Volkswagen Polo for India
The Volkswagen Polo is now a global car, with versions on sale in Europe, Australia, China, South Africa, and South America. Manufactured in all these locations, too, Volkswagen is to introduce the car to the emerging Indian market in 2010, and opened its plant in Pune on 31 March.
With a maximum annual production capacity of 110,000 vehicles (almost all of which will be for the local market), the new factory complex will play a major role towards achieving the Volkswagen Group’s growth targets on the Indian subcontinent.
The 580 million euro Pune facility will be the Volkswagen Group’s 61st production site, and heralds the largest investment in India by a German company to date. The Škoda Fabia will be the first model to be produced in Pune, adding to the other Audi, Škoda, and Volkswagen models built in VW’s Aurangabad plant.
Production of a specially-developed version of the new Polo for the Indian market will start in 2010, and Volkswagen Group brand communications head, Kurt Rippholz, has reportedly said that two versions will be available – both a hatchback and a saloon. The Polo name has been confirmed for the market, too, further entrenching the model’s heritage.
Exciting times then, for the mainstay of Volkswagen’s small car line-up. With rumours persisting about a debut in the US, and a full roll-out of the new-generation model later in 2009, Volkswagen is clearly pushing to make the Polo even more of a global car.
