MUMBAI: Europe??™s largest car maker Volkswagen yesterday announced the launch of its first locally assembled premium car, the Passat Sedan, in India.

Volkswagen said India??™s fast-growing car market was an important area for expansion by the company.

???The Passat will set the pace for our future product launches in India, which is a key market for strategic growth,??? Joerg Mueller, president of Volkswagen (VW) India, said.

The car is VW??™s first locally assembled model in India. The Passat TDI 2.0-litre highline will be available in two versions in India, priced at between $54,645 and 59,535.

Passat is among the most successful VW cars after the Golf and the Beetle, with sales of 14mn units globally since its launch in 1973, a company statement said.

???The Passat embodies the best of VW??™s engineering, design and technology,??? said Andreas Orinz, managing director of VW group sales India.

Other popular VW cars ??” the Phaeton and Touareg ??” are imported into India.

The Passat??™s launch will increase competition in the premium passenger car segment that includes the Toyota Camry, Nissan Teana, Mercedes C Class, BMW 3 series and Audi A4, industry experts say.

The Passat will be assembled at the VW group company Skoda Auto??™s assembly plant in Aurangabad in the western state of Maharashtra, which produces about 25,000 Skodas annually for the Indian market.

The Passat??™s features include airbags, an anti-brake-locking system and electronic stabilisation programme and a top speed of 206 kilometres per hour - AFP

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