VW India’s 50,000th export car headed for Mexico

Volkswagen India has reached an export milestone. Its 50,000th export model, a left-hand-drive Vento sedan headed for Mexico, has rolled off the production line from the Chakan plant near Pune.

The landmark export number comes up in two-and-a-half years after the carmaker began export operations. Starting with South Africa as its first overseas market, VW India now exports to 32 countries.

Export operations have helped hedge the company’s slow sales in India. In Q1 2014, sales in India fell to 10,500 units (January-March 2013: 16,600), down 36.8 percent.

The Vento has helped give a fillip to the company’s exports, particularly with the entry into the Mexican market in October last year. Originally developed for the Indian market, the Vento sees good demand in the North American country where it replaced the Jetta Classico. This year, almost every third car manufactured at the Volkswagen Pune Plant will be shipped to Mexico.

Commenting on the export achievement, Mahesh Kodumudi, chief representative of Volkswagen Group India and president and MD of Volkswagen India, said: “The rising demand from Mexico mirrors the positive customer feedback for the Vento. Not only does this success help us in tackling the volatilities in the domestic market, but it also strengthens our export leg of the business in a sustainable way.”

Along with the Vento, VW India also exports the Polo hatchback. Also, since April 2013, other than the completely built units, Vento and Polo parts and components manufactured at the Pune Plant are being shipped to Malaysia for assembly in that country since April 2013.