The German carmaker plans to launch the petrol version of Passat and Jetta in March and April this year. Despite the luxurious Mercs and BMW having a strong foothold in India, the VW is confident on its new take on premium segment. Though the petrol prices are rising, the hype in Indian market for petrol cars does not seem to be diminishing. Honda is planning to launch diesel models to survive in the Indian market. And here the Volkswagen decides to launch petrol cars to compete with Honda and Toyota as two of the highest selling premium cars in India with the Accord and Camry.
The 1.8 L TSI petrol engine from Skoda Laura and Skoda Superb will be powering these units. With stratified direct injection and turbocharging, the power output is an immense 160bhp at 4500rpm and a max torque of 250NM at the same rev. A 6-speed manual transmission carries this power to the wheels. The fuel consumption is of the figure 10kmpl in city and expected 13kmplon highways. VW Passat diesel is priced Rs. 24.11 lacs, and the petrol variant can be expected to be Rs. 1.5lacs cheaper. With the low maintenance cost and rise in diesel prices after budget in March, the Volkswagen gives a smarter choice to the Indian customers.
