Audi India introduces petrol guise of Q3 compact SUV

Audi India, the domestic division of well known German auto maker, has introduced a petrol guise of its popular Q3 compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at a price tag of Rs. 27.3 lakh (ex-showroom Maharashtra). Earlier, the model was only available in the diesel version and therefore, its reach was limited in the Indian auto market. Industry experts believe that the addition of a petrol engine in the Q3’s line up has made it a powerful contender in its respective segment.

The new model is incorporated with a 2 litre petrol engine, which is sure to set some new standards in the Indian auto market. Reportedly, the new model has been delivered to all the 25 dealerships of Audi India from where the prospective buyers can take deliveries. The recently introduced petrol guise has been equipped with a performance oriented engine, which can belt out a maximum power of around 210 bhp with a maximum torque of 300 Nm. Adding to the power of this engine is its standard 7-speed S-tronic transmission system, which facilitates it to smoothly accelerate from 0-100 kmph within a short span of around 7 seconds.

Expressing his views at the launch ceremony, the Head of Audi India, Michael Perschke said, “We completed the first round of 500 bookings of Audi Q3 within just five days of its market launch in June last year. Never before has any luxury SUV received such an overwhelming response as the Audi Q3. In keeping with our top-down strategy, the Audi Q3 truly embodies the ‘Q’ DNA with the Quattro permanent all-wheel drive and S-tronic dual clutch transmission, which are just some of the features that it inherits from the highly successful Audi Q7 and Audi Q5. I am confident that the addition of this powerful 2.0 TFSIq engine will further delight the Audi enthusiast who is constantly looking for more power and an even more exhilarating drive.”

With the introduction of a new variant, the auto maker has pinned great hopes in the Indian auto market. During January 2013, Audi India delivered 737 units with a growth of 10.5 per cent over 667 units sold in the corresponding month of last year. However, it seems that the German auto maker has much more aggressive plans for 2013, which might help it in outpacing the indigenous auto maker, BMW.