Audi drives in new R8 at Rs 1.35cr to India

Luxury car-maker Audi on Monday launched a new version of super sportscar R8 in India, priced between Rs 1.35 crore and Rs 1.74 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).

 "The first month of 2013 already saw the launch of new Audi Q5 and I am confident that with the launch of this new Audi R8, we will further consolidate our leadership position in the super sports car segment in India," Audi India head Michael Perschke told reporters in New Delhi.

This is a critical year for Audi in India and the company will announce several initiatives on the product front such as launch of the new S6 in the second quarter, he added. Already, the company has launched the new Q5, for which it has received 250 bookings. "We are presently the growth drivers of the luxury car market in India and I am confident that 2013 will be more rewarding than 2012," Perschke said.

Buoyed by good sales growth in 2012, German luxury car-maker Audi is expecting India to become one of its top 10 global markets by 2014-15 from its current rank of 22. The company, which sold 9,003 units in India in 2012, is aiming to sell around 10,500-10,800 units this year - a growth rate of about 20 percent.

The new R8 is powered by two engines - 4.2 litre V8 and 5.2 litre V10. Audi India completed its five year investment plan in 2012, during which it put in 30 million euro. The Audi board is now considering the plans for the next five year and by the middle of this year, it will finalise details for the next five years.

The company had last year completed the expansion of a third assembly line at the plant of the Volkswagen group firm Skoda's Aurangabad facility. The line will be used for assembly of the Q7 SUV and another model.

Audi currently assembles sedans A4 and A6 along with SUVs Q5 and Q7 at the Aurangabad plant. It also plans to assemble Q3 in India by the second quarter of this year. Its overall capacity is slated at 12,000 cars a year. In terms of dealership network expansion, the company will have a total of about 32 to 34 outlets by the end of this year, up from 25 in 2012.