From 2012 Auto Expo till now: Audi Q3 stands firm in its segment

The previous edition of Auto Expo witnessed the unveiling of a number of cars from various brands. Talking about luxury car makers, German manufacturer, Audi showcased its line-up which included range of saloon's, Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and sports cars. Out of all the products that were displayed by the company, its compact SUV Q3 was one of the main highlights. Derived on the same platform that has been adopted on 'Q' range of vehicles by Audi, Q3 was aimed at luring the lower income buyers of luxury cars. The model caught the attention of many owing to its speculated low pricing and power packed features. After making headlines at the 2012 Auto Expo, the car was finally launched in June 2012.

From 2012 Auto Expo till now: Audi Q3 stands firm in its segment

 

Priced fairly low, the company was optimistic about the success of Q3 as former head of Audi India, Michael Perschke was quoted as saying “The launch of the Audi Q3 is in line with our top-down strategy for India. As a true luxury SUV, the Audi Q3 leads the way for the four rings to enter a new segment in India, with ever increasing customer groups demanding for luxury mobility in a compact form. Every aspect of the Q3 showcases Audi technology – the body, the drivetrain, the chassis and the assistance and multimedia systems. Many of these elements come directly from the luxury class. At present, only 500 Audi Q3’s will be available for initial booking. We are confident that Audi Q3 will repeat the success of Audi Q5 and Audi Q7 and further consolidate our leadership position in the luxury SUV segment.”

Since its launch, the car has resulted in huge success for the company with its overall design that has appealed to Indian audience. Made on the sportier design platform, Audi Q3 boasts itself as an efficient yet versatile urban vehicle that is positioned to lure the young customers that prefer driving crossover and SUVs. At present, the car is available in two engine that comprise one petrol and one diesel. The petrol version of Q3 comes equipped with a 2.0-litre TFSI engine that is available in differently tuned power outputs of 167 bhp and 207 bhp. The former generates a maximum torque of 280 Nm while figures for the powerful version stand at 300 Nm. With this, Audi Q3 powers from 0 to 100 kmph in just 6.9 seconds while reaching a maximum speed of up to 230 kmph. Also to mention, the car gets all wheel drive system with dynamic 7-speed S tronic transmission system.

While on the other hand, the diesel version of Q3 is offered with 2.0 TDI powertrain that is available in 138 bhp and 174 bhp variants. Likewise the conventional models, the lower spec version has a front-wheel drive system that works in tandem with 6-speed manual transmission. In case of the 174 bhp variant, the all-wheel drive quattro system is present alongside dynamic 7-speed tronic transmission as standard. This engine variant is capable of reaching a maximum torque of 380 Nm, which allows the car to accelerate to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds.

Currently, the model is available from Rs. 24.99 lakh for the base variant to Rs. 35.78 lakh for the top spec trim (all figures are ex-showroom). In terms of competition, BMW X1 shares the compact SUV segment with Audi Q3. Since the competition has been tough in the respective segment for Q3, the car has gone down well with price sensitive Indian buyers. Industry experts are of a view that with the recent introduction of low cost model named Q3 S, Audi seems to be rightfully guarding SUV segment with the proper mix of products and price.

AudiQ3 [2017-2020] ₹ 34.97 Lakh OnwardsCheck On Road Price

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