Come January 2012, Audi will cater to every type of visitor with its wide range of models at the Auto Expo. At one end is the Q3, the affordable compact SUV, while at the other is the camera-magnet R8 Spyder.
This will be the Q3’s Indian debut and it will first be launched in mid-2012 with Audi’s Quattro four-wheel-drive system. Two engines will be offered, a 2.0-litre TFSI turbo-petrol developing 211bhp and an entry-level 176bhp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel which should form the bulk of sales in India.
The brutish RS5 and the 5.2-litre V10 R8 Spyder will turn up the heat at the Audi stand so make sure you have your cameras ready. There’s even something for performance-seekers for whom a rakish coupe is grossly impractical – the new S6. It has a 414bhp, 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 under the hood and is capable of hitting 100kph in less than five seconds. What’s disappointing, though, is that the facelifted A4 won’t make it to the show even though its launch is expected in the first quarter of 2012.
Green credentials are a must these days, so balancing out the masses of horsepower on display will be the A3 E-Tron concept. The sleek and sexy plug-in hybrid has a 211bhp 1.4-litre TFSI motor coupled with a 27bhp electric motor. Audis served as a buffet then, pick your dish.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Hormazd Sorabjee
Kiran Murali
