[carjack3090]

Originally Posted by Sri0030

VW's Kylaq equivalent will do wonders in sales if Polo nomenclature is used. The brand Polo is having a phenomenal craze in India.

They can just name it Polo Cross.

[bijims]

Anyways, the Tera is a beefed-up, high-ground clearance car, and with SUVs being the rage, a Polo SUV is not a bad idea at all, it should be based on the Kylaq with VW's design language setting it apart. The engines, features and everything else can be the same, still, it would do good as the Polo nameplate has a significant following in India. This would do good for VW as almost all parts are based on the same platform except for design elements and just like other VW 2.0 cars it would be much more economical for the brand as a whole.

It is not that earlier nameplates which were used for different body styles were reincarnated in a new car with another body style, for example, the Original Baleno was a sedan while the new one is a hatchback, the Polo in India can mature from a hatchback to beefed up hatchback with high ground clearance which is ironically called SUV in India and become a hit if the execution is done well. They could even go a notch further and introduce GT TSI variants with higher power outputs as well if need be.

Moreover naming the car, Polo Cross wouldn't be good as the original Polo Cross flopped, to add to that, there is absolutely nil to extremely slim chances of VW taking the risk of downsizing the existing Polo to 4 metres and bringing it to India, it would take a whole lot of investment, and with it being a hatchback, the chances of sales are not as high as it would be on an SUV.

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by GTO

To their fullest credit, Volkswagen India has outsold Skoda India in a straight fight since December 2023!

A decent achievement but I wish they managed to do it without discontinuing all of Skoda's long time models such as the Octavia etc.

I believe the prominent GT badging and sportier looks makes the Virtus and Taigun have more desirability than the Slavia.

[Bhodrolok]

The Polo is a global small hatch for VW, they are not going to dilute it by using it on a compact SUV. Heck the compact SUV for VW itself is not yet confirmed for India.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by Bhodrolok

The Polo is a global small hatch for VW, they are not going to dilute it by using it on a compact SUV. Heck the compact SUV for VW itself is not yet confirmed for India.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...or-2026-433236

This was already confirmed before the launch of the Kylaq, so please don't post things you aren't aware of. Sure plans could change, but as of right now, it sure seems this is the path VW is taking.

[Bhodrolok]

Originally Posted by bijims

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...or-2026-433236

This was already confirmed before the launch of the Kylaq, so please don't post things you aren't aware of. Sure plans could change, but as of right now, it sure seems this is the path VW is taking.

I have seen this and also listened to the podcast where this was discussed by Hormazd and he was clear that this was still in discussion and no decision has been taken. In fact with the latest ongoing legal hassle with customs, the decision is unlikely to be taken in the short term.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by Bhodrolok

I have seen this and also listened to the podcast where this was discussed by Hormazd and he was clear that this was still in discussion and no decision has been taken. In fact with the latest ongoing legal hassle with customs, the decision is unlikely to be taken in the short term.

Whatever the situation, it is quite easy for VW to release a Skoda Kylaq in VW form and I am sure that the decision will be taken as they have invested much in the development of the platform and not utilising it to the fullest would not be in their best interests considering the ever-increasing popularity of VWs in India. Moreover, VW has itself confirmed a Kylaq-based derivative, then what makes you think that they won't launch one in India?

The legal hassle with customs will be a long-drawn one and if they wait for the outcome of that to release a car in India, they better not do business at all!, Moreover unless and until certain and given the go from management to let it out in public, no key executive will admit a car launch.

All of Skoda's 2.0 launches have had an equivalent VW launch soon after, and I am sure the Kylaq will have one too.

[n:CorE]

I sincerely hope that VW India doesn't forget why exactly the "Polo" moniker has so much "brand recall". It's because of the 1.6 MPI, 1.6 GT TDI & 1.2 GT TSI. Indian enthusiasts drove the hell out of them, modified them (sometimes way too much), made owners' clubs, and built a thriving community around this VW product. My first car was a 1.6 GT TDI, the ownership report for which can be found elsewhere on this forum. I still dream about that torque pull in 2nd & 3rd gear on my stage 2+ car. It was indeed a special machine, that.

These cars offered something that for the money, the competition simply could not provide. Launching the Polo with a 1.0 TSI paired with a torque converter as a "GT" car and launching a "Legend Edition" is not the way forward. I hope they are wiser in handling the "Polo" brand in the future. The Virtus/Slavia's & Taigun/Kushaq's may be doing decently but their penchant for silly sticker badge "special" editions continues.

Their marketing department wasn't exactly responsible for making this brand iconic. It was the Indian car enthusiasts who did that. And I could speak for everyone when I say, give us the EU-spec Polo. They could perhaps look into adapting it to the A0-IN platform, but the base sauce must be European, and a tad bit "over-engineered". That is the VW way a.k.a. the German way. Nothing tickles the fancy of enthusiasts more than having a global parts bin for OEM+ mods.

[CafeRacer16]

Originally Posted by n:CorE

I sincerely hope that VW India doesn't forget why exactly the "Polo" moniker has so much "brand recall". It's because of the 1.6 MPI, 1.6 GT TDI & 1.2 GT TSI.

This was only one reason & not the only one reason that made Polo so legendary in India.

Polo became so popular because of its timeless design, robust build quality, riding dynamics, engines that were unheard of in its segment. We have 4 Polos (2012-2015) in our extended family (none of those mentioned above), two 1.2 TDIs, 1 each 1.5TDI & 1.2MPI & all are in use with no plans of retiring them any time soon. My father still likes Polo better than our Taigun because of its superior build quality.

Hence, VW which in dire needs of volume should develop a car with Polo moniker that has the attributes of earlier Polo with the modern sensibilities of what is required to survive in the market today.

Bringing in the European Polo won't do any good for the company since it is no halo product that can command a premium.

The above comment in no way demeans existing Polo, its just that it won't do any good for the brand or the fans in India.

[CafeRacer16]

Originally Posted by GTO

To their fullest credit, Volkswagen India has outsold Skoda India in a straight fight since December 2023!

VW as a brand is much stronger than Skoda with slightly better products as well (no rattling interiors atleast in 2.0 cars )

However with Kylaq launch, its changing since its a much superior product than Kushaq/Taigun which were sales laggards & will now be beaten down more.

Wishful thinking but it will be great if VW did this.

VW should accelerate the development of sub 4m SUV on the lines of VW Tera. This would give it a distinct identity than Kylaq. Of this, spawn the Chome, GT models.

As Petr Janeba hinted, later plonk that sweet 1.5 TSI engine with manual & automatic transmissions & give the folks the VW GTI & Skoda vRS versions.

They may just finish the Taigun/Kushaq but hey atleast the cannibalization would occur within the group.

[Tekina19]

Originally Posted by Sri0030

Mostly probably it's gonna be a Kylaq equivalent. Coz bringing a hatchback at this point of time makes zero sense when the demand of hatch's has gone down completely.

Really? Just look at the numbers Maruti is doing in hatchback segment. Currently Maruti is selling around 1 million cars per year in hatchback segment. On an average Maruti selling more than 50K of Swift, Baleno and Fronx. If VW can grab 5-7 % share also, its a very good number for them IMHO.

[volkman10]

Volkswagen India:

As we celebrate this milestone, we honour the legacy that continues to inspire. Even though production has now come to a close, but its spirit drives on!

Hope they don't dilute the brand Polo and let it represent an icon of engineering and design, the German way!

[Rumblestrip]

Originally Posted by Tekina19

Really? Just look at the numbers Maruti is doing in hatchback segment. Currently Maruti is selling around 1 million cars per year in hatchback segment. On an average Maruti selling more than 50K of Swift, Baleno and Fronx. If VW can grab 5-7 % share also, its a very good number for them IMHO.

Maruti is a market leader for a reason. They have absolute monopoly in the hatchback segment. All major OEMs tried their luck but couldn't crack the segment. Maruti's USP is budget friendly small displacement cars with jaw dropping fuel efficiency. On the contrary, VAG is known for robust cars with performance oriented engines.

5-7% of the overall hatch sales couldn't do much for them as the margins are slim and historically they suffer to keep the costs under control. Already the 2.0 cars with cost cutting put a dent in their brand image. So, a huge investment on a dying segment may not be a wise decision.

IMHO VAG should follow Mahindra's way. Make robust premium SUVs in the 20-50L segment. The upcoming CBU launches are in the right direction.

[volkman10]

Volkswagen announces start of production of the Tera SUV in Brazil.





- 100% designed, developed and produced in Brazil, the New Tera arrives in the first half of the year to democratize the SUV segment in the country, in which Volkswagen is already the leader.

-SUVW Tera has an 80% nationalization rate and has 241 parts suppliers, of which more than 230 are Brazilian companies.

-With global strength, the Tera SUVW will be exported to more than 25 countries in Latin America and Africa from the second half of the year.

- The Tera SUVW will hit the national market this semester to democratize the SUV segment and will be positioned between the Polo and the Nivus, being the brand's entry-level SUV.

Source: Volkswagen

[volkman10]

Volkswagen's Tera to be manufactured in S Africa under a new name.

Following local and global market trends, the new Kariega-produced vehicle – the recently-revealed Tera, as it is dubbed in Brazil – will be a Polo-based crossover/SUV that caters to buyers in the budget-oriented crossover/SUV segment. During the Indaba, Volkswagen added that the new model is yet to be given a local name so it is unlikely that the Latin based Tera name will be carried through for Mzansi.

The significant news is that Volkswagen will need to close the entire assembly line for a month (between mid-March and mid-April 2025) to refurbish the plant for manufacturing the new model. However, all Polo iterations are expected to not have production shortfalls with strategic planning.

Link: