Over the past few weeks, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been in the limelight for introducing Indian consumers to luxurious, high-end hatchbacks. While Mercedes has the first-mover advantage with the A-class, BMW is expected to launch its 1-series hatchback by September this year. Not to be left behind, the current luxury segment leader, Audi, has adopted a rather clever strategy to rival the other Germans’ offerings. Instead of joining the fight with its A3 Sportback, Audi is launching a ‘low-cost’ variant of its Q3, which will be priced along the lines of the aforementioned hatchbacks from Mercedes and BMW. Audi’s strategy hinges around the fact that the Q3, being an SUV, is bigger and offers better perceived value than the ‘smaller’ hatchbacks from Merc and BMW. Also, the preference of an SUV or SUV-like body style amongst Indian consumers further works in Audi’s favour.