Indian Autos blog

From those fabulous marketing campaigns to those steadily climbing sales numbers, the Volkswagen group is on a mission to keep everyone interested in their products. The mother company is taking extra care of little one Audi to make it shine in its endeavors.

The Volkswagen group has plans to double component sourcing from India, which will not only provide us with new job opportunities but will also shift us a step closer to the developed nations from the importance perspective.

Edit – On revisiting the spyshot, we’re starting to suspect that this could be the new Audi A6. Our well-informed Twitter follower Gavin compiled an image (left) having the Audi A6 on top, Motorbeam’s spyshot in the center and the A4 facelift at the bottom for a comparative study.

The spyshot is not crystal clear and hence our preliminary studies to detect an A6 proved inconclusive. The roofline and headlamps don’t look like they come from the A4.

Even if this spyshot is not of the Audi A4 facelift, we have other spyshots and video as proof that Audi’s testing it in India for a 2012 launch.

Yesterday we saw BMW’s all-new 3 Series sitting collecting dust at the Mumbai port and today our good folks at Motorbeam show us the new Audi A4 chillin’ in Mumbai. The new A4 is not a generation shift. The changes, based on the current model, are mainly cosmetic with revisions to suspension settings and an improved steering system that consumes less power, thereby marginally improving fuel efficiency.

There are minor changes around the body like new chrome inserts, headlights styled like the A6, new tail lights and a different exhaust system. The powertrains are a straight carryover. Audi is expected to launch the new A4 just after BMW announces the new 3 Series in India. Audi’s next big launch is the Q3 crossover that can help it close in the gap to Mercedes Benz.

The Audi Q3 is the next big thing that will come from Audi India to challenge the class leader BMW X1 in its own category. However, if you feel that the Q3 is too big for your liking, don’t worry as Audi is planning a Q1 crossover based on the A1 platform. Spurred by the recent launches of Ford EcoSport and Opel Mokka, Audi has decided that it will also enter the Compact SUV market in a premium category.

WhatCar reports that the Ingolstadt giant plans to use the A1 platform as the base and build a compact SUV which will sit under the existing Q3. The Q1 will be wider, taller and will have a better ground clearance than the A1 thanks to a revised tire and wheel package more suitable for light off-roading.

The decision to go ahead with the Q1 is still in conceptualization stage. Audi executives will soon take a decision whether this diminutive SUV could see the light of the day. So don’t expect the Q1 on the shelf anytime soon.

But this does pop up an interesting question – As the A1 and Polo are the same bodies in different clothes, will Volkswagen manufacture its edition and utilize the platform further?

Audi has teased the next generation A3 by showing various angles of the car on its MMI (multimedia display) interface. Regular readers of IndianAutosBlog.com are fully aware of this model’s plans. The sedan variant heads to India in the next two years. It is based closely on the A3 concept of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show aimed at recreating a 1990′s Audi A4 dimensionally. Audi India displayed the A3 e-Tron concept propelled by an electric motor at the bygone Auto Expo.

According to reports on popular websites and blogs, the new A3 is coming out in hatch, sedan and cabriolet forms. In the initial stages it will make use of powertrains from existing options in the VW Group. The 2L TDI from the Passat should make the cut. Due to its size, we feel the A3 will be positioned under the Q3 thereby forming the new entry-level barrier for the Audi India range.

The design of the new A3 could be the lowest point in its chapter as it is uninspiring and feels like a minimized and cropped A4 or A6.

The Ingolstadt giant may have been a late entrant to the Indian Automotive scene but it is letting no stones unturned to make its way to the top. Having noticed that the current leader is moping in volumes with its entry level X1, Audi plans to launch their own rival –the Q3 in this segment.

Tomorrow, Audi India will showcase this vehicle at the Auto Expo. The launch is expected to unfold in the next 3-4 months.

The Q3 will be launched at the Expo in two engine variants – a highly refined 2-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit that pumps out 214 PS and a 2-litre, 179 PS TDI diesel mill. Giving company to the Q3 will be the S6 sedan which is a sportier iteration of the A6. Powered by a 4-litre, 420 PS engine, the S6 can propel the sedan from 0-60 kmph in 4.8 seconds.

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A paradigm shift is about to happen in the global luxury car market. Audi is all set to run four rings around Mercedes to become the second best (by sales) luxury car maker in the world. According to the latest statistics, Audi is leading Mercedes by 56,585 vehicles as of December 1st. If all goes well in December, Audi will surpass Mercedes for the first time in history.

Audi’s sales were boosted by the launch of two important models this year. First is the A6 sedan which borrowed a lot of tech from elder sister A8 thus making it an exceptional sedan in its category. But the real volume raker – Q3 finally clinched it for Audi. Our readers are well aware that they will get an exclusive glance at the Q3 come 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

The top honors will be snapped up by BMW third year in a row with an astonishing 1,252,205 vehicles over Audi (1,193,110) and Mercedes (1,136,525).

So what is the implication of this story on Indian automotive sector?

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Audi India’s next rival-busting weapon after the Q3 is undoubtedly the next generation A3. The sedan concept displayed at this year’s Geneva Motor Show is the addition that could catapult Audi India into five-digit yearly sales.

The first variant in the A3 series is the hatchback spied during cold weather testing in Europe. The interior layout and components is same for different body styles, so we can ignore the hatchback body for this image. It somewhat stays true to the concept car’s interior with jet thruster inspired air vents, large dials and expanded MID tucked between them.

Audi is expected to drop the familiar two-liter diesel engine under the A3′s hood. They have a wide selection of petrol engine to pick from. Testing of the sedan model is expected to start in 2012 with market introduction scheduled for mid-to-late 2013.

Audi has recently given the A4 a comprehensive facelift to bring it at par with the rest of the family. Considering Mercedes already facelifted the C class and BMW was set to drive in a new 3 Series, the old A4 would have lost to the competition in terms of freshness. Also, the A4 represented the old design language which had to killed very soon. Hence, a face-lifted A4 was presented to the audience in October 2011.

Unlike the new 3 Series or the new C-Class, the new A4 has not grown in length. The exterior of the new A4 is somewhat similar to the A5 with a new grill and new headlamps. The most significant changes can be observed inside the car which now comes with new steering wheels and trimming options. The Audi MMI has also now been upgraded.

The 1.8-liter TFSI and the 2.0-liter TDI diesel are further refined to be more environmentally friendly. Other mechanical changes include a revised suspension and a new electromechanical power steering.

Hopefully, we will get a closer glimpse of the new A4 at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.