Speculation about rising competition from global majors has led to shares of major Indian automobile manufacturers such as Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), Maruti Suzuki India, and Tata Motors taking a hit on the BSE.
Electric vehicle (EV) penetration in the luxury car segment has seen a drop by nearly 3 percentage points in the GST 2.0 era with the internal combustion engine versions offering better total cost of ownership, according to industry players. While the trend is also visible in the mass market segment, it is the entry luxury segment that is witnessing a more marked shift towards internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles as price difference between EV and ICE widened under the new GST rates.
Audi plans to focus the Indian market, including deepening market penetration and increasing sales volume.
India's luxury auto market is rebounding after a slow start to 2025, with GST 2.0 emerging as the main catalyst.
During January-May period, the company's sales went up by 24.8 per cent to 4,096 units from 3,282 units in the same period of 2012.
After a record-breaking year, India's automobile industry is entering 2026 on a relatively strong footing, with sales growth expected in the 6-8 per cent range. The outlook is underpinned by policy support, including GST rationalisation, easing monetary conditions, and income tax relief, which together are likely to improve affordability and sustain consumer demand across vehicle segments.
Luxury carmakers are shifting into high gear with a mix of product launches, personalised experiences and lifestyle-led engagement.
Leading the growth for Audi in India are the Audi Q3, new Audi Q5 and Audi Q7.
Having displaced world leader BMW to claim the numero uno position in the luxury car market in India, the company is confident of achieving 35-40 per cent growth in sales this year against an industry expectation of 10 per cent.
Buoyed by sales in October, the company said it is confident of crossing the sales target of 8,000 units in 2012.
"The Audi Q5 2.0 TDI q is perfectly equipped to further strengthen our leadership position in the luxury SUV segment. As the Audi Q5 already has a broad fan base in India, this attractive price will now make this premium experience accessible to a wider customer base," Audi India Head Michael Perschke said in a statement.
Lionel Messi's much-hyped visit to the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday lasted 22 minutes, just enough to underline everything that is wrong in Indian football and the state administration's mismanagement.
From attractive EMIs to assured buyback guarantees, luxury carmakers have lined up a slew of offers to woo customers this festival season to address dwindling sales amid rising inventories.
Automakers Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and Audi India on Monday announced plans to hike prices of their passenger vehicles in January 2024 citing reasons, including cost pressure driven by overall inflation and increased commodity rates. Besides, Tata Motors and Mercedes-Benz India are mulling increasing the prices of their models from January. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India, which sells a range of vehicles from entry-level small car Alto to multi-utility vehicle Invicto, priced between Rs 3.54 lakh and Rs 28.42 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), on Monday said the price hike would vary from model to model.
On Monday, February 17, 2025, Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra launched the new Audi RS Q8 in Mumbai.
'Audi is well on track for what we want to achieve.'
Two-wheeler sales volume is expected to grow 5-6 per cent this fiscal, while that of passenger vehicles to see a 2-3 per cent rise, following the GST rates rationalisation on automobiles, according to Crisil Ratings. The GST Council's decision to move to a two-rate structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, effective September 22, 2025, is a timely move that will revive demand for automobiles, Crisil Ratings said in a statement.
The share of EVs in the luxury segment rose from 7 per cent in January-May 2024 to 11 per cent during the same period in 2025, marking a 66 per cent growth in the electric luxury segment.
India may see its busiest EV festive season in 2025 with SUVs, luxury cars and scooters set to launch, but rare-earth supply bottlenecks risk delaying rollouts.
German luxury car maker Audi on Thursday launched three all-electric SUVs under its e-tron range with prices starting from Rs 99.99 lakh kicking off its electrification journey in the country. The three all-electric SUVs -- e-tron 50, e-tron 55 and e-tron Sportback 55 -- are priced at Rs 99.99 lakh, Rs 1.16 crore and Rs 1.18 crore respectively (all prices ex-showroom), Audi India said in a statement. Commenting on the launch of the e-tron brand in India, Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon said, "we are launching not one, but three electric SUVs that begin our electrification journey." The three electric SUVs are "the perfect confluence of luxury, zero emissions, performance and everyday usability", he added.
German luxury car manufacturer Audi on Thursday reported 17.8 per cent growth in October sales at 1,002 units.
Maruti Suzuki India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hyundai Motor and luxury car maker Audi have extended support to customers in cyclone and flood affected regions of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In a statement, Maruti Suzuki India said it has collaborated with its dealer partners and made several arrangements at its workshops. As soon as the news about the cyclone 'Michaung' was reported, the company proactively sent out 7 lakh SMS alerts containing precautionary steps to its customers to ensure that even before the cyclone hits, customers could take precautionary measures to safeguard their cars against potential damage, it said in a statement.
In 2024 alone, South India saw the highest rise in sales in the luxury segment, with Tamil Nadu reportedly registering a 19.3 per cent increase in premium car registrations from 2022-23
Indian passenger vehicles market registered record wholesales of 43 lakh units in 2024, with companies like market leader Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, and Kia posting their best-ever annual domestic sales. The continued growth of SUVs, along with rural markets playing a key role in driving up car sales, helped the industry better the previous best of nearly 41.1 lakh units posted in 2023.
German premium carmaker Audi on Monday launched the facelift version of its mid-spec performance car S5 Sportback in the domestic market at a starting price of Rs 79.06 lakh (ex-showroom). The five-seater, four-door sports coupe, has been brought as a completely built unit, the company said in a release. Audi India has seen a growth in demand from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, which is expected to accelerate further going forward, it added.
The new RS 7 Sportback is expected to give competition to the likes of Mercedes-AMG E 63 S and the BMW M5.
Prices of various car models -- ranging from entry-level hatchbacks to high-end luxury offerings -- are set to rise as automakers have announced price hikes with effect from January. Carmakers cite an increase in input costs and operational expenses as the main reason to implement price increases from the next month. Industry experts, however, note that the exercise is also undertaken by automakers every year in December to shore up sales volume in the last month of the year, as customers postpone buyouts to later months to get the new year manufactured units.
Audi's strategy seems to point to pushing technology to directly connect with consumers using digital platforms and marketing to synchromesh into one seamless experience, says Pavan Lall.
German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India on Thursday said it will hike prices of select models by up to two per cent from January 1, 2022, to offset feature enhancement and rising input costs. At the same time, Audi announced a price increase of up to 3 per cent across its entire model range, effective from January 1 next year. Mercedes, however, said it is committed to price protection to customers who have booked their cars and are waiting for more than four months for select models.
Armed with swanky showrooms, decked with plush fixtures, and offering indulgences such as high-end perfumes and customisable accessories, BMW, Mercedes, Audi are rolling out the red carpet for the well-heeled.
German luxury carmaker Audi on Thursday launched a new version of its flagship SUV Q7 in India with prices starting at Rs 79.99 lakh (ex-showroom) as it seeks to further accelerate growth in the country. The locally assembled vehicle is powered by a 3-litre petrol engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system generating 340 hp. It can accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in 5.9 seconds. The new Q7 will be available in two variants -- Q7 Premium Plus and Q7 Technology -- priced at Rs 79.99 lakh and Rs 88.33 lakh (ex-showroom), respectively.
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The company introduced many firsts in 2014, including introduction of segment first products such as Audi A3 Sedan and Audi A3 Cabriolet.
German Car maker Audi plans to offer cars that can do 400 km on a single charge, says Ajay Modi.
Analysts believe Tesla will first focus on building the Model Y brand before expanding -- both in terms of volume and models.
German luxury car manufacturer Audi would launch its acclaimed sports car R8 in India in October-November as it seeks to build the brand in this market, a top official of Audi India said.
Virat Kohli happens to be an avid motoring enthusiast and a quite a fan of Audi cars.
During the test of the Q5 diesel model by ARAI, nitrogen oxide (NOx) level was found to be more than the stipulated level following which the company withdrew the model from its dealerships.
Skoda Auto India, the Czech carmaker that has recently found success with its compact SUV Kylaq, says it remains committed to developing a fully localised electric vehicle (EV). The EV will be manufactured at its Chakan facility for both Indian market and exports.
Audi enters North East India, eyes 200 units in first year.
The answer would have been an unequivocal yes had the A4 been priced more aggressively, says Pavan Lall.
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