is certainly popular among performance enthusiasts.