Volkswagen-Suzuki to develop compact car
Volkswagen and Maruti Suzuki are planning to develop a new compact car, which would be able to replace Alto and would likely be priced between 2-2.5 lakh rupees.
“We will need a car in the Rs 2.5 lakh price range. First we had the M800, then the Alto. At some point we will need a replacement for the Alto. That price range is the entry level for Indian customers today, so we can’t leave that segment open,” Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava said.
While Fabian Mannecke, the spokesman for Volkswagen said, “Volkswagen will be greatly interested in a car below the price segment of the Up, which we have already displayed in India, and that is something we will need to check in our future together with Suzuki.”
On Wednesday Volkswagen and Japan’s Suzuki Motor had announced a deal which will see the German car maker picking up a 19.9% stake in Suzuki for $2.5 billion. Both companies plan to jointly develop small cars and electric vehicles.
