Renowned for a diverse product portfolio, VW is India-bound to rock the proverbial boat.

The call of emerging markets has sparked a race amongst manufacturers to build BRIC spec models. These are primarily cheaper than the cheapest models and Volkswagen, known for the Beetle, which put millions on wheels, is joining the bandwagon with its own small car apart from larger siblings.
Chairman of the board of management for Volkswagen, Martin Winterkorn, in the annual press conference 2007, confirmed that Russia and India are two nations with great growth potential. “We will construct a production plant at which we will start producing a small car model tailored to the needs of our Indian customers, beginning in 2009,” Winterkorn said, describing it as “an economical, everyday small car that looks attractive and is affordable.”

VW is currently developing an all-new small car, which happens to be a two-door, rear engined machine. However, this new car is due to arrive as late as 2011 as it’s still in its initial development stages. According to sources, this model will primarily be for the European markets. In addition, it will have small engines, like a single cylinder unit!

For India on the other hand, VW has announced it will launch a small car based on its current Polo platform. And this particular car is due to arrive here in 2009. Now, putting two and two together will tell you that this two-door, rear-engined car, will not be VW’s first small car in India, contrary to whatever you might have read elsewhere. The artist’s impression you see here however, will actually be the car you can buy starting in 2009. This one’s a variant of the Fox, which in turn is based on the Polo.

But does it look familiar? Sure - after all it’s a redesigned version of the Fox. But it seems the tall boy theme is fast getting out of fashion. The front end of the car looks aggressive. The bulges on the hood coupled to the sharp headlamps look hot. The large sculpted front bumper exudes a bold aura. However it’s the grille that gives the car character. VW has used similar grille designs in a host of other cars and it is fast becoming its corporate identity. The lower half serves the purpose of the air dam while the metal chunk in between will house the registration plates. Fog lamps too are positioned in the bumper and are surrounded by plastic inserts.

From the side the car has an angular look and the lines exude a sporty theme. Bulging wheel arches look meaty and endow the overall design with a sense of power. The rear window reveals the original lines of the Fox. Coupled with large alloy wheels and tyres this VW small car is sure to catch the fancy budget car buyers.
We had featured scoop pictures of Volkswagen Polos being tested in and around Pune recently, which surprisingly were not shrouded in disguise since the company was primarily testing the engines. Each car was scheduled to do at least 20,000 kilometres in a stipulated time frame; what confirmed it was absence of engine capacity decals.

Presuming that VW too would be eyeing excise duty benefits, they would probably have the 3-cylinder petrol engine from the Polo line in the new small car. Displacing 1198cc, this engine develops power in the region of 66PS@5400rpm and torque of 112Nm@3800rpm.

Maruti has raised the bar with the Swift diesel and VW sure will take it on with a diesel engine option for its maiden small car. In the offing is a 1.4-litre three-cylinder TDI PDE engine that can be tuned to generate power of 70PS@4000rpm and torque of 155Nm@1600rpm. However considering the Swift develops 76PS, VW might even retune this engine to develop 80PS of power that would make it stonking. Manufacturers can no longer ignore emerging markets, most importantly the small hatchback ones - and VW’s efforts substantiate this.

Besides the small car, VW according to reports also has the Jetta on its agenda. The Jetta is the sedan version of the compact car Golf, manufactured by Volkswagen since 1980.

The front end sports a chrome radiator grille similar to the small car one, probably the most prominent design feature. The front section is more sharp. From the side the Jetta looks like a sedate sedan. Typical stylistic touches include blinkers on the mirrors, a common feature these days. The C-pillar flows smoothly into the rear end exuding elegance. The large tail lamps look good with a circular theme. LEDs light up the rear.

The Jetta’s beige and grey toned interiors are bright and features 12-way programmable seats, which though are unlikely to feature in the Indian version.

There are numerous engine options available internationally. In India VW will probably opt for the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine that displaces 1595cc and generates 104PS@5600rpm and 148Nm of torque at 3800rpm. This engine might be retuned to produce up to 115PS of power. As for the diesel, the 1.9-litre TDI-PDE engine, which features a Variable Geometry Turbo, fits the bill. Displacing 1896cc, this engine develops 105PS@4000rpm. Torque figures are also respectable at 250Nm@1900rpm.

Considering that the Toyota Corolla worldwide is the archrival of the Jetta, VW will surely play with pricing to woo buyers.

The other big option happens to be the Passat. The company has confirmed that the car will primarily be assembled in Skoda’s Aurangabad plant by mid 2007. So does the Passat have enough grunt to justify a Rs 30 lakh tag?

The Passat too sports VW’s corporate grille. A generous sprinkle of chrome on the grille is surrounded by a contoured front bumper. The crease line coupled with the flared wheel arches on the side gives the Passat a sporty stance. From rear three-quarters the C-pillar blends elegantly into the boot. The LED backlights on the trunk door look splendid. The large rear bumper gives the car character. The Passat embodies a different pedigree.

The company will use 4-cylinder 16-valve diesel engine, which displaces 1968cc and generates a massive 170PS of power and 350Nm of torque. This engine features VW’s proprietary high pressure (2,050 bar) pump deuse system and a bi-turbo set-up. The other option would be the 2.0-litre FSI petrol engine generating 150PS@6000rpm of power and 200Nm@3500rpm of torque.

Welcome to Volkswagen country, folks…