Readers of English dailies The Hindu and The Times of India had a pleasant surprise this morning when they found their newspapers 'talking'.

The German car maker Volkswagen introduced the talking newspaper to introduce the Vento model, its premium entry level sedan, in India.

As one opened the supplement of the two papers, a small device stuck to it carrying a full page advertisement of Volkswagen, played a recorded message, giving details about the new model.

Speaking about this innovation, Mr Lutz Kothe, Head of Marketing and PR, Volkswagen passenger cars, said ''our aim was to be able to emotionally connect to our customers with the product and what better way than directly speaking to them with the help of a newspaper.'' Volkswagen has partnered with The Hindu and The Times of India for this nationwide communication released today, he said.