Volkswagen India manufactures record 145,145 cars in 2016

Volkswagen India has announced that it has recorded its highest-ever annual production in since production began at its plant in Chakan, near Pune, in 2009. Total car production at the plant since inception has now crossed the 720,000 unit mark.

The German carmaker produced a record 145,145 units in 2016, which marks 17 percent year-on-year growth.  In 2015, the German automaker had rolled out 123,456 cars, 12,012 units or 10 percent more as compared to 2014.

Since the start of operations, the state-of-the-art facility in Pune has surpassed many milestones, from starting production for export in 2010, producing left-hand-drive cars in 2012 to manufacturing the first Make-for-India product – the Ameo – in 2016.

The company says the Volkswagen Pune Plant facility is the only German car manufacturing plant that covers the entire production process from the press shop to assembly and manufactures a range of vehicles including the Volkswagen Polo, Ameo, Vento and the Skoda Rapid.

In 2016 calendar year, the plant produced over 36,700 Polo hatchbacks, 15,400 Ameo sedans (since production started in May 2016), 83,300 Ventos and 9,600 Rapids, catering to the growing demand from the domestic as well as the export market. The plant also assemblies the 1.5-litre TDI engine.

Domestic production in 2016 was over 60,500 units from the Pune Plant, an almost-12 percent rise from 2015. Production of export units, which includes the Polo and the Vento, stood at over 84,500 cars in 2016, up 22 percent over export numbers in 2015.

A batch of export-ready Vento cars at the Mumbai Port. 
 

Additionally, the Volkswagen Pune Plant also crossed the milestone of manufacturing over 250,000 cars for the export market since the production for export markets started in 2010. Volkswagen India, like Ford India, Nissan Motor India and GM India, has seen its export operations drive gains and in turn balance domestic sales numbers.

The German major exports cars from its Pune plant to over 35 countries across the four continents of Asia, Africa, North America and South America. Mexico is its biggest export market, contributing over 80 percent of its overseas volumes. 

March 2016 marked five years of passenger car exports for Volkswagen India which has seen its export programme become a key growth driver. Apart from fully built cars, Volkswagen’s Pune facility also exports components of its Polo and Vento cars to Malaysia where they are assembled for the local market. 

Commenting on the company’s production numbers in 2016, Dr Andreas Lauermann, president and MD, Volkswagen India, said, “This is the fourth year in a row that the Volkswagen Pune Plant has recorded a growth in its production volume. Despite a challenging year, there was a surge in demand for our cars this year. The main contributor for the increased production was the high demand from our Indian customers who have appreciated the made-for-India and made-in-India Ameo. Along with that, the Vento, whose success in India and around the world, has been noteworthy contributor too.”

The Volkswagen Pune Plant has so seen an investment of over € 825 million (₨ 5,720 crore) and has achieved a localisation level of approximately 82 percent (without engines and transmissions).

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