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| Volkswagen targets sale of 1 lakh units by 2014 in India |
| Press Trust of India / New Delhi Aug 19, 2009, 16:11 IST |
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German car giant Volkswagen today said it aims to sell 1 lakh units in the Indian market by 2014, largely on the back of mass-market model 'Polo' which it plans to launch next year.
The company said the launch of Polo in both hatchback and sedan models in 2010 will help it move beyond the narrow confines of being viewed as a brand catering exclusively for the upper segment.
"We will be launching the hatchback model of Polo some time during the first half of next year and bring the sedan model in the fall of 2010," Volkswagen Passenger Cars Member of Board and Director Neeraj Garg told reporters on the sidelines of a company event.
"With the introduction of Polo, we will move into the mass-volume car market in India and we hope to take our sales to one lakh units by 2014," he added.
Polo will be manufactured in the company's Chakan plant near Pune and the company is now undertaking pre-production testing, Garg said. The Rs 3,800 crore Chakan plant, which opened in March this year, has an annual capacity of 1.10 lakh units.
Volkswagen had sold 1,566 units in India during 2008. The company currently sells its sedan Jetta and Passat in the country, both assembled at the Chakan plant.
Besides, it also sells the high-end Phaeton and SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) Touareg here, both imported from the company's mother plant in Germany.
"During January-July this year, we have sold 1,552 units in the country and our total target for 2009 is 3,000 units. With the launch of Polo next year, we hope to register a sale of 25,000 units in 2010," Garg said.
When asked about the planned launch of Volkswagen's iconic model, Beetle, in India, he said, "the plans for Beetle are strong and we are presently trying to buck up the back-end operations for launching the model here. We are hopeful of doing that by the end of this year."
The Beetle will be shipped-in from Germany as a completely built unit.
"Our three parameters are to invest in growth markets, get more products for the customers and invest in new technology. With that in view, we are launching new models and also planning to expand operations in the country," Garg said.
The company is also planning to strengthen its dealership network across the country.
"Today we have opened our 19th showroom here in Delhi. Our target is to have 40 dealerships across India by the end of this year," he added.
The planned showrooms will come up in metros like Mumbai and Delhi NCR, besides Tier I and II cities like Pune and Surat, Garg said.
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