Volkswagen compact sedan spotted – EXCLUSIVE

Volkswagen has been working on a compact sedan and one of our team members Yash Karia has spotted this new vehicle as it was being tested. At the moment, the entry-level sedan to the Volkswagen brand is the Vento, and soon this compact sedan will be the placed below the Vento. Volkswagen will be showcasing this compact sedan at the 2016 Auto Expo and the launch is due by mid-2016.

The compact sedan is one of the fastest growing segments and Volkswagen will be want to have its share of pie in it. Ford is the latest entrant in this segment with the Figo Aspire and by next year even Volkswagen will be a part of this segment. The Volkswagen compact sedan will be based on the Polo, with a similar wheelbase (the Vento has a longer wheelbase than the Polo for more rear space). This means that the boot will be large enough and the design will not look out of proportion.

The Volkswagen compact sedan will be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission, then a 1.5-litre diesel engine will also power this German sedan. The diesel will come with a five-speed manual transmission and a maybe even a seven-speed dual clutch transmission option too. The pricing of this compact sedan should be about INR 6.5-9.5 lakhs (on-the-road after all the taxes).

The following are the changes on the Volkswagen compact sedan as osberved by Yash (who clicked these images) when compared to the regular Vento and Polo:

1) Revised headlamp and grille design

2) Tail lamp shape similar to Vento, but different in styling

3) Similar centre console like the Polo and the Vento

Volkswagen has been exporting from its Chakan plant and last year the German brand shipped 65,000 units, which will be increased to 70,000 units this year. Volkswagen seems to be committed to the Make in India campaign and it will be even making products as per the Indian car market. First comes the compact sedan, followed by the compact SUV, which will be launched in 2017.