German auto-giant Audi is set to launch its premium SUV Audi Q3 in the Indian. The Audi Q3 considered as the newest member of the large Quattro family. Joining the lineup with Audi Q7 and Audi Q5, which are already dominating the luxury SUV segment in India, the Q3 is expected to expand the foothold of Audi in India like its bigger brothers. Moreover, the SUV will create an entirely new segment, riding high on its past track record.
Audi Q3, the luxury class SUV form was showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo in Delhi in its compact for. The 2013 trim is expecting an official launch in upcoming days. After the unveil at Auto Expo, the premium SUV received tremendous response and the company claims that interested buyers have been crowding the dealerships since. Industry experts are unanimous in their forecasts about excellent potential of the Audi Q3 in India.
Audi India has positioned its new Sports-ute as a sporty, capable and adaptable city vehicle that will go up against the BMW X1 and the upcoming Mercedes B-Class Sports Tourer. Every feature of Audi Q3 highlight the German luxury carmaker’s innovative technology – the body, drivetrain, chassis, driver assistance and entertainment systems. With solutions right out of extravagance cars, the Q3 has features that put it up against premium class SUVs. This makes the Q3 a favourite amongst the younger segment. Featured along the idea of ‘Start Young’, the Audi Q3 witnessed a remarkable debut this year at the 2012 Auto Expo, where Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif took the wraps off the new Q3. And following the preliminary enthusiasm that the Audi SUV has raked up it is obvious that the new Q3 besides being the first choice of business corporate, is a searing desire even with the young go-getters that want a slice of the Q life.
Under the hood, the Q3 will house a 2.0-litre TDI engine that pumps out 177 bhp and 350 Nm torque. With an all-wheel-drive system coming as standard, the Q3 is a notch higher than the BMW X1. An automatic S-Tronic Transmission will drive the power from the diesel motor to the wheels. Audi is also expected to offer a 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine that will arrive in the following model. This petrol motor will deliver 200 bhp peak power and 300 Nm peak torque. Other features include LED daytime running lights and start-stop technology, while the panoramic sunroof will feature as optional.
Arriving via the CKD (complete knock down) route, Audi will price the Q3 very competitively to eat into the sales of German competitors. The Aurangabad facility will be the platform for the Q3 assembly in India. We expect Audi to price the Q3 at around Rs 22 lacs.
Audi registered a sale record of 5,511 units from Jan 2011 to Dec 2011 with an annual growth of 84 per cent. The German automaker targets a sales record of 8,000 units in the current calendar and Audi Q3 has a significant role to play in accomplishing this goal.
The German luxury carmaker seems to have understood the symphony of customer’s desires, with India being the fastest growing market globally for the company. Moreover, Audi was confident on achieving its goal after looking at the stats that SUVs segment in India has seen a 13 per cent rise in sales recently. In addition, the country has atmosphere and road conditions that the German luxury SUV has been designed to run on, making it simple for the customers to choose.
Mr. Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India, commented saying, “The Audi brand will continue its aggressive strategy in India by launching exciting new models to boost its product family. We are buoyant about the performance of Audi Q3 and are sure that Audi Q3 will have the same success as Audi Q5 and Audi Q7. The interesting aspect of our ‘Q’ family of cars is that they share the same DNA and hence there is no compromise on the brute look or off road performance.”
Earlier during his visit to India for 2012 Auto Expo, Mr. Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Marketing and Sales was reported saying, “India is a key strategic market for Audi and we are making a clear long-term statement in the country with ambitious expansion plans. Audi has seen a phenomenal growth rate since its inception in India five years ago. The Audi Q3 is a premium SUV in a compact form. Individual mobility has been very much a status symbol around the world, but it did not have the same paramount status in India. This, however, is changing and today for the Indian upper middle class, the automobile is replacing real-estate as the new status symbol. The Audi Q3 reflects this changing attitude and will, like a true SUV lead the way for ‘premium’ to enter the compact SUV segment. We look forward to bring other latest models from Audi to India in the near future. This is part of our commitment to the Indian customer.”
In 2011, Audi India opened new showrooms in Delhi, Chennai, Ludhiana, Surat and Indore. The German automaker plans to increase its foothold in India from the current 16 dealerships to 25 dealerships by the end of the current calendar. Audi recently opened its showroom in Nagpur and has two more showrooms coming up at Coimbatore and Lucknow.
