Volkswagen Launches its First Locally Assembled Passat in India

Sept. 5, 2007
Will increase competition in premium passenger car segment

Europe's largest car maker Volkswagen on Sept. 5 announced the launch of its first locally assembled premium car, the Passat Sedan, in India. "The Passat will set the pace for our future product launches in India, which is a key market for strategic growth," Joerg Mueller, president of Volkswagen India, said.

The car is Volkswagen's first locally assembled model in India. The Passat TDI 2.0 liter highline will be available in two versions in India, priced at between $54,645 and $59,535.

Volkswagen's Passat is among the most successful Volkswagen cars after the Golf and the Beetle, with sales of 14 million units globally since its launch in 1973, the company said. Other popular Volkswagen cars -- the Phaeton and Touareg -- are imported into India.

The Passat's launch will increase competition in the premium passenger car segment that includes the Toyota Camry, Nissan Teana, Mercedes C Class, BMW 3 series and Audi A4, industry experts say.

The Passat will be assembled at the Volkswagen group company Skoda Auto's assembly plant in Aurangabad in the western state of Maharashtra, which produces about 25,000 Skodas annually for the Indian market.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

Adopting an Open Ecosystem: The Way Forward for Frontline Operations

March 11, 2024
Today's manufacturing tech stack thrives on connectivity, integrating new and legacy players for a seamless operation - not on monolithic systems. Embrace the future of frontline...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!