The much awaited 2014 Auto Expo is approaching and the manufacturers are planning to showcase an aggressive lineup to woo the Indian buyers. Now, Audi has confirmed the unveiling of their new entry-level offering, Audi A3 sedan at the Auto Expo. Apart from the A3 sedan, the German luxury carmaker will showcase their existing Indian lineup that includes the newly launched RS7 and the Q-series SUV lineup (Audi Q3, Q5 and Q7) in their ‘Special Editions’ avatars. To gather some special attention, Audi will exhibit the Le Mans winning Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
The Audi A3 sedan is a compact car compared to the Audi A4. In terms of styling, the A3 is treated with the traditional Audi design language that resembles the A4. Audi has used the Volkswagen’s MQB platform for the A3, which comes with a front-wheel drive layout. The luxury carmaker will be assembling the A3 locally in India via the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) kits for competitive pricing. Expect the A3 to come with a starting price of Rs. 22 lakhs. It will be offered with both diesel and petrol engine options mated to the S-Tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission as standard.
The diesel version of the Audi A3 is likely to feature the famous 2.0-litre TDI unit that produces 150 PS of power and 320 Nm of peak torque. The oil burner returns a claimed mileage of 24.39 km/l. The petrol version is expected to be a 1.8-litre TFSI unit that churns out 177 HP of power with 280 Nm of torque. The Audi A3 would help the German automaker build a strong customer base in India with an attractive positioning. Mercedes-Benz will also launch the CLA sedan soon to compete head on with the Audi A3 in the entry level premium segment.
