Although Volkswagen is yet to finalize its plan for the launch of its small car Up! in India but as per speculations, the company will make its decision clear by the end of this year about this hatchback. The price would be even below Polo, its entry-level hatchback which comes under a price bracket of Rs.4.67 lakh and Rs.7.36 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and is available both in petrol and diesel variants. The company will bring Up! in a very different version to suit the needs of the Indian automobile market and the present conditions, as per the reliable sources. The company is also keen on making some modification of its own in this car to serve the needs of the customers of India. For this, the company is taking ample time, till the end of 2012 to finalize the whole thing.
Up! has already been launched in Europe and has a good fan following of its own there. Mr. John Chacko, Volkswagen Group Chief Representative of India, stated, “Our Company is working towards the possibility to introduce the UP! in the market of India and we shall reach to a decision by the end of 2012 for sure.” He also said that India is an excellent low-cost and competitive market, where currently they are responding only to 30-35 per cent of the total demand of the cars.With the launch of Up! they will be able to dominate the small car segment.
This new city car, which is running successfully in the European countries, is very sure to take over the small car segment of the Indian automobile market in a single blizzard. This particular car comes in a compact colorfully designed interior package and with excellent mileage. A large space with fewer spoors makes it perfect for driving in city limits. At 3.54 meters in length, 1.64 meters in width and 1.48 meter in height, this small wonder has 251 liter of boot space which can be increased up to 951 liters if the rear seat is kept folded. The car will have a three-cylinder petrol engine, which can produce a peak power of 60 bhp and 75 bhp. The BlueMotion technology of Volkswagen will also be provided which would give 23.8 kmpl of mileage from the 60 bhp engine with CO2 emissions below 100g/m.
The Indian customer can expect Up! to be in the Indian market by early 2014 or latest by 2013.As per Ulrich Hackenberg, Executive Vice-President, Volkswagen, the company is visually examining the Indian auto segment which has Maruti’s Swift and Hyundai’s i10 currently dominating the hatchback area. For this, the market would shake & shiver because the anticipated starting price for Up! could be as low as Rs.3,50,000 which will definitely pose as a challenge to everybody else. But Volkswagen has to hurry up or else there will be more competitors born.
