All is not well with Volkswagen in Goa. Volkswagen Goa, the sole dealership has been shut down for the second time, leaving the customers in frenzy and a state of confusion.
Volkswagen started their journey in Goa in the year 2011 with Caculo motors being appointed as the first dealership. (Read VW to open new dealer in Goa). Caculo Motors made good progress in Goa, with decent numbers as the brand was very popular in Goa, thanks to the Beetle which is quite a common scene during the Portuguese Era.
Caculo then shifted to Porvorim to a larger showroom in 2011 which was shut down in 2012. (Read VW Goa dealer now in Porvorim)
In 2013 Kholapur based business group Mohite took up the dealership in North Goa and became the sole agent for VW cars in Goa. (Read Volkswagen Goa North Opens in Porvorim)
Mohite Automotive also set-up a new state of the art workshop in Verna industrial estate which is a hub for auto dealers in Goa.
We recently got a tip of VW showroom being shifted to Verna and the current showroom being closed down. When enquired at the service centre, we were informed of sales operation being completely stopped and the staff had no idea from where one could purchase a new Volkswagen car.
We have got some news of a new dealership being set-up in Porvorim and it could be taken up by a new agent all together. We are yet to confirm if Mohite Automotive have completely stopped operations.
With mining completely shut down and poor economic conditions the automotive market has taken a big hit. This could be one reason for the closure.
We are certain Volkswagen will soon establish a new dealership in Goa, considering the high number of premium car sales in the state.
Volkswagen introduced the refreshed Vento a couple of weeks back and plans to further enhance its portfolio with more launches in the future.
Volkswagen currently offers the Polo, Polo GT TSI, Polo GTD, Cross Polo, Vento and Jetta in India. VW plans to introduce the new Passat, Beetle, Tiguan SUV and a new sub-4 metre compact sedan based on the Polo.