Exclusive | Plan to reintroduce Polo in India not in pipeline currently, says Volkswagen
Volkswagen Polo was launched in India in 2010 and discontinued in 2022.
Volkswagen currently has no plans to reintroduce the Polo in India as it would be challenging to justify the business case for such a move, according to a senior company official. The carmaker's current portfolio includes the Virtus mid-size sedan, the Taigun mid-size SUV and the Tiguan premium SUV.
Launched in India in 2010 as a sub-4 metre premium hatchback, the Volkswagen Polo was discontinued in 2022. It rivalled the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20, Tata Altroz, Toyota Glanza and Honda Jazz.
Volkswagen sold merely 11,816 units of the Polo in the Financial Year 2021-22, according to data from the industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
While low volume was one of the major reasons Polo got axed, the carmaker also shifted focus on new models, Virtus and Taigun, based on the India-specific MQB-AO-IN platform, under the Volkswagen Group's India 2.0 project.
In an exclusive interaction with India Today, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India Brand Director Ashish Gupta said: "Currently, we do not have a plan to reintroduce the Polo or the new generation Polo available in other markets. This decision is based on the market dynamics, pricing considerations and our business case. We have decided not to go into that segment as of now."
"However, the automotive market is dynamic, and one cannot predict future trends with certainty. The tendency towards premiumisation in the Indian market might aid us in the future. I am aware of the legacy and brand love associated with the Polo, and while we do not have a plan at the moment, we are open to possibilities," he added.
Although the hatchback segment has seen a decline in the face of stiff competition from the SUV segment, the premium hatchback space has been able to hold its fort with models witnessing a handsome demand.
For reference, the Baleno clocked 19,630 units in volume in January 2024, while the i20 did 7,083 units. The Altroz posted 4,935 units followed by the Glanza at 3,740 units.
Despite no shortage in demand for the premium hatchback models, Volkswagen is not keen on looking at the Polo for the Indian market again.
"The business case for reintroducing the Polo in India with the current product and regulatory framework, especially the sub-4 metre rule, is challenging for us to justify at this time," Gupta observed.