Audi's Impact on the Indian Automotive Industry

Audi is the German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi cars is among the top 3 luxury car manufacturers in the world alongside Mercedes Benz and BMW. The company produces cars well-known for its technology, style, well-crafted interiors and performance in nine production facilities worldwide. Moreover, the brand has always been at the forefront of innovation with its revolutionary Quattro all-wheel drive system and Matrix LED headlamps. Its innovation has provided the groundwork for modern technology, features and designs for many manufacturers. Know more reasons how this German brand is making its place in the Indian automotive industry.

History of Audi Cars in India

For India, the history of Audi cars is interesting. The gold Audi 100 was the first product from the brand that showed up in India. This iconic Audi was awarded to Ravi Shastri in the World Championship of Cricket in 1985.

But Audi’s journey officially began at the start of 2004, when the company imported select models to India. Later in 2007 it set up shop in collaboration with other Volkswagen Group brands. At present, Audi India uses the manufacturing facilities of Skoda Auto India Private Limited in Aurangabad, Maharashtra in order to assemble its models in the country.

Over the years, Audi has introduced various models in India and has become a key player in the luxury car market. Audi A4, A6, A8, Q3, Q5 and Q7 are some of the popular models by the German brand in India.

Audi's Performance & Safety Ratings

The brand's most utilised engine is the Turbo Fuel Stratified (TFSI) which represents pure performance. In addition, its iconic Quattro four-wheel drive system has many accolades to itself. The company has been a potent force in the rallying scene for years and most recently also achieved a Dakar Rally stage win with its RS Q e-tron model, a first for any electric car.

Building on the legacy Audi now offers multiple versions of the Quattro AWD system on most of its vehicles and it has proven to be far more capable than its competitors AWD system (4MATIC+ and xDrive).

Apart from its amazing powertrain options and AWD technology, Audi offers unmatched safety features. There are a few models such as Audi A4, A5, and A6 in the Audi family that received a 5-star safety rating for adult occupant and child safety in the GNCAP crash test. Talking about safety features, Audi has provided all its cars with equipment like Multi-Collision Prevention, EBD, ABS, Speed Sensing Door Lock, Child Lock, Anti-theft Engine Immobilizer, Brake Assist Parking Sensor, Traction Control and up to 12 airbags among others.

Audi's Luxury Features

One of the reasons that Audi is popular in India is because of its Brand Image which speaks class, elegance and comfort. Its strong road presence and well-crafted interiors are other reasons that people love to buy Audis.

The 2023 Audi A8 is one of the amazing large luxury cars. It uses Valcona leather upholstery which makes its interior more plush and stylish. In terms of features, the car offers Audi exclusive cool box, power latching on the doors, a foot gesture (kicking motion) at the rear, Rear seat entertainment, Audi virtual cockpit, dual screen MMI navigation plus with MMI touch response, and more.

Most of the new models of Audi get ventilated seats, a fully digital instrument cluster with a larger screen, and advanced features that enhance the premium feel of any user. It offers a leather wrap gear-shift selector, electric adjustable seats at the front, an auto-dimming interior rearview mirror with a frameless design, and more. All in all, its luxurious designs coupled with intuitive technologies make the Audi cars exciting to drive.