Audi Considering A3 Sedan For India

Published: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 13:50 [IST]

Audi India has initiated a market study to understand the potential of its A3 sports sedan in the Indian market. The Audi A3 sedan which was first displayed at the Geneva motor show garnered rave reviews from people and auto journalists. Audi's India head Michael Pershcke said: “We have certain products in mind which we want to introduce to gain leadership position in the Indian market. We are looking at adding on A3 to our portfolio and are conducting a market study to assess the feedback among consumers here."

The Audi A3 sedan will be launched in India after 2012 according to sources. The A3 is expected to be available with both petrol and diesel engines paired with either a manual or automatic transmission. Although the concept A3 displayed at the Geneva motor show had the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, we expect the entry level variants to have a rear wheel drive system. This will not only reduce the price but also provide better fuel economy. We do hope Audi's market study is positive and we can see the A3 sedan on Indian roads soon

The Audi A3 will face competition from the likes of the Mercedes C-class and the BMW 3-Series. Both Mercedes and BMW have announced plans to launch their entry level models in India. The launch of the Audi A3 will coincide with the launch of the Mercedes A-Class, B-Class as well as the BMW 1-Series.

Mr Pershcke said Audi was seriously considering to bring the A3 to India but declined any specific time line for the A3's launch. The Q3 SUV and the A6 luxury sedans are also expected to be launched in India soon. Mr Pershcke also said Audi was not contemplating the launch of small cars such as the A1 in India soon as the company was on a top down approach. Audi wants to focus on establishing itself as a niche brand and is not keen on volume sales yet.

Audi has been a very successful brand in India and its sales have been very encouraging. The German carmaker has already launched the A7 Sportback and the RS5 sports car this year. Audi expects the segment in India to grow at 60% this year and wants to dominate the sector with a wider model line-up. The Q7 is already the highest selling luxury SUV in India and the Q5 is making inroads in to the sector. The A3 sedan can boost Audi's sales if the carmaker fixes its price intelligently.

Article Published On: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 13:14 [IST]

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