Audi Plans ‘Catch up’ with Merc, BMW with new investment, products

Audi, currently the number three player in the Indian luxury car market, plans to gain speed and catch up with its German peers – Mercedes Benz and BMW. Towards that goal, it will invest 30 million Euro to be able to produce 6,000 cars annually operating in a single shift, by 2015. After the A4 and the A6, Audi has now added Q5 to its locally assembled models list. Audi India, which sold 233 cars in June, a 14 percent growth over June ’09, has had a record Jan-June period when it sold 1400 cars, 71 percent more than the same period last year. Michael Perschke, the new chief of Audi India says that given the healthy demand in the market Audi India has revised its 2010 sales target from 2300 units to 2700 units. The total size of the Indian luxury car market is expected to touch 12,000 units this year. Perschke says that his company continues to grow the fastest in the business, even though competitors have taken away prospective A6 customers with offerings like the new E-class and the new 5 Series. Audi’s new A6, will be launched by mid next year. Audi India is also ‘watching the market carefully’ to decide on launching the compact SUV Q3, after it is commercially launched in Europe.