After the successful run of Q7 and Q5, the countdown has started for the launch of next luxury SUV from the German auto-giant. The newest member of Quattro family, the Audi Q3 is apparently targeting for younger buyers, given that the luxury Crossover will be positioned as the entry-level product for the Indian market. Coming as an entry-level luxury crossover, the Q3 will go up against the BMW X1 and yet to be launched Mercedes B-Class.
Expecting a launch in upcoming days, the Q3 is apparently targeting new young buyers who will pick the brand with four wings for its aggressive price tag in comparison to its German counterparts. This makes the Q3 a very vital product in the lineup of Audi India. To bring down the cost of the German luxury SUV, Audi will bring the Q3 via Complete Knockdown (CKD) kits and assemble the crossover at its Aurangabad plant. With revised excise duty on CKDs, the price of Audi Q3 is expected to be around Rs 30 lacs, which puts up a great threat to the X1 and B-Class.
Audi will offer the Q3 in both petrol and diesel variants. For the diesel trim, Audi offers a 2-liter TDI turbo diesel motor pumping out as much as 177 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. While for the petrol trim, there is a 2-liter TFSI turbo petrol motor thumping as much as 200 bhp and 300 Nm torque. There is no word for a beat-down version of the engine as Audi is trying to keep the luxury crossover quotient intact. Mated to the engine is a 7-speed automatic DSG dual clutch transmission. Audi will also offer the Quattro all-wheel-drive system that will make it a notch higher than the BMW X1. Other standard features include LED daytime running lights and start stop function. The Panoramic sunroof comes optional for higher end models
The German automaker targets a sale of 8,000 units in the current calendar, and the Q3 has a major role to play in achieving this goal.
