Audi to drive in A4 comfort for local price

Luxury car maker Audi may be a late entrant in the Indian market but it is fast making up for that. And here is the good news for all Audi lovers: the new A4, to be launched in India in July, will be imported initially but will sport the price tag of a locally assembled car. The reason: Audi will absorb the price difference till the time it starts assembling the car in the country by the year end.

“There will be only one price for the A4 in the country. We will absorb the price difference of a CBU (completely built-up) while selling at CKD (completely knocked down) rates since we will be launching the locally assembled A4 by the year end,” Benoit Tiers, managing director, Audi India, said. Audi will assemble the A4 at its plant at Shendra, near Aurangabad. The company had dropped the price of the A6 by Rs 2 lakh after it started assembling it locally.

Audi India expects to sell 500 units of the new A4 in the first year. The car was launched a few months ago in Europe. While the A4 is currently priced in the Rs 28 lakh to Rs 32 lakh range, A6 is priced in the Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh range. A8, the luxury model, is priced at about Rs 1.25 crore and Audi’s SUV costs Rs 52.75 lakh.

Audi is also launching a roadside assistance programme from April 1. “We are partnering with a specialist company who will pick up the car from anywhere in the country and take it to the nearest dealer, who will then attend to it. Or, a flying technician, either from the dealer or from Audi India, will go to the spot. The aim is to offer the fastest, safest service,” said Mr Tiers. He was in Pune for the inauguration of the company’s fifth showroom here.