Volkswagen commences production of Vento at Pune

Volkswagen India  has commenced production of its first mid-sized sedan, the Vento from its Chakan plant near Pune that started production a year ago.

The Vento is the 18th model from the Volkswagen Group in India of which three are fully produced in Pune and eight are assembled in Aurangabad.

After the launch of its compact car Polo in February this year, the Vento is Volkswagen's second car targeting the mass market. It will be positioned at the upper-end of the country's mid-sized sedan segment.

The German car maker said that the Vento is the first car from Volkswagen to have been designed "keeping in mind the special needs of Indian customers and will be exclusively manufactured in India."

''India is a strategic long-term growth market for the Volkswagen Group," said Joerg Mueller, Volkswagen Group chief representative India and president and managing director Volkswagen India Private Limited.

The start of production of the Vento is more than just the roll-out of a car, he said, adding, "In fact, in the last three years, the Volkswagen Group has launched a new model in India every two months, which reflects our strong belief in the potential of the market here.''