Volkswagen ready to launch new cars in India

Europe’s largest car maker, Volkswagen Group, is now ready to roll out cars from its Chakan based manufacturing plant by April 2009. The deadline of the project has been pre-poned nearly a year ahead of its schedule. The decision from the company comes as a result of increase in Volkswagen Group’s sales despite the slump in the Indian car market. The company has registered a 66% growth in this year from the month of January to October.

The new manufacturing unit of Volkswagen in Chakan will roll out Fabia next April as its first batch. Skoda Fabia is currently being produced at the Group’s Aurangabad plant which is operated by Skoda Auto. This manufacturing plant also manufactures the Volkswagen Jetta, Passat, Skoda Fabia, Laura and Superb. Volkswagen had announced for the investment of Rs. 3500 crores in year 2006 out of which Rs. 2650 crores have been invested in the Chakan plant. The new manufacturing plant at Chakan will have a capacity of manufacturing 110,000 units annually when it is complete.

Volkswagen also planned to launch Polo next year which will have design and style inspired from Scirocco, a three-door saloon. The Indian version of Polo will be more stylish and sporty than the models available worldwide and it is expected that the sedan version of Polo will hit the Indian market by 2010.