BMW X6, the most unconventional product from the German car marque is about to face some serious challenge from indigenous auto maker, Volkswagen. The Bavarian-based auto giant is a well-established name in the auto industry, which is famous for coming up with futuristic products to beat the competition by miles. It was the brand to create a niche segment for entry-level crossovers in the Indian auto industry and, thus, gaining the early advantage with a wide gap over its rivals.
X6 is one such product from BMW, which has managed to hold its ground even after facing a fair bit of criticism. This eccentric model, which happens to be a blend of a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and coupe, is brought to the country as Completely Built Unit (CBU) and is sold in limited numbers. The car maker has positioned this model above the X5, thus, making it the most expensive in the lot.
With the increasing penchant for BMW X6, the rivals and compatriots, Audi and Mercedes-Benz are also in the procedure to come up with a new model to pose some stiff competition to this crossover. While Audi is in the process to develop Q6 crossover, Mercedes-Benz is working on the MLC to pitch it against the X6. Another worthy competitor in the battlefield happens to be Volkswagen, which is gearing up to launch a new model to ward off BMW X6.
According to the reports, the new car from VW will be built on the much-acclaimed luxury SUV, Touareg and will be introduced with the moniker of Touareg CC. The upcoming model will be much lighter than the SUV with almost 300 kg being shaved off. Touareg CC crossover is expected to make its debut in Germany by 2014 and thereafter may head towards Indian shores by 2015, considering that the Touareg SUV is already on sale in the country.
The new car, in all possibilities, will feature a coupe-like roofline to square off against BMW X6 and yet-to-be launched Audi Q6. However with the new product, it seems like the car maker would like to exploit both – SUVs and the crossover market, since it has plans to launch two variants of its next generation Touareg. The SUV variant of the model will boast of higher ground clearance and will feature better off-roading capabilities, while the CC crossover variant will cater to the buyers who desire better handling.
In all likelihood, the car will be based on the MLB platform which is shared by a majority of Volkswagen products. This will help the car maker to reap advantages like parts sharing and common production unit benefits. Other brands utilising the same platform include Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley. The MLB platform support both front wheel and all-wheel drive models.
Practicing its regular launch philosophy, it seems that Volkswagen will introduce the new crossover model in petrol and diesel options this time as well. However, the Indian launch of the car remains clouded by the fact that Volkswagen's offerings in the domestic market above Rs. 20 lacs like Passat, Beetle, Touareg and Phaeton are more of a brand building products that are aimed at warding off competition from top German trios. So it seems like the auto maker will give the car more preference in global arena, where the Touareg is already witnessing a decent demand rather than in the Indian auto market.
