VW today launched its fashion icon Beetle and its first SUV for India, Touareg in Mumbai. The coming of the Beetle has been emphasized with biblical significance for quite some time now and frankly I can’t see why. We already knew it is going to be a CBU and prices well over 15lakh mark but still we couldn’t help get excited about its coming. Now that it has come and at an ex-showroom Delhi price of Rs.20.45 Lakhs what do we reckon?
Now this segment that the Beetle is entering has only one player the Fiat Cinquecento (love Italian, even 500 sounds so soulful) which is 6lakhs cheaper than the beetle and hell of a lot better looking. Since these two are considered to be in the same segment the 500 sure seems the winner but wait a minute before you get all judgmental. The 500 offered for 6lakhs cheaper than the beetle is a 1.2litre and is sold in UK for an equivalent of Rs. 6lakhs the beetle on the other hand has a bigger 2liter engine and is sold in UK for an equivalent of Rs. 12lakhs. Add the 110% import tax on both and clearly the Beetle wins out but again you have to wait a minute more to figure this one out. 20 odd lakhs for a car which is this small and minimal on interior luxuries seems a bit too much for my Indian brain, I feel VW has missed this one by not launching the cheaper 1.4litre variant which would have made a better price perspective with the 500. After all it’s the beetle body that sells who cares about the engine.
Beetle Specifications:
The Touareg on the other hand sits sensible in the Indian market. Sure it wouldn’t be easy for VW to sell it with ease either as this segment is ruled my Q7s and X5s both of which are quite the tool need for a going off-road. But at a price of Rs. 51.85Lakhs Touareg does have a selling point.
Touareg Specifications:
Image Gallery:
Press Release:
Photo courtesy: Team-BHP
Volkswagen New Beetle: -Return of a Legend
Volkswagen also introduces the Touareg – Road Dominating
Mumbai, December 4, 2009: Volkswagen, Europe’s largest car maker today announced the launch of the iconic – New Beetle, and its road
dominating sports utility vehicle – The Touareg in India The New Beetle will be priced at Rs 20.45 Lakhs and the Touareg at Rs.51.85 Lakhs (all prices ex-Showroom Delhi) Speaking at the launch, Mr. Neeraj Garg, Member of Board and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said, “We are excited to bring this iconic Beetle, to India after its success across the world for decades.” “The Beetle is the very first Volkswagen car people remember about; with its unique shape and reliability, it wrote motoring history. People’s fascination for this lovable bug shaped car has made the Beetle one of the world’s most popular cars across decades and Volkswagen is proud to bring its legend into India,” he said. He further added, “The launch of the Touareg is our marketing debut in the SUV segment. India has a great demand for SUV. The Touareg has been successful across countries and the entry will further enhance our presence in the market.” India is a key market for our overall strategic growth plans and we are sure that the launch of two of our best products will affirm our commitment to provide the latest technology and high value to our Indian customers”.
New BEETLE:
The New Beetle is a marvel design of German engineering based on the
level of successful series. The New Beetle is equipped with a 2.0 litre 4
cylinder petrol engine with an output of 115HP at 5400 rpm. It is paired
with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Advanced occupant safety is one of the key features of the New Beetle which comes equipped with 4
airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stabilization
Programme (ESP) and engine immobilizers. It is equipped with a 6 CD changer, power steering for better drivability,body coloured exterior mirror housings, tailgate handle and heat insulating tinted glass.
The large 15” alloy wheels, ensconced in their flared arches, give it a
higher and more commanding stance.The lights, refined lines, fresh color palette and new fabric seat covers are few details that are additions to the new Beetle.The front centre armrests and the dashboard are proof of the sure instinct of high design quality which interprets the classic elements of the New Beetle in a contemporary way.The round stern, dome shaped roof, rear section, the fenders with the hint of a footboard, the embedded round head and tail lights – bring back
memories of the Beetle while the sharp accented lines and windows
confirm the up-to-date design and express youthful energy.
TOUAREG:
The Touareg is a powerful SUV. It has been specifically designed to
satisfy the needs of customers in the areas of drivability, maneuverability and fuel efficiency. The Touareg sports the marvel of German engineering which is built to overcome every obstacle, on and off the road. The Touareg is a complete getaway car offering 4×4 permanent All wheel drive.
The tall aggressive stance is complimented by a robust 3 Litre V6 TDI
(diesel) engine with 6 speed DSG gear box. The Touareg develops its
enormous power of 240HP at 4000-4400 rpm. The SUV accelerates from
0 to 100 km/h in just 7.8 seconds. The Touareg offers an electric sliding/tilting sunroof for driver comfort and enjoy the view from the inside. The car comes equipped with an electric 12 way adjustable seats which becomes convenient for the passengers, with three programmable memory options present for driver seat and electrically folding outside rear view mirror for better visibility.
The Touareg further offers genuine leather seat upholstery and 230V
power socket in rear luggage compartment The vehicle has been designed keeping in mind the customers love of traveling to hill regions and weekend retreats. The vehicle offers 45 degree hill climbing ability, 35 degree side slope angle and impressing wadding depth of 500mm, all this in a safe environment with 8 airbags. The Touareg has been designed to meet and even surpass the standards of some of the world’s leading SUV’s.
