Luxury carmakers are shifting into high gear with a mix of product launches, personalised experiences and lifestyle-led engagement.
Driving the Audi A3 Cabriolet is a thrilling experience, says P Tharyan.
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.
And it feels entirely different when compared to all its earlier avatars, observes Pavan Lall.
German Car maker Audi plans to offer cars that can do 400 km on a single charge, says Ajay Modi.
The new RS 7 Sportback is expected to give competition to the likes of Mercedes-AMG E 63 S and the BMW M5.
The answer would have been an unequivocal yes had the A4 been priced more aggressively, says Pavan Lall.
The new car market is estimated at around 30,000 units a year in sales in a good year, whereas the used car market for luxury vehicles is estimated at around 60,000 cars annually.
Automakers are caught in a chicken-and-egg situation: Prices have to come down if volumes are to increase, and volumes won't increase unless prices come down, notes Pavan Lall.
The 1,968cc four-cylinder TDI diesel engine-powered A5 Sportback was a smooth drive, but the S5 Sportback with a 3-litre V6 TFSI quattro tiptronic engine was a mind blowing experience.
Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhat all turned up at the 13th edition of the gala car fair.
The market for compact cars has become really cut-throat.
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