Volkswagen India has already received 160 advance bookings for its iconic car, the Beetle, to be launched on December 4, 2009. Buoyed by the positive response to the car, the company is expecting to sell at least 500 units of it next year. This is in spite of the fact that the Beetle will be 4 times costlier than the soon-to-be-launched VW Polo, because of the high import duty on it. The Polo will be manufactured in India, while the Beetle will come to the country as a CBU from Mexico.
Expected to be priced at Rs 22 lakh, the Beetle will come in a single 2-litre petrol variant with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. It will feature the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and multiple airbags, and will have an approximate fuel efficiency of 13-14 km/litre.
In comparison to the enthusiastic reception of the Beetle, the Indian car buyer’s response to other small cars in the luxury segment has been rather lukewarm. The Fiat 500, priced at Rs 15 lakh, has sold only 62 units since its launch 17 months back.
Volkswagen must be very happy with the response in India. This proves that the Beetle is truly an iconic car. The Touareg will also make its official entry in India.