Volkswagen to enter India's sub-4m SUV market by 2027
Volkswagen is finally joining the sub-4-meter SUV race in India, with a new model set for launch by 2027.
This will be its first entry into the country's most popular car segment, which accounts for close to 28% of the entire industry's volume.
The SUV will be built locally on the MQB-A0-IN platform, with Thomas Schafer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, saying, "I would dare to say that we have aspirations to grow significantly in India, not incrementally," and be the most accessible Volkswagen yet in India.
Schafer highlights India as Volkswagen hub
Thomas Schafer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, says this move is about serious growth, by stepping into a segment it has skipped before.
He also sees big export potential since compact SUVs are not widely available in VW's global lineup.
Plus, Schafer highlighted that India is not just a manufacturing base anymore; it is becoming a hub for research, IT development, and vehicle R&D as well as IT work within Volkswagen.