Volkswagen Beetle Facelift Coming To India In 2017

Yes, India will get the facelift version of the Beetle in 2017, but the timeline is yet to be decided. The car, which is built in Mexico, will probably be launched in the 4th quarter of 2017. With the previous gen Beetle, Volkswagen managed to sell 500 units of the car in India and there was a better, if not a similar performance expected from the current generation. Volkswagen has managed to sell 175 units of the Beetle since its launch in India till the 31st October 2016 and this seems to be a promising start.

The proportions of the facelift verison of the Beetle will most likely be unchanged

Most of the changes will be cosmetic, so we expect a new face which keeps in line with the VW family. Of course the Beetle will retain in legendary shape and there's no tampering with that considering it's been that way and loved for it for 70 years. Under the hood we expect the same 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine which delivers 147bhp with a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The Beetle will take the CBU route to India and will rival the likes of the MINI Cooper, the Mercedes A-Class, the BMW 1-Series and the Fiat 500 Abarth.

While the facelift of the Beetle will be revealed in the first half of 2017, there's a good reason why India won't get it immediately. There are two more big launches coming our way from the Volkswagen stable - the new Passat and the Tiguan. While we were earlier told that the Passat might come this year, Volkswagen wanted to concentrate on the sales of the Ameo and so decided that both the cars will make their way to India next year.

Volkswagen Beetle facelift will come to India as a CBU unit

We've driven the Passat GTE which will be the company's first hybrid car in India and we've also got behind the wheel of the Tiguan which will see VW target the SUV segment in India(though not for the first time). The Tiguan is a vital car for Volkswagen as even Skoda will be joining the SUV party with the Kodiaq soon. We know how important these launches are for India but the cars coming from the Volkswagen stable will help in consolidating its position here as also add to its portfolio. While there's a lot more brewing behind closed doors at VW, we will keep you posted on what to expect.