Audi A3 will not be a CBU; Will be locally assembled from the start

The Audi A3 sedan was unveiled for the Indian market at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo. It was then revealed that Audi was going to initially import the entry-level luxury sedan as a completely-built-up unit (CBU), before starting local assembly of the vehicle. Now, Audi's board member and in-charge of global sales and marketing, Luca de Meo, has revealed that Audi will locally assemble the sedan from the start itself. 

"We have A3 sedan lined up for India by this summer,” Luca told the Economic Times in an interview. “We used to have fully-built vehicles imported earlier and then go for local production. But for the first time, with the A3, we are going for a fully locally-assembled car as a first step to control costs and give price preposition to our customers."

The Audi A3 sedan is the stretched version of the A3 Sportback with an additional 425-litre boot and is based on Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform. The front of the car features the familiar fascia with the big Audi Bulgarian grille and projector headlamps with DRLs. 

The A3 sedan will be offered with both petrol and diesel engines. The petrol will be the 1.8-litre TFSI unit developing 168bhp and 320Nm while the diesel will be the 2.0-litre TDI mill with an output of 141bhp and 320Nm. The A3 sedan will be a front-wheel-drive car and will be available with the seven-speed DSG gearbox.

Audi has recently been on a roll as it overtook BMW as the number one manufacturer in the global luxury car market and also became the first luxury carmaker to reach the break the 10,000 sales barrier in India. Markets around the world are witnessing an increased interest in compact cars and Audi is betting on cars like A3 to further strengthen its position. 

The Audi A3 is expected to be launched in the next few months with a price tag around the Rs 22 lakh mark. Mercedes-Benz got a headstart in this entry-level luxury car segment with the A-Class hatchback last year, which was followed by BMW with its 1 Series. Despite being late to the party, the A3 sedan will have the advantage of practicality and will be a good choice for a person who wants to buy a sensible German luxury car with a practical boot.