Indian Car Blog – Carazoo.com

Audi Q3: Built To Exceed New Expectations

The Audi Q3 is now launched in India and is set to exceed many expectations both on the luxury side and on the price front. Having made waves wherever it was launched, the Q3 has been long awaited to fill the luxury segment on Indian roads. Three attributes combine to make Q3 so exciting. It is a powerful car, it is a beautiful car, and it is a truly comfortable car.

On the power front, Audi Q3, equipped with a 2.0 TDi engine puts out 177 PS and comfortably generates torque of 380 Nm. The S-Tronic Gearbox mated to a Quattro system works in tandem with the engine, giving you the smooth transmission play to start off smartly or to take gradients effortlessly.

In addition to the dual front and side airbags, Audi has built in several other safety features. An electronic vehicle immobilization device, and an electronic stabilization program (ESP,) keep the car under excellent control even under testing road conditions, And for children safety, Audi Q3 has ISOFIX child seat mounting.
How comfortable is the Audi Q3? To take stress out of driving, consider this list – hill start assist, electromechanical parking brake, reversible load floor, rear parking aid and the most useful of all the cruise control. Q3’s start-stop system helps to reduce fuel consumption, by automatically switching of the engine, if you engage neutral and take foot off the accelerator. The instrument panel has a whole lot of tips on economical ways to drive.

Making the rides comfortable, the front seat Audi Q3 has a 4-way lumbar support, the right seat can be adjusted electrically, (the left seat is not so lucky, but has manual adjustment,) radio remote control, and an armrest for the front seat. Milano leather seat covers, black and plush carpet, ergonomic design provide to relax and travel pleasantly.

The Audi Q3 High Grade variant is the stylish of all the models and naturally so because of the 10-spoke – 17 inch Cast aluminium alloy wheels, and a superior finish. You additionally get light and rain sensors, acoustic windscreen with grey tinted strip, headlight washers, and LED Rear Lights with the top end Audi Q3.

posted by somdatta.basu @ Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 Comments Off links to this post

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October 5, 2011

Audi plonks a 2.0 TDI engine in the A6 and launched at Rs 37.7 lakhs

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Audi India finally goes the BMW and Merc way by launching an entry level version of its popular A6. The new variant of the Audi A6 has been plonked in with a frugal and smaller 2.0 TDI diesel engine which definitely is quite frugal. The 2011 2.0 TDI Audi A6 has been priced at Rs. 37,70,000 (Ex-showroom Delhi) and will be available at Audi dealerships across India from October 11th.

We can recall that the earlier German biggies such as Mercedes Benz India and BMW India came out with their version of the entry level cars such as entry level E-Class named E220 CDI and BMW 520d. Guess, Audi India also has witnessed the success the other Germans brand had with the launch of their version of entry level cars and just wanted to follow the rule book. The new Audi A6 2.0 TDI, Audi India claims is the most efficient business luxury sedan in the country.

The new Audi A6 2.0 TDI is light compared to competition and the Audi engineers have toiled hard to reduce the extra flab in the car and in the process Audi’s lightweight hybrid body shell technology have been used. This technology uses a lot of aluminium in its construction which again translates into improved fuel efficiency. The 2.0 TDI engine now returns with a jaw-dropping mileage of 18.9 kmpl despite the mammoth size of the car. No doubt Audi India boasts of the new Audi A6 2.0 TDi being the most fuel efficient luxury sedans in the segment.
The numbers that 2.0 TDI engine generates also is quite impressive. With 177 bhp of power and 380 Nm of torque nobody is cribbing about the power in the car.

Safety, has been given top priority in the new Audi A6 2.0 TDI with a host of active and passive safety features making way into the car. Audi’s famous MMI multimedia interface has also been provided. The car is squarely aimed at the competition and Audi India feels that the Audi’s brand growth will attain new heights with the success of the car.

Micheal Perschke, MD, Audi India states, “It gives us great pride in showcasing that the new Audi A6 has again established a new benchmark globally and now proven on Indian roads. With the reversion of the weight spiral, we were able to make the new Audi A6 lighter than its predecessor thanks to the use of hybrid materials and using our years of experience with aluminum. We have now proved on Indian road conditions that our diesel technology leadership is very relevant and successful. This technology made us the winner at the world famous endurance race – 24hrs of LeMans this year again. The new A6 2.0 TDI is a new benchmark globally and in India for sporty, yet efficient driving, paired with Audi’s progressive design. We achieved consumption levels with a 1585 kg weight car, which many smaller cars in India cannot achieve. This clearly signifies our philosophy – “Vorsprung durch Technik”. With the arrival of this important model and the 2.0 TDi engine in India, we are confident that we might even increase our forecast for this year based on a strong response to the new A6.”

He also maintained that the company is very confident that this model would sell in larger numbers given the diesel orientation of the Indian market as also the presence of class leading features in this sedan.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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March 28, 2011

Audi R8 V10 Spyder Launched in India

Audi-R8-Spyder-
We just wrote a blog on Audi India launching a new variant of the Audi Q5 in the market. But there was a prelude to this launch just days before and last Friday Audi introduced the 2011 Audi R8 Spyder “drop top” supercar at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai.

Audi R8 Spyder is essentially a convertible version of the hard top Audi R8. The convertible version of the R8 features a 5.2 Liter, FSI V10 engine that pumps out 525 bhp and 530 Nm of torque. You can call the Audi R8 Spyder an opulence for the price tag of Rs 1.47 crore (Ex-showroom Maharastra) it carries.

The Audi R8 Spyder can become a coupe to convertible in just 19 seconds, if you want that wind in the hair feel and 0-100 in just 4.1 second if you are looking for a feel of tornado in your hair. The super car with a top speed of 313 kmph has a full time all-wheel drive quattro and rides on 19 inch wheels.

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The super car is extremely light at 1,720 kgs as it is made up of lightweight aluminum with the required reinforcements to make sure that the car’s body remains stiff at the extreme speeds and performance. This means the R8 Spyder is 160 kgs lighter than the coupe version.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, March 28th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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March 28, 2011

Audi India introduces Audi Q5 2.0 TDI quattro

Audi Q5
Audi India seems to be on a roll. Just days after it launched the R8 Spyder super sports car in India, it has again hit the limelight with its Q5. This time around, Audi India has introduced the 2.0 TDI quattro diesel engined Audi Q5 at a price tag of Rs 39,05,000 (ex-showroom Maharashtra).

The luxury SUV market is on the boil now , with many SUVs hitting the market with downsized engines and pricetags. Expect the heat to linger for some time around before it wanes down. The deliveries of the new variant of the Audi Q5 will begin in April.

“We are confident that the addition of the powerful 2.0 TDI q engine to the Audi Q5 range in India will strengthen and sustain our leadership position in the luxury SUV segment. The all new Audi Q5 2.0 TDI q, resonates higher efficiency and dynamic performance with its new engine and refreshed array of characteristics…,” Audi India Head Michael Perschke said.

The Audi Q5 range is also powered by a petrol engine, the 2.0 TFSI q and a diesel engines, the 3.0 TDI q. The new 2.0 TDI q engine would be available as CKD. Audi India sold 3003 cars in 2010, exceeding targets yet again to achieve a record growth of 81 per cent.

“This encouraging performance reinforces the increased aspiration for technical finesse and progressive sophistication among luxury automotive customers in India. Audi India will continue to expand its product line-up and deliver path-breaking and award winning cars to cater to this rising need,” Perschke said.

The Audi India portfolio now includes the Audi A4, Audi A6, Audi A8, Audi Q5, Audi Q7, Audi TT, the super sports car Audi R8 and the recently launched Audi R8 Spyder.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, March 28th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 23, 2011

Indian Women Love Audi

new-Audi-TT-1
It is a known fact that car makers in the Indian automobile space are fighting for market shares and supremacy. But there’s one car maker which has conquered the hearts of the women folk in India. Yes, Audi India has landed on the rare distinction of being the most loved car brand in India beating other car makers vying for the space with a considerable margin.

A leading Indian daily recently disclosed the above-mentioned piece of news. About 65 per cent of the women folk have already chosen Audi TT as their rides in the past.

“What is surprising is that a good number of sports cars — R8 and Audi TT (the latter with over 60-70 bookings) – are being purchased by women in India. That shows women too love to drive luxury cars, particularly sporty ones,” Michael Perschke, Audi India Head, was quoted as saying by the aforementioned source.
And of course, Audi sees the news as a way to promise greater sales in the future, hinting that 2011 is expected to bring increased revenues for the German brand. Audi is the third in the top foreign car brands in India, after Mercedes Benz and BMW.

“The Indian automotive business is showing some signs of correction due to various factors, including higher interest rates. But this does not deter us, as we feel that we will be able to replicate last year’s record growth this year too as we launch some more models in to the country,” Mr. Perschke added in a statement.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 22, 2011

Small Towns Become Big Deals for Luxury Car Makers

There was a time when people in small towns had to make do with the not-so-fancy cars as luxury car makers were too busy satisfying the needs of the well-heeled in the metros. But not anymore! Ever since they realized the potential, the luxury carmakers are now seen running towards these towns with all they have got. Luxury car dealers, who have already made it big in Ahmedabad, are spreading out to districts like Surat, Rajkot among others.

In the meantime, dealers are also upgrading their Ahmedabad dealerships to sell pre-owned luxury cars. Each showroom expansion investment would come up to Rs 25-30 crore, so you can expect a total investment of up to Rs 100 crore by the three major premium car dealers in the city, Parsoli’s BMW, Benchmark Cars’ Mercedes and Audi Ahmedabad.

Ahmedabad based BMW car dealer Parsoli Motors opened its new sales and service showroom at Surat earlier this month, and is also in the process of assessing the feasibility of setting up showrooms in other towns too.

“We plan to come up with one showroom each in the north, south, east and west corners of the state. Surat is very vibrant now, and is a booming market for luxury cars. So, we started off with Surat, other showrooms can come in at places like Rajkot among others”, said Talha Sareshwala, managing director of Parsoli Motors. He also mentioned that the scope for luxury cars is surprisingly huge in places like Vapi, Bharuch, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar in Gujarat.

You may find it surprising that around 90-95 premium cars sell per month in the city, and BMW has a market share of around 40 per cent. Sareshwala also plans to come up with a BMW pre-owned cars showroom here in the city. “We are planning to have a BMW Premium Selection showroom here in the city. It will come up within this year”, Sareshwala said. BMW Ahmedabad is experiencing a 40-45 per cent annual growth rate. The dealership has sold over 300 BMWs in 2010.

Mercedes Benz India has already opened its pre-owned cars service, ‘Proven Exclusivity Program’ in the city recently. Mercedes Benz has been in the Indian market for more than 10 years now and has around 30,000 cars plying on the road. It has planned to get cars that are not more than six years old, refurbish them and sell through their outlets.

Audi is planning similar things too. Audi, which recently launched its premium sedan A8L in the Indian market, is also looking at expanding its network in Surat, along with opening a pre-owned cars service here in Ahmedabad.

Samir Mistry, managing director, of Audi Ahmedabad said, “We are coming up with a new showroom at Surat by end of April, while we are also upgrading our current showroom in Ahmedabad to a 20,000 square feet one by February 2012. We plan to start a pre-owned cars service in Ahmedabad soon.” Audi sold 285 cars in Ahmedabad in 2010, up 60 per cent from 2009.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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February 8, 2011

Audi India Diving for India’s No. 1 Slot in Luxury Car Market

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When Indians consider buying a luxury car, the first names to pop-up are either Mercedes Benz or BMW. Audi comes mostly as an afterthought. But the Volkswagen Group firm has decided to change all that and wants to become the leader in the Indian luxury car market ahead of compatriots BMW and Mercedes Benz.

Audi India, which currently occupies the third position behind BMW and Mercedes Benz, has said that it is looking for more than 50 per cent sales growth this year as it gears up to launch new models in the country. And the war has already started with the upcoming launch of premium luxury car: the Audi A8L
“By 2015 we aim to be the number one in the Indian luxury car market,” Audi India Head Michael Perschke said.

Audi India expects the Indian luxury car market to grow tremendously and cross 50,000 units annually in the next five years from about 15,000 units in 2010, he added. When Mr. Perschke was asked about Audi’s sales target during this year, he said: “We are aiming to sell a minimum of 4,500 units and we expect the luxury car market to grow to 20,000-25,000 units.”

Last year, Audi India sold 3,003 units, which translated into a growth of 81 per cent compared to the sales in the previous year. BMW has maintained its firm grasp in the Indian market and has managed so far to keep the competition at bay. BMW sold 6,246 units in India in 2010.

Mercedes Benz sold a total of 5,819 cars between January and December, 2010. It is also the highest ever sales figure achieved by Mercedes Benz in India. Audi has already sold 480 units in January 2011, its highest ever monthly sales in India, as against 306 units in the same month last year, up 57 per cent.

The company showcased the latest version of its flagship sedan A8, priced from Rs 89 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) onwards. And the luxury bug that has bitten Indians, Audi has already secured bookings for about 150 units, which will be delivered in the next 3-4 months.

“More models will be launched this year, including the new A7 and A6,” Perschke added.

Additionally, Audi India is also expanding its dealership network to 20 by the end of this year from 15 outlets at present.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 Comments Off links to this post

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December 21, 2010

New Audi A8 to be Launched in India on January 10th 2011

Audi-A8-W12-1
In the Indian market, while BMW and Mercedes Benz have been reigning over the luxury car segment, Audi has been keeping a rather low profile. But, not anymore. Audi is all ready with the launch of the 2011 Audi A8 L set for the 10th January 2011. Months ago when we wrote about the 2011 Audi A8 L, we explained in detail the exclusive features of the luxurious car.

The 2011 Audi A8 L will be in direct competition with the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes Benz S Class, but it will have to sweat a lot to establish itself because the Merc and Beemer are already established luxury brands that the rich and famous of India love to cruise around in. But it is high time that Audi proved its mettle in the Indian market and gave BMW and Mercedes a taste of its own snootiness.

The Audi A8 will come with two engine options. Those who want frugality, can opt for the 3.0 V6 TDI Diesel while people who would choose luxury over anything else, there is very sweet 4.2 V8 TSI Petrol. Yes, that is a turbo petrol engine and one of the very best that the company has to offer.

But the 2011 Audi A8 is not something that would give you a chance to flaunt your shove and twist abilities on the road. It is best for the people who want backseat luxury. People who are used to travelling in airline first class seat will take to the Audi A8 L’s cavernous rear like ducks to water. There are two power-adjustable and heated individual seats as an option for the rear, which can be paired with the optional continuous, elegantly-styled centre console with large storage compartments. And the two individual seats can also be strapped with optional ventilation and massage functions.

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The Audi A8 L also brings a number of multimedia modules, such as a high-end sound system from Bang & Olufsen and advanced online services. In fact, this is the first car in the world to come with an integrated WLAN hotspot. A UMTS module provides the connection to the Internet. A four-zone automatic climate control system enhanced the luxurious feel inside the car. And the multimedia interface includes a pioneering innovation, apart from the optional MMI navigation plus navigation system, it also has a touchpad.

The Audi A8 L interiors would probably remind you of a Bentley, but the latter would probably disrobe you in the process of the purchase, while the Audi A8 L would leave you with just enough for the fuel.

Key Specifications of Audi A8 L

4.2 FSI V8 (Petrol)
4163 CC, Direct fuel injection and audi valvelift system
V8, 32V DOHC all aluminum
power: 372 PS@6800 rpm
torque: 445 NM@3500 rpm
8 speed tiptronic gearbox
8J X 18 wheels, 235/55 R18 tyres

3.0 TDI V6 (Diesel)
2967 CC, Common rail with variable vane turbo
V6, 24V DOHC all aluminum
power: 250 PS@4000-4500 rpm
torque: 550 NM@1500-3000 rpm
8 speed tiptronic gearbox
8J X 17 wheels, 235/60 R17 tyres (18″wheels optional)
Quattro Permanent All Wheel Drive with torque vectoring system.
MLB modular longitudnal matrix architecture.

Prices of the Audi A8L in India should read something like this Audi A8 L 4.2 V8= Rs. 91,00,000 while the diesel version of the Audi A8 L with 3.0 V6 TDI engine comes up to Rs. 76,50,000

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List of equipment standard/optional in the Audi A8L
Bi-xenon headlights with cornering lights standard,
Full LED headlights cost option,
Rear seat executive package cost option,
MMI-high with handwriting recognition system with built in touch pad standard,
Bang and olufson surround sound system cost option,
adaptive air suspension and audi drive select system, and
navigation with google maps cost option.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, December 21st, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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December 13, 2010

Audi A1 heading to India

audi_a1
Here is another Audi Blog of the day. This one certainly promises to be much better than the last. We have just come across reports suggesting Audi AG might bring in its small hulk of a car, the Audi A1, to India.

Yes, the small luxury hatchback that had created ripples last year when it was for the first time launched online. We had predicted that the car would grace Indian shores back then and it seems pretty much that the time has come.

India, though a predominant budget small car market, still has loads of space to accommodate luxury hatchbacks (read Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500) as well. Audi A1 just fits the luxury hatchback bill to the Tee. We assume that the car will be priced around 18-20 Lakh (excluding duties) when it comes to India. This car being small and fuel-efficient might be a hit with people who have a thing or two for status.

OK, the car does not have a legendary past as that of its competitors, but that minor thing is made up with its flawless refined German engineering. Read the next para and you should be able to decide for yourself.

Audi_A1_rear

When it comes to India, the Audi A1 will probably adorn a 121 bhp 1.4 L turbocharged fuel stratified injection (TFSI) engine that will spew out a torque of 200 Nm at 1500 rpm, which can make the A1 reach from 0 to 100 kmph in just 8.9 seconds giving a top speed of 203 kmph. Want More… well A1 will get Audi’s S-Tronic 7 speed automatic transmission as well. Satisfied? Yes…the car will be available both in petrol and diesel variants.

The luxury features that come complimentary with the A1 include i-Pod connectivity, Bluetooth, sports-style multifunction steering wheel, climate control, etc. Again going by the reports we heard, the car should be here in 2011.

Do we hear “When can we book it” already…?

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, December 13th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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December 13, 2010

Audi India sales up two-fold in Nov

Well well, Luxury car segment in India seems to shining bright at the moment. Most of the Luxury car makers have already reported profits and have seen the car sales grow over the time.

Audi India is no exception. Just recently, Audi India reported an over two-fold jump in sales to 256 units in November, 2010. Audi India had sold 101 units in Nov 09.

During the January-November period, sales of the company’s luxury vehicles were up by 80.06 per cent at 2,791 units, compared to 1,550 units in the year-ago period. By the way, Audi had set a sales target of 2,700 units for 2010. It had sold 1,658 units in 2009.

“Given our outstanding performance in the first eleven months of the year, we are confident that the month of December will help Audi India finish the year strongly, exceeding our expectations yet again,” Audi India Head Michael Perschke said.

The company will continue to enhance its product line with the launch of luxury sedan A8 L and its new R8 super sports car, which is equipped with a V10 engine, he added. It might not be long before we see the Audi Q3 testing Indian waters soon.