Aston Martin Arrives in India

Aston Martin joins Ferrari S.p.A, Maserati S.p.A and Volkswagen AG's Bugatti and Lamborghini units in India with the U.K.-based company Friday launching three models for the country's sports car enthusiasts.

"India represents a new opportunity for us," said Michael van der Sande, chief commercial officer at Aston Martin.

The company will sell the V8 Vantage, priced at 15.50 million rupees, the Rapide at 21.5 million rupees and the One-77 for 200 million rupees in Asia's third-largest economy that has already prompted Daimler AG, BMW AG, Audi AG, Bentley and Jaguar to introduce luxury cars for India's rising number of millionaires and billionaires.

"A decision to bring the Aston Martin brand to India is driven by a strong level of interest and enthusiasm from potential customers in an emerging luxury market."

Aston Martin on Friday starts a dealership in Mumbai and will open a second dealership in New Delhi by the end of May.

Expanding sales in India and China have provided global auto makers new market opportunities with business in Europe and the U.S.--their primary markets--stagnating.

Aston Martin was in 2007 sold to Kuwait's Investment Dar Co. K.S.C. and Adeem Investment by its erstwhile owner Ford Motor Co.

Audi planning biggest investment in company history

Audi is planning the biggest investment programme in the company's history, investing some 11.6 billion euros (about $15 billion) between 2011 and 2015 in new products and hiring around 1,200 experts to bolster electro-mobility and lightweight construction, the carmaker has announced.

Some two thirds of the investment - more than 9.5 billion euros - will be spent on new technologies such as electric and hybrid drive systems such as the Audi R8 e-tron electric sports car which the company plans on selling in late 2012, according to Axel Strotbek, board member of finance.

Several new models are planned for launch in 2011, including the new A6 and the Q5 hybrid, the first full hybrid from the carmaker. The Audi Q3, to be built in Martorell in Spain, will occupy the midsize premium SUV segment for the first time. Some 20 new models are scheduled for launch by the year 2014.

Some five billion euros will be invested at the company's main German production sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

'In addition to our foreign sites, the German sites will also profit greatly from the Audi brand's good worldwide prospects for growth, especially in China,' Strotbek said.

India production to go up by 50 pc next year: Audi

German luxury car-maker Audi on Friday said it will ramp up its output by 50 per cent in India to about 3,000 units next year, even as it gets ready to enter the used-car business by 2011.

The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Audi India, is also considering the launch of luxury sedan A7 and will initiate a market study for the same.

"Seeing the demand that we are having for our products, I think that we will have to start the second shift at our plant. Our production from the plant will be exceeding 3,000 units next year," Audi India Head Michael Perschke said.

The company, which currently assembles luxury sedans A4, A6 and sports utility vehicle Q5 at its Aurangabad facility, expects to produce about 2,000 units this year, he added.

Perschke said the company will roll out a new variant of A6 next year from the facility. The plant has an installed production capacity of 6,000 units.

"We will also launch a completely new A8 and a 4.2 litre TDI version of Q7. These two cars will be imported," he added.

When asked if the company is planning to introduce any new model in India, Perschke said: "We are looking very seriously for the A7. We will do a market research and evaluate its demand in the country."

He, however, declined to give any timeframe for launching the vehicle in India.

He said the company expects to sell about 2,700 units this year compared to 1,658 units in 2009.

Asked if Audi India will start a used car business like its rivals, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Perschke said: "Most probably from next year we will have the pre-owned car business. We already have it in Europe under 'Audi Plus' brand."

He said the company has not yet decided about the branding of the used-car business for India.

Audi India had earlier committed an investment of 30 million euros till 2015. It has already put in about 65 per cent of the amount.

"Every year we are exceeding our own expectations. If the market grows at this rate, then we see all reasons to revise our investment by 2012," Perschke said.

He said the luxury car market in India could cross the 12,000 units mark this year. With a target of about 2,700 units for this year, Audi's share would be about 25 per cent.

The company is also expanding its dealership network to about 20 by next year from the existing 14 outlets, he added.

Merc set to bring A Class premium compact to India

In India the automobile market is dominated by compact cars. to join the race in the small car segment, Mercedes Benz is planning to bring its small car, the A Class, to India, a top official said.


Benz is planning to bring its small car, the A Class, to India, a top official said.


“The competition is heating up in the small car segment and we plan to bring our small car, the A Class, to the Indian market within two years,” Peter Trettin, president & CEO of Daimler, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia, said.


The A Class model has sold over 680,000 units worldwide since its launch in 2004. It was positioned as the trailblazer for a new vehicle segment.


Mercedes-Benz plans to expand its premium compact vehicle portfolio comprising the A and B Class from two to four models starting end-2011. The future models will offer product attributes that are already popular among A and B Class customers, such as a spacious interior. The models will also set a new tone through the introduction of additional variants and concepts.


Trettin said the company would position the A Class as its entry-level car in the Indian market. “It will be priced competitively to get a foothold in the market,” said Trettin. He was visiting the 100-acre greenfield plant at Chakan near Pune, in which the company has invested Euro 50 million.


Trettin said the Indian economy was growing rapidly and with it the aspirations of the people for better cars compared to the regions he was overseeing. “With the growth in the Indian economy, we expect the demand for our products to rise considerably,” he said.


Wilfried Aulbur, MD and CEO, Mercedes Benz India, claimed sales had picked up since December. “In 2010, the luxury car segment grew 80 per cent, but Mercedes Benz has grown 157 per cent and this is without the GL launch,” he pointed out.


The Mercedes Benz GL Class is a crossover sports utility vehicle and it matches, size-wise, Audi’s Q7 and BMW’s X5.


The company’s bus order book was full till September, mainly from the state transport departments, Aulbur said, but did not disclose volumes. “Demand in the market is picking up rapidly,” he added.


Trettin said the commercial vehicles market in India was doing well compared to other markets where sales had fallen by 90 per cent. “Eastern Europe and Central Europe were suffering and the company had to buy back stocks from the dealers and distribute them in other markets,” he said. The Middle East also saw a dip in commercial vehicles sales, he added.


Trettin said that from 24,000 trucks and 24,000 vans sold in 2008, sales were down to 9,000 each of trucks and vans in 2009.

New Audi A5 Sportback at Dubai Motor Show

Audi is presenting a new vehicle concept at this year's 10th Dubai International Motor Show - the Audi A5 Sportback. The five-door model with the long, flowing rear end unites the best of various vehicle genres: the emotion and elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of a station wagon. Visitors can view the latest Audi model and many others at the show from December 16 to 20.

The Sportback joins the Coupé and Cabriolet as the third member of the A5 model family, featuring an emotion-packed design, high everyday practicality, a sporty character and engines that are as efficient as they are powerful. Audi is setting new trends in design with the A5 Sportback. The five-door coupe is defined by elegant lines. It is 36 millimeters lower than the A4 Sedan; with its short front overhang, long wheelbase, wide track and the four frameless doors with their slender window lines, it is the very picture of sporty elegance.

The interior is spacious, offering uncompromising comfort in all four seats. The large luggage compartment hatch is harmoniously integrated into the long, tapered tail end with the flat C pillars; the spoiler lip underscores the tension-filled character. The luggage compartment volume of 480 liters nearly matches that of the A4 Avant and increases to 980 liters with the rear seats folded down.

The A5 Sportback follows the consistent path of innovative technologies at Audi when it comes to the drivetrain. The launch engine for the Middle East will be a 211 bhp 2.0 TFSI, which delivers its power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. Like all other models it is equipped with a recuperation system that recovers energy during braking and deceleration and stores it temporarily in the battery.

The perfect complement is the optional Audi drive select vehicle dynamics system, which enables the driver to freely vary the throttle response characteristic, the shifting points of the seven-speed S tronic, and the boost provided by the servotronic steering system, both of which come as a standard.

Volkswagen's Beetle to hit Indian roads in Dec

Europe's largest carmaker Volkswagen will roll out the Beetle – fondly called the people's car after its maker – on Indian roads by beginning of next month.

A senior company official said on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit that Volkswagen – which mean People's car – would import the car from its Mexican plant for sale in Indian markets.

He, however, declined to divulge the possible price of the car.

Beetle is one of the most successful models that the German carmaker has ever produced.

The car bucked all trends and has made history, although critics had predicted a complete failure due to its peculiar styling, underpowered motor, rough ride and noisy engine.

Volkswagen, which currently sells luxury sedans Passat and Jetta in Indian market, is planning to launch its small car Polo by early next year.

The group has two facilities in India at Aurangabad and Chakan, which assembles cars of its three brands – Skoda, Audi and Volkswagen.

VW is looking at full-capacity production at this plant by 2012 and in order to strengthen its workforce, it is planning to more than double the India headcount with addition of 1,500 employees at Chakan alone in Maharashtra.

The group had earlier announced a target of 8-10 per cent share of the Indian passenger car market in the next 6 years.

It will also consider integrating after-sales service of its three brands in India for better synergy.

It sold about 19,000 units of Skoda, Audi and Volkswagen brands last year in the over 1.5 million-unit Indian passenger vehicle market.

Audi S5 Sportback and R8 Spyder scorches Frankfurt

German luxury car maker Audi will be unveiling two new cars at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The suave 2010 Audi S5 Sportback will have a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine under its bonnet. The supercharged engine will churn out 333 bhp of power and feature seven-speed S-tronic gearbox, Quattro all-wheel-drive and sport differential as optional feature.

The 333 bhp V6 pushes the S5 Sportback from static to 100km in just 5.4 seconds and can hit an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. The Audi S5 supercharged V6 engine can take 9.7 liters of petrol to travel 100 kilometres.

The car will run on 18-inch alloy wheels and 19- and 20-inch wheels are also available as optional. The “5-door coupe” (We don’t understand how a ‘coupe’ can possibly have more than two doors?!?) comes with LED daytime running lights and rear lights, electrically adjustable sports seats upholstered in Silk Nappa leather, leather multifunction steering wheel with aluminium-finish shift paddles and a choice of carbon, wood or stainless steel mesh trim.

The Audi A5 Sportback is set to be launched in Europe in the first quarter of 2010. The price of the coupe starts at Rs 41 Lakh (€57,900).

The enchanting Audi R8 Spyder is all decked up to make its first public appearance at the 63rd IAA Cars in Frankfurt, Germany. The 2-door convertible will be powered by a 5.2-litre V10 FSI engine that can deliver a robust power of 525 bhp. The engine is mated to Quattro all-wheel-drive.

The gorgeous R8 Spyder is the best in open-top motoring from Europe. Audi makes uses of carbon fibre to build the body parts and the electro-hydraulic foldaway top is made of leak-proof cloth to reduce weight without having to compromise on structural integrity and stiffness.

The Audi R8 Spyder can sprint from inertia to 100 km in only 4.1 seconds and from zero to 200 km in 12.7 seconds as well as can go on to a top speed of 313km/h.
The R8 Spyder is adorned with 19-inch wheels, full-LED headlamps, a rear spoiler that deploys automatically at high speeds, electrically adjustable seats, Bang & Olufsen audio system, climate control system and Audi’s MMI controls with navigation system.

The base version of the Audi R8 Spyder comes with a price tag of Rs 1.11 Crore (€156,400). This breathtaking car will be launched in Europe early 2010.

We expect Audi to roll out some of the units of the S5 Sportback and the R8 Spyder in India by the end of next year.

Audi Q5 May be Assembled in India

This is one among the many plans of Audi, a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen, which has been revealed recently.

The company is planning to locally assemble a model in India. Though the company has not specified the model that will be assembled in the country, it has given us a hint that it will be an SUV. And working on this lead the most popular guess is Audi Q5. If the guess is right, then the Q5 will be the third model from the luxury carmaker that will be assembled in India, Audi A4 and A6, being the other two.

If you are expecting a change in price then you are mistaken, the Q5 will be still priced at Rs 44.94 lakh for its 3.0 TDI Quattro and Rs 38.94 lakh for 2.0 TFSi Quattro. And there is fine explanation for this and that is the company has already launched the model at the CKD or local assembly price and the company does not differentiate between CBU and CKD.

This shift in the location of assembly is a part of the company’s plan to expand its business in the country. Audi till this time of the year has marked a 62 per cent hike in its sales compared to the last year. And this has been a true encouragement for the company in the midst of economic slowdown and it is planning to bring in new models next.

The company has also not revealed the expected date on which it will start assembling its model. With most of the information about the model and other details still shrouded in mystery, nothing stops the car lovers in the country from speculating.

Audi Q7 enters Indian SUV market!

The latest lady in town is SUV Audi Q7, which German premier car maker Audi announced on Thursday.

The sports vehicle will be available in Maharashtra in 11 colours and in three price range costing Rs 55.2 lakhs, Rs 53.4 lakh and Rs 29.9 lakh.

The car has all the latest ranging from features like voice control, so the driver can just call out the name of a song on the music system or a phone number from the cellphone.

It also has adaptable headlights that switch on or off according to the moves of the car, showing the path ahead. This seven seater luxurious car has a capacity of about 2,035 litres.

“Audi India achieved remarkable growth in the first eight months of 2009 by selling 1,128 cars (62 percent growth). With the launch of new Audi Q7, we expect to sell upwards of 1,500 cars,” said Audi India managing director Benoit Tiers.

Delhi, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai,Kolkata and Kochi already has Audi dealers.

“We plan to expand to Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur and Coimbatore soon,” Tiers said. Now that’s what the car lovers fantasy comes true!

BMW, Audi race to take on Merc

The battle for the top spot in the country's top of the line luxury car segment is getting more intense and Mercedes Benz's near ten-year-old stranglehold in the market is under serious threat.

While BMW is the odds on favourite having already steered ahead in the first quarter of this fiscal, Audi has emerged as the dark horse in the fight. By the end of last fiscal (2008-09) in March, Mercedes Benz India held on to its leadership position selling 3,537 cars. But the signs of a change in the pecking order were there with BMW exceeding its own target and also selling more than 3,000 cars in the year.

"This market is already challenging and without doubt the competition is getting more and more intense," said Peter Kronschnabl, president BMW India. The three German companies are now racing against each other to expand their presence in the hinterland."Our involvement with tier II cities is growing at a fast pace and we are confident that these cities reflect the future growth pockets and offer good potential. We investing Rs 150 crore to expand to new cities as also to upgrade our existing network," said Dr Wilfried Aulbur, MD and CEO, Mercedes Benz India.

New Audi Q7 - NOW in INDIA

The luxury car maker Audi has launched the new Q7 in India. The New Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

The new Audi Q7 comes in three engine variants. There are two petrol engine options to select and one diesel engine option. The petrol engines are 3.6L FSI Quattro which can generate 280 bhp and the 4.2L FSI Quattro that churns out a power of 350 bhp.

The diesel engine is powered by a 3.0L TDI Quattro engine that can produce 240 bhp. Audi gives us a wide palate of eleven new colours to select: Ibis White, Teak Brown, Orca Black and Graphite Grey as well as the existing colors which include Deep Black, Bahia Beige, Cobalt Blue, Condor Grey, Ice Silver, Garnet Red and Lava Grey.

The new Audi Q7 is a sporty, comfortable, high-performance SUV. The SUV is designed to grab attention of the customers with its side view that commands attention. The low window area, the arched roof line and the tautly curved body surfaces presents a coupe-like silhouette and this design is truly mesmerizing.





New accents at the front and rear end appeal the eyes of the viewers. New single-frame radiator grill in high gloss black with vertical chrome bars adds robustness to the car in conjunction with new Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. The new Audi Q7 also comes with optional high-end headlight version that integrates not only a low beam, high beam, and turning and cornering lights, but for the first time also a special superhighway beam.

The new Audi Q7 SUV is endowed with adaptable headlights that switch on or off according to the movement of the car, showing the path ahead clearly. The restyled tailgate presents a more forceful contour. LEDs are standard equipment in the taillights. An aluminum exterior package adds further highlights to the styling. The S line exterior package is designed for sports-minded customers and is available as optional equipment.

The new Audi Q7 can boast of some new features like voice control that can enable the driver to operate a cell phone or music system by just uttering the phone number or the name of a song. The new Audi Q7 has comfortable seating for seven persons with ample legroom and luggage space of about 2,035 litres.

Audi is expecting to sell 1,700-1,800 units and a growth of 70 per cent by the end of this year. Audi India has achieved a growth of 62 per cent in 2009 by selling 1,128 cars so far.

The entire Audi model range, comprising the newly launched, Audi Q5 and the new Audi A6, the Audi A8, the Audi Q7, the Audi A4, the Audi TT and the super sports car Audi R8, are currently available at 12 dealerships across the country. The German luxury car behemoth is also planning to expand its dealership to 18 in two years in India.

Audi India is expecting to start assembling its Q5 SUV in India by March 2010. They will the assembling process at the Aurangabad plant. The company currently assembles its luxury sedans A4 and A6 at its Aurangabad plant.

The new Q7 is available in the showrooms from 3rd September 2009. The new Audi Q7 range starts at (ex-showroom Mumbai) Rs 53.4 Lakh for the 3.0 TDI Quattro, Rs 55.2 Lakh for the 3.6 FSI Quattro and Rs.29.9 Lakh for the 4.2 FSI Quattro.

India Poised To be “Detroit of the East”

It seems like India certainly has arrived in the big scene of motoring. India as a whole could be the “Detroit of the East” soon with so many major car brands bringing their production centre to “Incredible India”. India has taken the centre stage producing small cars and the global automakers already seem to have been enchanted with the sub-continent for this sole purpose. India is all set to pip China in the automotive production scene and earn all the automotive laurels to itself when it comes to small cars.

We in India already have Suzuki Motor Corporation pitching in with the erstwhile Maruti Udyog to become Maruti Suzuki India which has already scripted a success story for itself in style in the span of twenty five years. Hyundai Motors, a Korean car company soon followed suit and set shop here and has marched in India with their superior products and now has already exporting cars to European countries keeping India as its production base for small cars.

Likewise, Toyota Motor Corporation tagging along with the Kirloskar Group in India about a decade ago also started producing cars here in India and already acknowledged the fact that the Indian operations of the company has stood still even with the recession taking its toll in other countries abroad. Toyota also plans to come up with a small car factory by 2011.

General Motors which has its presence in India with the Chevrolet brand stood firm ground during “Motown Meltdown” which affected its parent company in the US and other countries. It also might have contributed to the revival of the parent company. Business for Chevy here in India is blooming in an unexpected pace making GM count on GM India as a profit making venture.

Tata Motors earlier a commercial vehicle manufacturer barged into the great Indian Motoring scene with the advent of its Tata Indica and soon went up to produce more models of which the Tata Nano certainly awaits a mention. This small wonder has broken all the barriers the motoring world ever knew and will soon become a cash cow for Tata Motors once the export of the Tata Nano begins.

Another Indian auto manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra also has known the importance of India as a production hub and has already started exporting its products to lucrative auto markets like that south-east Asia, America, Europe, Africa and Australia.

Honda, Ford, Mitsubishi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Skoda all have their production plants in India already. Audi, Nissan, Renault and PSA Peugeot-Citroen have also confirmed their participation in this big production marathon here in India. India expects a lot of other auto manufactures to set shop here in India.

But why is this big rush of global auto makers queuing in line to set shop in India? There are many benefits in India, including a high-quality vendor base that is also cost-effective, leading to globally-competitive pricing. In coming days we surely can see a lot of global auto makers emulate companies like Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki, which make small cars in India to export to Europe.

Audi Navigation System Plus Updated for Audi A3, TT and R8

Gone are the days when you used a simple map and a compass to navigate. These days, even the most somber cars are having advanced technology that help you navigate and drive smoothly. Companies such as Fiat have collaborated with technology giants Microsoft to come with their own technology.

Now we have Audi who has sent word that their updated navigation system plus that features Multi Media Interface (MMI) will be included in the Audi A3, TT and R8. It will offer unrivaled route calculation speed as well as enhanced screen resolution. What’s more, you can blend the Audi music interface and the radio-navigation system, version E (RNS-E). The new system reads up to 32 GB SD memory cards.

As it has become characteristic these days, you can attach iPods and external storage media and the external devices are also charged by it. The 6.5-inch screen has 800 x 480 pixel, high-resolution graphics. The system also features a 600 MHz processor and even shows speed limits taken from
the navigation data for freeways and highways. Yes, there is a topographic map view where scrolling vertically and horizontally has been made easy.

It also includes the intuitive operating logic of the media playback menu and displays the title information. This makes it simple to look for stuff in the music collection. There is support for the Bluetooth adapter, which is available at retail stores. Also, updates can now be downloaded free of charge from the Audi website. It also features slots for SD and SDHC cards on the back of the display.

According to Audi, the new system has already been released. The cost lays in the price range of 2270 EUR and 2565 EUR. Audi also informs about the optical parking assistant in the system and if you have the R8, it can be used with the rearview camera. Basically, the distance to the front and the rear are shown optically on the high-resolution display and when you utilize it along with rearview camera, the images that are beamed from the parking assistant get placed over the live images from the camera.

BMW, Audi race to take on Merc

The battle for the top spot in the country's top of the line luxury car segment is getting more intense and Mercedes Benz's near ten-year-old stranglehold in the market is under serious threat.

While BMW is the odds on favourite having already steered ahead in the first quarter of this fiscal, Audi has emerged as the dark horse in the fight. By the end of last fiscal (2008-09) in March, Mercedes Benz India held on to its leadership position selling 3,537 cars. But the signs of a change in the pecking order were there with BMW exceeding its own target and also selling more than 3,000 cars in the year.

"This market is already challenging and without doubt the competition is getting more and more intense," said Peter Kronschnabl, president BMW India. The three German companies are now racing against each other to expand their presence in the hinterland."Our involvement with tier II cities is growing at a fast pace and we are confident that these cities reflect the future growth pockets and offer good potential. We investing Rs 150 crore to expand to new cities as also to upgrade our existing network," said Dr Wilfried Aulbur, MD and CEO, Mercedes Benz India.

Audi to launch SUV Q5 in India

Audi is ready to launch its new SUV Q5 in India on June 05. The brand new SUV was launched in Europe in November 2008. The new Audi Q5 is geared towards brand building and Audi’s plans to expand its product portfolio in India. BMW has already surpassed Mercedes sales figures in the country and Audi is looking at the same market segment with keen eyes. To facilitate its growth in Inda, Audi plans to invest around 30 million Euros in India, till year 2015. Audi already marks its presence in the luxury SUV segment with its model Q7.

The Model



The company has not released any official specifications about the car or made any comment about the expected price range as well but is definitely betting big volumes with this car especially in India and Russia. The car will be imported as a CBU or completely built units in India from Audi’s Ingolstadt facility in Germany.



According to the industry sources, the new Q5 will be a 5-seater SUV which can be safely called as a mini-SUV and is very much in line with its big brother Q7. It has taken the styling cues from Q7 series which remains one of the favourites amongst the car buyers and designers. The basic style still features sportiness clubbed with all the luxuries of any basic premium SUV model.



Q5 definitely has an enormous boot space and with its rear styling like Q7, the Indian SUV surely will be lot roomier at the back. The imposing grille in the front is iconic of any Audi car but the vertical sports bars make the car look extremely classy. The Xenon lamps further lend an aggressive look to the car which seems necessary for any SUV. SUVs cannot have the softer looks of a luxury sedan, can they?



Audi brought as many as four variants of its SUV Q5 in Europe but in India it plans to bring only two variants - a 3.0-liter TDI diesel car and 2.0 liter TFSI petrol car. It will sport a 7 speed manual gearbox which is special because it allows clutch-less manual shifting. Audi’s Quattro 4-wheel system marks its presence in all its models and you can expect the same in Q5 as well. It will have 40:60 front-torque split to give more sporting drive. Q5 has been designed in such a way that it offers good visibility to the driver and even with its compact design; it does not intimidate the driver. You can expect the huge door mirrors to make a lot of wind noise at high driving speeds.



The Price and Other Features

For the mileage and the actual price of the car, the Indian customers will have to wait till the exact launch date. However, since Audi Q5 is expected to rival BMW X3 in India the expected price of the car is between Rs. 45 -50 lakh. Its current Audi Q7 is prices at Rs. 57 lakhs in India and Q5 will be definitely priced below that.

Audi launches A6 in India

Audi has launched its executive car 'Audi A6' in India. The new car will be available from 4 May across the Audi dealers in India.

Priced at Rs 3.857 million (ex-showroom Mumbai), the A6 will be available in six colours namely, Aventurin Blue, Dakar Beige, Ice Silver, Oyster Grey Phantom Black and Ibis White.

The new design of the A6 ushers in stronger lines and a slightly sporty undertone with the elegance expected from a high-end sedan.

The new A6 will be available with the latest generation of engines from the Audi stable which include the 3.0 litre TFSI, 2.8 FSI, 3.0TDI, and 2.7TDI.

Says Audi India MD Benoit Tiers, “The Audi A6 is the most successful business sedan worldwide and one of our main contributors to our achievement in the Indian market.”

"India has been a significant growth-driver for Audi and will be the car market of the future. In 2009, Audi celebrates 100 years of the brand and the launch of the new Audi A6 is Audi's continued commitment to the Indian market to offer luxury cars," Tiers adds.

Audi to drive in R8 at Rs 1.17 cr

German luxury car maker Audi will launch its sports car 'R8' in India this November, with a price tag of Rs 1.17 crore, even as the company gears up to clock an overall sales of around 1,000 cars in the country this year.

The sports luxury car will be an addition to the company's line of luxury sedans, including the A4, A6, A8, TT Coupe, and SUV Q7.

"The (R8) cost will be over crore...Rs 1.17 crore," Vice-President Marketing Audi (India) Martin Birkner said here.

Asked how many R8s Audi was planning to sell in India, he said the company has received orders for 15 units already, which would be delivered this year.

Bullish on the fast growing luxury-car market in India, Audi has already posted a 200 per cent growth this year from that of last year.

"The whole segment is growing and we are growing even faster than the segment. We will sell this year about 1,000 cars in India," he said, adding 350 units were sold last year.

Birkner said Audi's A4, which it has started assembling in India, has a major contribution to the speedy growth and added, "we will try to get more production to India to meet the demand for this product." The company had, earlier, said it planned to produce 11,000 units of A4 by 2015 in India.

Lamborghini sees India as big market for future

Iconic Italian sports car maker Lamborghini has big expectations from India and has identified it as a “big market for the future”. In India since 2006, the company is now working on expansion plans and is confident that the rapid economic growth and new-emerging billionaires would make India one of its strong markets in the coming years.

“India is a big market for the future for Lamborghini. It is a big country and the attitude of buyers is now changing and they are becoming more open to buying ultra luxury high-style brands like ours,” says Enrico Maffeo, global director of sales and customer service for Lamborghini, told TOI.



Lamorghini, famous for its raging bull logo, sells the Gallardo and the Murcielago sports cars in India that are also available in their various variants like the lightweight Gallardo Superleggera and the convertible Gallardo Spyder, all of which retail for a hefty Rs 3 crore-plus.



Maffeo, a regular visitor to India, said high price was not much of a deterrent for their target customers who choose a Lamborghini for its exquisite design, high-profile branding and uncompromising performance. The company, which currently retails in India through its only dealership Exclusive Motors of Delhi, hopes to sell ten of its famed cars here this year. “Our business is not that much about volume. It is more of brands and desirability. Our plan is to create brand awareness, and the sales will follow,” he said.

Maffeo said as the company expands in India, Lamborghini would also increase its distribution network here. “We plan to have a new dealership in Mumbai next year and follow it up with one in Hyderabad in 2010,” he said.

But just when it looks to expand and grow in India, it also faces competition from rival like Ferrari. Alarmingly, Ferrari may get assistance from domestic heavyweight Tata Motors, the joint venture partner of Ferrari owner Fiat, when it decides to come to India. Maffeo said any new brand had to go step-by-step in any market. “And don’t forget. We are part of the Volkswagon group that already has presence in India through brands like Volkswagon, Skoda, Audi and Bentley.”

Kochi emerges as the potential market for Audi India

The Indian arm of the German luxury carmaker Audi AG has announced the appointment of five new dealerships at Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata, thus scaling up its dealership network to 12 locations across the country. The showrooms will have separate modern Audi workshop to service all Audi models. It has been learnt from company sources that Kochi, one of the principal cities of Kerala, will emerge as the potential market for luxury car segment as a number of premium carmakers are setting up their dealerships in the city. Audi India had appointed Patel Cars as its dealer in Kochi.

According to an Audi press release, the Kochi showroom coming up at Maradu, near the NH bye-pass will have separate modern Audi workshop to service all Audi models. The release has also stated that the showroom will be designed to give customers a complete Audi experience - the whole Audi model range with different equipments and the Audi world with the international standards of Audi Corporate Identity.

In addition to the five newly appointed dealers, the Audi model range of Audi A8, Audi Q7, Audi A6, Audi A4 and Audi TT is available at present in seven dealership showrooms across the country in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Gurgaon.

Audi appoints five new dealerships in India

Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, announced on Friday the appointment of five new dealerships at Ludhiana, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kochi and Kolkata expanding its dealership network to 12 locations across the country.

"Audi has received an overwhelming response in India. Our sales growth in first eight months of this year has been over 190 per cent. The announcement of the new dealerships is the commitment to a great future for the brand in India", says Benoit Tiers, Managing Director of Audi India. He added, "We are expanding to 12 exclusive and luxurious Audi dealerships in India. This will give customers the possibility to experience our models, the Audi world and premium service."

Audi Ahmedabad (Nixynova Motoren), Audi Chennai (Jubilant Enpro), Audi Kochi (Patel Cars), Audi Kolkata (Imperial Auto) and Audi Ludhiana (Olympus Motors) dealerships will be among the largest luxury car showrooms in their cities. The showrooms will have separate modern Audi workshop to service all Audi models. However, the dealerships have already started operating from their sales offices.

"In addition to the five newly appointed dealers, the Audi model range of Audi A8, Audi Q7, Audi A6, Audi A4 and Audi TT is available at present in seven dealership showrooms across the country: in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Gurgaon," Tiers mentioned.