Indian Autos blog

You can tell Audi India that there’s no need to strip tease the Q3 as they may have forgotten that Bollywood bombshell Katrina Kaif’s already unveiled the car at the Delhi Auto Expo in January. You may want to remind them that the Q3′s now available all over the world.

Audi India can react that perhaps due to the positioning the product that differs greatly in India, a teaser campaign is on. The Audi Q3 is targeted at the Indian youth and the brand is scouting for young ambassadors who have about 25-30 lakhs to spend on a status car.

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Mr Michael Perschke, the Managing Director of Audi India, can also be described as a curious follower of Indian Autos Blog. Here’s Micheal sending out an informal video message to our readers as well as fans of the four-rings brand. Perschke spoke to us last evening right after the launch of the refreshed Audi TT in Mumbai.

He’s perhaps the only head honcho in India who logs into Facebook frequently and doesn’t mind sharing his views, be it on Shoeb’s renderings or answering questions enthusiasts have on the Audi cars.

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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.

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 had a very successful run in India last year with the German luxury car maker managing to overshoot its sales targets for India. Audi would be strengthening its commitment to the Indian market and the company even began assembling its Q5 compact SUV at its Aurangabad facility in India.

Audi would be launching the Q3 mini-SUV internationally in 2011 and also has plans to assemble the Q3 in India to compete head-on with the BMW X1 in mid-2011. The Audi Q3 is expected to priced between 23 to 28 lakh Rupees.

The biggest launch for Audi internationally would be its small premium hatchback, the A1. The Audi A1 is a stylish looking 3-door hatchback that would compete with the Mini and Alfa Romeo Mito internationally. The Audi A1 is arguably the best looking hatchback in the world.

How would the Audi A1 fare in India? The Audi A1 has a very good prospects in India but it can’t sell in huge volumes to make BMW realize it has been foolish for not bringing the Mini to India. It can sell in reasonable numbers if Audi brings the high powered Audi Sport and S-Line versions.

The A1 shares its platform with the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia and falls under 4 meters of length. And if Audi can plonk in its 1.2 liter TSI producing 104 hp and 175 Nm of torque with the 7-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission, Audi could be able to price the A1 between 16 to 20 lakh Rupees which sounds exciting.

When Volkswagen offers its Beetle and Fiat its 500, why can’t Audi bring in the A1?

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Audi India has began assembling its compact SUV Q5 in India. Audi has been assembling the Audi A4 and A6 luxury saloons in India and the Q5 is the third model that Audi is assembling in India.

The Audi Q5 main selling point is its classy styling and sporty stance. The Q5 is a perfect alternative to the executive luxury saloons like the Mercedes Benz E-Class and the BMW 5-Series and even stablemate Audi A6.

Frank Dreves, Board Member (Production), Audi India -

The production of the Q5 is part of our long-term growth strategy in India. The Indian market for automobiles will grow very rapidly, and the Q5 is the right automobile at the right time.

The Audi Q5 is doing extremely well in the luxury car market with relatively no competition. The BMW X3 is completely outdated, the Volvo XC90 is very pale and lacks prestige, Land Rover Discovery and Freelander are relatively unknown and Mercedes Benz doesn’t even have a Q5 rival.

Audi sensed the opportunity and has began local production of the Q5 at a very crucial time. With this Audi would be able to cater to the needs of luxury car buyers faster and the costs of the car could come down and hence boosting sales ultimately. The Volvo XC60 which we spied recently at an Indian dealership could pose a minor threat to the Q5 when launched.

The Audi Q5 is also pulling customers from the Mercedes Benz E-Class and the BMW 5-Series. Customers would buy the Audi Q5 over the new E90 BMW 5-Series which has a waiting period of nearly 3 months.

The Audi Q5 comes with 2 engine options, a 2.0 TFSI petrol and a 3.0 TDI diesel. All Q5s come with Quattro all wheel drive. Audi is also planning to offer more powerful and efficient engines for the Q5 in future.

The company is planning to bring the latest Audi A8 super luxury saloon to India by the end of this year. The Audi A8 would rival the Mercedes Benz S-Class and the BMW 7-Series.

Audi is currently offering 7 models in India, the A4, A6, old A8, Q5, Q7, TT Coupe and the R8 supercar.

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Audi begins its mission numero uno with local assembly of Q5 this year

German luxury auto maker Audi is drawing up severe plans to pip BMW and Mercedes Benz to be number one by 2015. The company wants to see sales triple in India by then.

AUDI AG board member Peter Schwarzenbauer -

By 2015, we aim to become number 1 in India. We have told our team in India to work towards that aim. Our efforts, for brand building and developing dealerships for deeper market penetration, are geared towards that

Audi finished third last year in sales (1,685 units) behind BMW and Mercedes Benz. It plans to capture the flag by not only expanding its model range but also dealerships, from 12 at present to 18 by end of next year. It is looking to start operations in Jaipur, Ludhiana, Kolkata, Nagpur, Lucknow and Coimbatore

Seeing the level of demand for premium SUVs in the country, Audi will begin assembling the Q5 in the Aurangabad plant by the middle of this year. At present only A4 and A6 are being put together in the country