Aug 25: Volkswagen is reported to have shelved its plans to introduce the Polo and Vento built on the MQB platform in India. The decision is intended to cut costs to save about $9 billion over the next ten years, following the debilitating dieselgate emissions scandal.

The Polo and Vento, built on the MQB platform, was set to make its way into the Indian market by 2018-19 to make the VV’s Indian portfolio quite the same as its global portfolio. Along with these product plans, a $500 million investment was also on the cards for improving its infrastructure, equipment and products.

Despite these plans, the Volkswagen has revised its plans to work on the existing PQ25 architecture, which the Polo and Vento would be based on. The Volkswagen internally calls it the PQ26. Essentially with the same architecture, the PQ25 would have more of connectivity features to make for modern interactive equipment. Besides the Polo and the Vento, a new compact SUV has also been contemplated by the German manufacturer to build using the same platform with a 1.0-litre mill, dubbed the MQ100.

The Volkswagen calls it the “austerity measures” taken across the globe to save the $9 billion, after the emission scandal. World over, the Volkswagen has also cut down on the number of shifts in countries like Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina, while only India gets a third shift to facilitate production of the ameo.

Despite all these details, the Volkswagen is well aware of the fact that customers wouldn’t mind which platform or architecture a car is built on. The customers will only want to see what final product the Volkswagen brings with the German DNA, believes the Volkswagen.