Luxurious, cheap, and Audi

After unveiling its compact SUV Q3, Audi created quite a stir when it formally launched the vehicle and announced its price. Pegged as the cheapest Audi in India, the Q3 is a promising compact SUV capable of changing the fortunes of Audi in India. Ammar Alvi delves in.

The Audi Q3 is no doubt a head turner and the latest addition in the growing Audi India portfolio. What is even better is its price, aimed at a larger segment of the consumers and also those who want a good combination of a SUV and sedan. The new Q3 is powered by 2.0 litre diesel motor pumping out 174 bhp and 38.7 kgm torque and is pretty spacious. The Q3 measures 4.4 metres, which makes it almost 250 mm shorter than the Q5. The interiors are in sync with Audi’s theme, and resemble the Q7.

According to Michael Perschke, Head, Audi India, “The Audi Q3 is a sporty, efficient and versatile urban vehicle. Every aspect of the Audi Q3 showcases Audi technology—the body, the drivetrain, the chassis, the assistance and multimedia systems. Of course, it also has ‘quattro’. In fact, it is the only compact SUV in its segment that offers quattro. These qualities make it an apt choice for the younger customer. The Audi Q3 positioning of “start young”, clearly defines the category and segment that we are targeting. It’s a car that inducts you into the Q life; a life of excitement, glamour and glitz. Going by the initial excitement that the Audi Q3 has raked up, it’s clear that it’s not only the high-flying jetsetters who are driving in Audi luxury, but is also a hot favourite with the young go-getters that want a slice of the Q life.”

The Q3 is now available as a CBU (Completely Built Unit). CKD-assembly will start later at Audi’s Aurangabad facility. There are two variants on offer; the base version is priced at `26.21 lakh and comes with 16”, 7-spoke alloy wheels, halogen headlamps, manual A/C controls, rear parking sensors and cruise control. The top-end variant is priced at `31.49 lakh, it is equipped with 17” alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, LED tail lamps and xenon headlamps, automatic climate control and a panoramic glass-sunroof.

What will be exciting to watch is the race to the podium at the end of the year, to figure out which of three German manufacturers—BMW, Audi or Mercedes, emerges as the top of the luxury heap.