Volkswagen Rocktan

Overall

The Volkswagen - Suzuki collaboration has indicated some new products to be unveiled in auto industry with the Volkswagen badge; the former holds 19.9 per cent stake in Suzuki. It is speculated that both the partners will launch the new Volkswagen Rocktan, Alto and Wagon R with the VW badge. Out of these three, Volkswagen Rocktan will be a new vehicle while the rest of two will be refreshed versions. The Rocktan is reported to be based on Suzuki SX4; it will be a low priced city crossover SUV and will have to compete with the likes of Toyota Urban Cruiser and Nissan Juke. This all new Volkswagen Rocktan is believed to carry all wheel drive system of its base model- Suzuki SX4. The Rocktan will be positioned between the Volkswagen Cross Polo and the Volkswagen Tiguan.
 
If the media reports are to be believed, the Volkswagen Rocktan might be launched with both type of powertrain i.e. petrol and diesel; the petrol model will have 1.4 litre TSI engine while the diesel one will be 1.6 litre and 1.2 litre TDI mill. The partners may either use K series engines of Suzuki or Volkswagen's power plants in the upcoming Volkswagen Rocktan. The expected price of the new product is around Rs 12 lakh in India. The pricing will also depend on the plant they use; if it will be produced in India, it might have a Rs 12 lakh price tag. On the other hand, if it is manufactured outside India, it will be priced at approx. Rs 20 lakh. Similarly, to be successful in India, the competitive pricing of the SUV would make a difference for sure; it is also seen in context of VW future planning of becoming the largest auto maker in the world as well as in India.

The yet-to-be-launched Volkswagen Rocktan will get benefit of German technology, fit and finish and aggressive marketing strategies of both the partners; vast network of Suzuki all over the world will also be utilized to ensure the success of partner products. It is to be noted here that the Suzuki SX4 has not been that successful car as the other Suzuki car models and certainly demand more ground work in terms of Volkswagen Rocktan design, engine and performance. The current portfolio of Volkswagen India comprises of Volkswagen Polo, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Touareg, Volkswagen Jetta and Volkswagen Passat. The new entrant in the Volkswagen India stable is Polo which has given the sales of VW vehicles a much needed boost. The company is expecting same kind of response to the upcoming products launched solely or through alliance with Suzuki.