Volkswagen Group Launches New Vento Sedan in India as Part of Turnaround Strategy

The Volkswagen Group, Europe's largest carmaker, has launched a new version of its mid-size sedan 'Vento' in India as part of a strategy to revitalize the brand's sagging sales. The new Vento, priced between ₹7.85 lakh and ₹11.87 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), comes in both petrol and diesel variants, with the petrol-powered version available in 1.2 & 1.6 litre engines and the diesel variant coming with a 1.5 TDI option. This move is part of the company's plan to increase sales, which plummeted 14.3% in 2014-15 to 45,018 units due to its limited product profile.

Key Takeaways:

• The new Vento sedan is priced between ₹7.85 lakh and ₹11.87 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and comes in both petrol and diesel variants.
• The petrol-powered version is available in 1.2 & 1.6 litre engines, while the diesel variant comes with a 1.5 TDI option.
• Volkswagen Group plans to launch five products in the next 24 months, including the iconic car 'Beetle', a compact sedan based on 'Vento', and the small SUV 'Tiguan'.
• The company aims to increase sales, which plummeted 14.3% in 2014-15 to 45,018 units, and plans to produce 200,000 units of the sedan by 2018.
• Volkswagen has sold about 110,000 units of the sedan since its launch in 2010.

Statistics:

• 45,018 units: Sales of the Volkswagen brand in 2014-15, a 14.3% decline from the previous year.
• 110,000 units: Number of Vento sedans sold since its launch in 2010.
• 200,000 units: Target production of Vento sedans by 2018.
• ₹7.85 lakh - ₹11.87 lakh: Price range of the new Vento sedan (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Sources:

• "Volkswagen to launch 5 products in India over next 24 months", Economic Times, (no date available)
• "Volkswagen India to revive car sales with new products", Business Standard, (no date available)
• Volkswagen's official press release announcing the launch of the new Vento sedan in India (no date available)