Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd (SAVIPL) is planning to foray into the Indian EV (electric vehicle) market. There were talks that the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq would make their way to India. However, a fresh media report claims that VW might drop its plan to bring in the ID.4 as it would be a costly deal, and Volkswagen dealers are reportedly not showing confidence in the product. For context, SAVIPL was in talks with Mahindra & Mahindra to co-develop a cost-effective MEB21 platform, but things didn’t go well between both brands, and now Volkswagen has scrapped its PEAK EV project.
Now, the Volkswagen Group is taking a different route and considering an entry-level electric SUV based on the all-new, low-cost CMP 21 (China Main Platform) architecture. The upcoming Volkswagen electric car will challenge the dominance of the Tata Nexon, which is currently available within the price range of Rs 12.49 lakh – Rs 17.19 lakh. The new CMP platform will be developed by Volkswagen China and is reported to be 30 percent more affordable than the MEB 31. The CMP platform is compatible with midsize SUVs measuring between 4.3 – 4.8 metres in length.
The report further states that Skoda and Volkswagen will also be able to bring in electric iterations of their midsize SUVs – Kushaq and Taigun, respectively. If that happens, the Kushaq EV and Taigun EV will go head-to-head against EV offerings from MG, Mahindra, Tata, Maruti Suzuki, and Hyundai. The new CMP platform is also compatible with 7-seat configurations (SUV/MPV), allowing the carmaker to explore rivals for the upcoming Mahindra XUV.e9, Tata Harrier EV, and Safari EV.
Official details of Volkswagen Group’s CMP 21 platform are yet to be revealed, though it’s likely to support both RWD (rear-wheel drive) as standard and AWD (all-wheel drive) systems. This new architecture can accommodate batteries ranging from 40kWh to 80kWh and wheelbases up to 2771mm.
Volkswagen Group’s first CMP 21 platform-based product will be a 5-seater electric SUV that’s likely to arrive in 2027. All CMP-based EVs will comply with the upcoming CAFÉ III standards. In order to share the financial burden of the platform’s development, SAVIPL continues discussions with Mahindra, which reportedly has little interest in the proposal due to its own reasons.
