Volkswagen is witnessing a strong spurt in demand for the diesel variant of its models. No wonder that they decided to launch the 6th generation Jetta only with a diesel engine.

VW’s bestsellers Polo and Vento are selling much more diesel variants than petrol. “ When we launched the Polo, 60 percent of its sales was from the petrol variant and 40 percent from diesel. Today it’s just the opposite”, says Neeraj Garg, Board member and Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars. It is s similar story for the VW Vento. The midsizer which sells around 2,500 units a month sees 70 percent of its sales coming from the diesel variant. When the Vento was launched late last year, contribution from the diesel variant was only 30 percent.

The latest Jetta may be joined by a petrol variant later. VW has a 8 percent share in the Jetta segment. With the new car sporting an entry level price of Rs. 14.12 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is slightly lower than the outgoing model. The top end Jetta is priced at close to Rs. 18 lakh. VW says it has a 8 percent share in the Jetta segment. With the new introduction, it hopes to improve that figure.

VW sold 32,500 cars in India last year. During the January-July period this year, it has sold 45,000 cars.