Volkswagen is celebrating 10 years of the premium hatchback in India and considering the launch of all-new Polo by next year
Volkswagen, one of the largest auto makers in the world is celebrating 10 years of Polo hatchback in India, its most sold vehicle in the domestic market. Even after selling around 2.5 Lakh units in all derivatives, the Volkswagen Polo is facing hard times in recent years owing to the growing competition and Volkswagen’s inability to launch a new updated product for some time now.
Now Steffen Knapp, head of Volkswagen Passenger Cars in India has confirmed to launch the all-new Polo, the one which was launched a couple of years back soon. Speaking to CarAndBike, Steffen Knapp, stated that the Polo is a car for India and it’s bound to be a car for India.
However, as per Knapp, the Polo is a global hatchback with a size more than 4 metre and to bring it to India, it needs re-engineering that will bring down the size under 4 metre, hence reducing the cost, which in its current form, will be very high fro the domestic market.
To work on the same, Volkswagen and Skoda (Skoda will lead the Volkswagen group in India under the new 2.0 Initiative) are working to localize the MQB A0 platform that underpins the Polo globally. Volkswagen is also working to make powertrain and features options more affordable, frugal and India specific.
The MQB A0 platform will also be used to in other products for the Indian market including SUVs for both the Volkswagen and Skoda. The new gen Volkswagen Polo is radically different than the current Polo that is serving the Indian market for 4 years now.
The biggest advantage of the MQB A0 platform is the flexibility to add rear space thanks to a generous wheelbase, a must for the Indian market. The styling is also evolutionary and gets avery sporty appeal.
But the biggest change in inside the cabin that will get a completely new platform, new features and safety equipment. The only thing that can be excluded from the car in India can be the Virtual Cockpit, but rest of the features are likely to be carried forward