Volkswagen will be producing the 1.5-litre TDI diesel engine at the new assembly plant that will power models like the Polo, Vento and Skoda Rapid sedan.
Expanding its operations in India, Volkswagen India has inaugurated a new diesel engine assembly plant along with a full-fledged engine testing facility within its Chakan based facility near Pune. With the new engine assembly plant, the German auto giant has made a substantial effort in increasing local content in its vehicles. Built with an investment of 30 million Euros (Rs. 240 crores), the new facility was established in a period of 11 months and is comparable to Volkswagen’s international facilities in Poland and Germany in terms of quality.
The new engine assembly plant will be operating over a space of 3450 sq. metres within the premises of the Chakan facility that also manufactures a host of mass market models for Volkswagen. Primarily, the plant will be producing the 1.5-litre 4-cylinder TDI engine that is available in two outputs – 90 PS and 230 Nm of torque and 105 PS and 250 Nm of torque, and currently powers the Polo and its derivatives, Vento and Skoda Rapid. Volkswagen says that the engine currently comes with only 25 percent local content with 29 out of 166 parts sourced locally. With the engine assembly plant operational, the automaker is looking to source up to 50 major components locally.
Employing over 260 personnel directly, the engine assembly plant will have a capacity to assemble 98,000 units annually in a 3-shift system. In order to make sure of highest quality standards, the plant has been equipped with a state-of-the-art engine testing facility inclusive of a Cold Test station, a Hot Test bench and an Engine Dynamometer apart from an extensive engine test laboratory. The engine assembly will not only ensure lower manufacturing costs but also reduce the cost of spares. This in turn will help reduce the cost of ownership of Volkswagen vehicles.
