Audi Q3 assembly starts in India
Audi has announced that it has started assembling the Q3 in India. Prices for the Q3 though still remain the same. The Q3 joins the A4, A6, Q5 and Q7 as a locally assembled model. In a single-shift operation, Audi says they can roll out more than 13,000 cars from the Aurangabad plant. Audi has also built a new hall at Volkswagen group's Aurangabad plant which it shares with Skoda. This new hall covers 215, 278 square feet and also hosts the Q7 production. Audi claims that bringing in locally assembled models will reduce waiting periods.
Audi currently has 27 showrooms across India with the latest one opened in New Delhi. The Ingolstadt-based manufacturer has kept a steady sales lead in the Indian market for the first eight months of 2013, only to lose it late last month to Mercedes. Audi recently introduced the A4 with an updated 177PS 2.0-litre TDI engine and the cut. The company also got a new head of operations in Joe King who took over from Michael Perschke.
"Local production of the Audi Q3 means that Audi India is now building all our Q range models locally. This will reduce waiting times for our customers and will enable us to offer a wider range of versions in the market. This move demonstrates our confidence in the success of our Q range, which has positioned itself as a leader not only in the product category, but has emerged as a lifestyle statement. We are confident that we will continue to retain our dominance in the luxury SUV segment in India," said Joe King, head of Audi India.