It was only last week when VW and Tata Motors inked a deal to work on a series of models under the leadership of Skoda and now slightly more details about the alliance have been released. The new products are being referred to as "economy vehicles," so expect their starting prices to significantly undercut those of models from Skoda, once the entry-level brand of the Volkswagen Group.
Bear in mind that besides India's Tata Motors, VW has signed similar partnerships with FAW and JAC to serve the Chinese market. These new models for the People's Republic will cost anywhere between €8,000 and €11,000 (about $8,500 and $11,700), according to Autocar. Leading the way is believed to be a midsize SUV set to be followed shortly by a sedan and a hatchback.
The first "economy vehicles" are slated to go on sale in 2018 and will be followed by others in 2019, according to VW. In the People's Republic (at least), these will be sold under a newly established brand that doesn't have a name yet. The China-bound cars might be sold in other regions of the world, such as Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, India, and the Baltic region, but it's too soon to say whether it will actually happen.
In the same press release attached below, VW also sheds some details about its aggressive green push in a bid to try and clean up the huge self-inflicted mess made by the Dieselgate. More than 10 electrified models are going to be launched this year and in 2018, with more than 30 EVs scheduled to come out by the middle of the next decade.
Meanwhile, in excess of 60 new cars will be introduced by the group throughout 2017 and chances are some of them will be the third-generation Touareg midsize SUV and the second-gen Yeti compact crossover.
Aside from boosting its electrified car portfolio and refreshing its current products, let's remember VW has also pledged to improve its combustion engines to make them more efficient. It's going to do that by installing a particulate filter on gasoline engines to reduce particulate emissions by up to 90 percent. It will begin to happen from June with the VW Tiguan's 1.4-liter TSI and the Audi A5's 2.0-liter TFSI. Additional models across the group will gradually get the tech and the folks from Wolfsburg are estimating seven million cars fitted with this eco-friendly piece of kit will be on the roads by 2022.
