Volkswagen has announced the launch of an IPL edition of its entry level luxury sedan Vento, priced at Rs 7.24 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The model will go on sale from April 8, the day the fourth season of the Indian Premier League kicks off, through its network of dealerships in 57 cities.

The company is one of five on ground partners for the IPL, and will be the exclusive automobile partner for the fourth and fifth seasons of the property.

Explaining the brand's association with the IPL at a press conference, Mr Lutz Kothe, Head of Marketing and PR, Volkswagen Group Sales Pvt Ltd, said, “Volkswagen has a legacy of association with sports. In India, it was obvious that cricket had the largest fan base among sports. The brand fit is right for us given the innovation that is common to Volkswagen and IPL.”

Vision

He noted that the association was in line with the company's vision of being the “most innovative high volume brand.” Mr Kothe also reasoned that the IPL's reach through television to over 118 countries made sense for a global brand like Volkswagen.

As on ground sponsor, Volkswagen will engage in in-stadium advertising, besides displaying cars at all 51 IPL4 matches. Dealer integration and consumer engagement modules have also been drawn up.

The Vento IPL edition is billed as the first ‘action model' introduced in India from the Volkswagen stable, and boasts of a touch screen multimedia player featuring, among other things, a built-in navigation system and a rear camera interface for parking.

Sales

Since its launch in September 2010, the Vento claims sales of 14,400 units. The base version is priced at Rs 6.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Volkswagen spokesperson stated that the IPL edition of the car is expected to push up volumes of Vento, without specifying a number.

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