Coimbatore : Volkswagen India today announced the rebranding of its used car business ‘Das WeltAuto.’ to ‘Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned’, in a move that aligns with the Brand’s global positioning. The Brand also launched its first ‘Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned’ store in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned’ showroom was inaugurated by Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India at the inauguration ceremony held at Ramani Volkswagen Car Showroom, Mettupalayam Road, Coimbatore. Ramani Group Managing Director Sudarsan and others were present.

The strategic rebranding exercise is aimed at leveraging the strength and trust of the core Volkswagen brand, enhancing the pre-owned car program’s visibility and value in the India market. ‘Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned’ will continue to operate its successful multi-brand pre-owned car business, but with an emphasis on Volkswagen branded models.

Through ‘Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned’ the Brand is aiming at providing refurbishment, certification and warranties, wherever applicable for cars sold through this retail channel. In doing so, the Brand will aspire to create a proposition that sets it apart from industry peers thanks to a frictionless and fully digitized customer journey through the rebranding initiative.

Volkswagen India also announced the commencement of its Autofest Mega Exchange Carnival 2024 that offers customers a chance to upgrade to a new Volkswagen car with exciting benefits and deals available from 3rd July to 20th July 2024.

Mr. Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, said, “We are delighted to announce the strategic rebranding of our used car business to ‘Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned’. Rebranding our used car business, aligns with the global positioning of this business vertical for the Brand, while also emphasizing more on the trust that the Volkswagen Brand name commands. This move will help us better serve the growing demand for pre-owned vehicles, providing customers with high-quality, certified cars that they can rely on. We have already witnessed strong demand during 1st half of this year and we expect this momentum to grow stronger during the festive season.”

Mr. Gupta, Added, “We are also glad to have launched the 1st Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned store in Coimbatore today. Tamil Nadu continues to be an important state for us and commands one of the highest market share in our overall sales portfolio. With an increasing focus and presence in the state, we are also glad to share Virtus is the No.1 selling sedan in Tamil Nadu with a market share of 30 %.”

This rebranding also comes at a time of growing demand for pre-owned cars, as consumers increasingly seek aspirational vehicles at more accessible price points. The Brand’s used car business under the erstwhile ‘Das WeltAuto.’ brand name, for instance, has experienced a ten-fold growth in volumes, over the last five years.

Meanwhile, retail sales of pre-owned cars through the channel grew by 12 percent last year, a trend that has continued into the first half of 2024. Tier 2 towns have emerged as a notable driver of this growth, contributing significantly to the increasing demand. The recently launched 6th Edition of Indian Blue Book established the residual value of the Volkswagen Taigun at greater than 81 % after 2 years since sale, thereby offering customers a strong re-sale performance.

Currently, Volkswagen India operates 139 touchpoints trading in certified pre-owned cars across the country, with 36 of these functioning as exclusive certified pre-owned outlets. Volkswagen plans to expand this footprint in a phased manner by March 2025.