[Turbojc]

I recently contemplated buying a 1.0L TSI Comfortline. When I enquired, I was told that there would be a waiting period of at least 3 months for the Polo due to the chip shortage and the fact that the company was focusing their resources on the Taigun. While it is the most fun-to-drive car on this side of ₹10 lakhs, I decided to wait for the all-new Polo instead of spending 9 large ones on what is essentially a 12-yr old design.

Cheers!

[TJ02]

According to good sources, no new Polo is coming. Vento fate is unknown. Polo will continue to sell just that they have prioritized Taigun & Kushaq production. Taigun orders seems to have completely booked VW production for this year. So that is the reason why some Polo models are unavailable. Once Taigun hype reduces and chip shortage is resolved Polo production should be back to normal.

[akshye]

I am an upcoming customer of VW, with Polo TSI booking in hand. I am in constant contact with the SA, who says, "Company has received significant bookings for Taigun and it's difficult for them to keep up the pace of Taigun production. Hence Polo manufacturing has taken back seat." Yet, he added, "Polos shall soon resume, but same can't be said about Vento." I was willing to book Vento, but the SA did not show interest in taking a booking, saying, "I can't guarantee Vento delivery."

The showroom I booked seemed to have run out of their Taigun allotment as well and they won't receive any more Taiguns (than already scheduled) next month.

Additionally, he also mentioned that Amazon has ordered a few thousand Polos for their employees. So the company has to fulfil their orders before attending the retail customers. This could be another reason for halting bookings in places like Bangalore.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by akshye

I am an upcoming customer of VW, with Polo TSI booking in hand. I am in constant contact with the SA, who says, "Company has received significant bookings for Taigun and it's difficult for them to keep up the pace of Taigun production. Hence Polo manufacturing has taken back seat." Yet, he added, "Polos shall soon resume, but same can't be said about Vento." I was willing to book Vento, but the SA did not show interest in taking a booking, saying, "I can't guarantee Vento delivery."

The showroom I booked seemed to have run out of their Taigun allotment as well and they won't receive any more Taiguns (than already scheduled) next month.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I feel the answer to both questions is that the company is wisely selling out the remaining stock on a high, without discounts. Credit where due - selling a 12 year old product in it's highest variants without much of a discount is an achievement in itself.

There's a global shortage of semiconductors/cars. What do you expect companies to do? Prioritize their most profitable markets/products/variants. Simple.

The below video offers an explanation on this topic. Mercedes has gone on record to say that they will not oversupply the market. Several carmakers have axed their cheaper variants in developed markets. The chip shortage may change the way car inventory is managed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZlBNS4OmaI

[Old_Salt]

Well, what is the definition of an old platform, age alone?

Pick up most of the YouTube reviews of hatches, the so called latest hatchbacks with high end gizmos / sunroof (Tata/ Hyundai) built on latest platforms , are still trying to beat the Polo.
I think that sums it all.

Polo is still the benchmark after 12 years which these cars are trying to beat.

My only fear is that if an when the new Polo comes here under the guise of localisation, it may end up similar to what people are feeling with Taigun.

[Shreyas]

Originally Posted by akshye

Additionally, he also mentioned that Amazon has ordered a few thousand Polos for their employees.

Off topic:- A few thousand Polos for its employees!? Can someone please explain?

[govindremesh]

Originally Posted by Shreyas

Off topic:- A few thousand Polos for its employees!? Can someone please explain?

Originally Posted by akshye

....I was willing to book Vento, but the SA did not show interest in taking a booking, saying, "I can't guarantee Vento delivery."

The showroom I booked seemed to have run out of their Taigun allotment as well and they won't receive any more Taiguns (than already scheduled) next month.

Originally Posted by bullitt1

Visited VW Mysore road showroom 2 weeks back to check Polo for a family member, only AT was available for test drive and was told that there is 4 month waiting and SA tried to push Taigun. No follow ups till now.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Go to a Skoda or Volkswagen showroom and ask any of the entry level cars - and you won't be entertained. Chip shortage, sir! Money making variants are definitely getting priorities - especially the new crossover cousins.

Looking at the comments, this shortage seems to me more like a marketing strategy from VW. The sales targets of Tiagun & Kushaq were pretty high (6000/month for just the Tiagun is unrealistic IMO) and it might be that this is a way of up-selling Kushaq/Tiagun to Polo/Vento/Rapid customers in view of lower than expected demand.
VW dealer in Trivandrum told my cousin that 1.5 TSi + DSG Tiagun had a 4-6 months waiting period (due to imported engine, high demand, blah blah). I was confident that it was a VW Bluff and turns out it was. He had booked 2 weeks ago and the vehicle was already in transit from factory on Friday, 22 October.

[CLIX]

Originally Posted by govindremesh

...He had booked 2 weeks ago and the vehicle was already in transit from factory on Friday, 22 October

So how does one get this update that vehicle has been shipped? Info from dealer? Or some sort of direct message from Volvo? [I remember Maruti did that for one of my bookings.]

[govindremesh]

Originally Posted by CLIX

So how does one get this update that vehicle has been shipped? Info from dealer? Or some sort of direct message from Volvo? [I remember Maruti did that for one of my bookings.]

In the case I am referring to, the information came from the dealer.

[AnAvgJoe]

I was speaking to someone at a VW showroom recently. I was informed that the Polo and Vento production has been cut back to make place for the Taigun. From what I gather, VW has no plans to introduce the new polo in India, though the Brazilian markets 'Virtus' might get an India launch.

VW India is planning on shifting focus to their SUV line, which might be a smart financial move considering the rising demand in the SUV segment.

Loss of the Polo will be a blow to most car enthusiasts, but we make up a very small percentage of buyers and companies have to always look at the bottom line.

[vjbox]

My Wife and I are on a wait after recently booking the Polo GT. We are told VW India is making way for the Taigun, so the dealers have been instructed to only focus on that and sell it to the potential customers as much as possible. The reality is that even the Taigun allotments are going slow. I have been following up with the dealer and I keep the getting the same response that the production is slow/ halted at the moment and they expect it to resume in a month or two that seems to align with the chip shortages. The matte edition Polo that was unveiled recently is not seen too at the Sundaram VW Chennai while KUN seems to have sold them out ( I was told some 8 to 10 units were allocated) and I am not sure if thats the case. For now we are in the wait list, crossing our fingers to get our hands on one soon! So there goes my Diwali delight for my wife!

[Simple_car]

This is a bit perplexing as I recently took delivery of Polo. There is a shortage of the GT/Highline variants but the lower models are available off the shelf with decent offers as well. I received messages of good offers for the MT TSI variants. Honestly, most dealers have become complacent since the demand is far excess of the supply! (even if the demand is not that great in the first place )

Thanks,
Simple_car

[Amsdoc]

In Pune, there were 2 Comfortline ATs available when I booked (about 3 weeks ago). I was going to book the comfortline but wife suddenly changed her mind to Highline because of the steering mounted controls and the rear window control on driver side which the comfortline lacks.
We were told the same reason as most above, chip shortage and priority being Taigun. We were told that there is a waiting of about 8-10 weeks. Waiting patiently!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Personal feeling (unsubstantiated - so take it for what its worth) is that the old generation VW products are finally getting ready to be discontinued. Polo and it's derivates (Vento, Rapid etc) are in it's 12th year run and it's about time someone pulled the plug.

Now, two obvious questions against this theory -

1. But they just launched the Matte edition.
2. But Zac Hollis says Slavia will be 'more premium' than the Rapid, so shouldn't both co-exist?

I feel the answer to both questions is that the company is wisely selling out the remaining stock on a high, without discounts. Credit where due - selling a 12 year old product in it's highest variants without much of a discount is an achievement in itself.

Originally Posted by kiku007

There's a global shortage of semiconductors/cars. What do you expect companies to do? Prioritize their most profitable markets/products/variants. Simple.

Not that simple, is it?

It's official now, Skoda Slavia is replacing the Skoda Rapid in India, and will be revealed next month. And of course we can expect Volkswagen to follow up with their offering as well.

Chip shortage - undeniably true, but IMHO - this was a phasing out strategy even more so! Want more proof? This tweet below, came out as recent as mid of last month -



Now only one product will remain outside of the MQB-A0-IN platform and that is also probably the least profitable one. What can happen to it during these times when profits are being prioritized is anybody's guess.

Fingers crossed. Let's see.

[Lalitha Venkat]

Originally Posted by Simple_car

T I received messages of good offers for the MT TSI variants. Honestly, most dealers have become complacent since the demand is far excess of the supply! (even if the demand is not that great in the first place )
Simple_car

I feel that Polo's days are ahead. The Indian car market has matured in terms of paying INR 10 plus Lakhs for a Hatch Back and we are also seeing customers appreciating words like Ncap safety, driving dynamics more today than when Polo was introduced. Most of the folks buying their first car, tend to buy a hatchback rather than a SUV and given that cost of fuel going up significantly would also deter first time owners from going towards the SUV side. The key question will be if the new Polo, if introduced can it compete with other hatches and gain market share. i-20, Altroz and Swift. I feel new Polo will have most of features which Indian buyers like and can provide a good fight.