The new entry point to the Audi range will be the Audi A3 sedan, which the carmaker revealed today at the Auto Expo 2014. Unlike Mercedes-Benz and BMW which launched luxury hatchbacks the A-class and 1-series, Audi chose to capitalise on the Indian consumers' preference for the sedan body. Easily identifiable as a modern Audi, the A3 looks like a smaller A4, and the sedan should account for a good percentage of sales for Audi.
Since it's quite compact, it's not the most spacious of cars for the money, but like every Audi, the A3's cabin is built with high-quality materials. The Audi A3 sedan will be available with a 1.8-litre turbo-petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel engine. Audi’s S-tronic dual-clutch transmission will be standard, although this car won't use Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system – all versions of the Audi A3 sedan will be offered as a front-wheel-drive car only.
Also at the Audi stand:
Audi also displayed its recently-launched RS7. It’s got a 4.0-litre TFSI twin-turbo V8 engine, good for 552bhp and is priced at Rs 1.29 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai). Other exciting cars at the stall include the R8 V10 Plus as well as Audi’s Le Mans-conquering R18 e-tron. Audi has not only shown the Audi A3 sedan at the 2014 Auto Expo, in a surprise move, it’s even unveiled the A3 Cabriolet. The Cabriolet will be powered by a 1.8-litre TSI petrol engine. Audi has stated that it is not looking at large volumes with this car; it’s just to add a bit of sex appeal and enhance the appeal of the A3 brand. Volumes for the A3 Cabriolet are too small to locally assemble it here and it will come here as a full export. So, expect a price tag of around Rs 35-40 lakh. Injecting more excitement into the stall was the sharp looking Audi Sport quattro concept. Audi claims this 700bhp sportscar can sprint to 100kph in a scant 3.7 seconds! The stunning performance is delivered though a combination of a powerful V8 turbo engine and a lightweight body. All this power is dealt with by Audi’s latest generation of permanent all-wheel-drive quattro tech.
More on the Audi A3 sedan