Hot wheels

New Delhi, Aug. 21: German car maker Volkswagen is planning to launch the mid-sized sedan Jetta in India next year.

The car will be assembled at Skoda’s Aurangabad factory using completely-knocked-down kits from Puebla, Mexico. Volkswagen AG had acquired Skoda in 1991. Based in the Czech Republic, Skoda Auto develops, manufactures and markets passenger cars throughout the world.

The Jetta is a Golf hatchback with a boot. It will be based on the A5 Golf platform like Skoda’s Laura. The Jetta is likely to compete with the Hyundai Verna, Maruti Suzuki SX4 and the Ford Fiesta.

The car is likely to be launched both in the petrol and diesel versions and priced between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 9 lakh.

Around two lakh cars were sold in the mid-sized segment in India in the last financial year.

Sources say Volkswagen will go for a 1.6-litre engine as part of its petrol line-up, using its patented FSI technology. The diesel engine may sport a 1.9-litre TDI engine, which is also present in Skoda Octavia.

Volkswagen India will continue to assemble its cars at the Aurangabad plant for the next two years till it moves to its plant in Pune. the Pune unit is expected to manufacture nearly 1,10,000 units a year. The company will invest around Rs 2,500 crore in this facility.

Volkswagen has recently set up a sales company called Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited in Mumbai to focus on the Indian market. The company will launch the Passat, its first car assembled in India, in September.